Takedown of Mark Macarro's Statement on Disenrollment at Pechanga

In 2006, following the termination of citizenship of an entire family line of Original Pechanga Allottee Paulina Hunter, who was disenrolled posthumously over 100 years after her death, Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro released a statement, which we take down here: 

Mark Macarro
Pechanga Chairman
Abuser of Native Americans.

"The right to determine our citizenship is central to Pechanga's identity as a distinct sovereign government.  
   
OP:  Violations of Pechanga’s Constititution notwithstanding?  The General Council (Tribal Members) is the final arbiter and in one of the largest turnouts in tribal history, voted overwhelmingly to STOP ALL DISENROLLMENTS.   The General Council voted to ADOPT Council Member Butch Murphy’s family heirs, even though provision in Pechanga’s constitution state ONLY Indians can be enrolled.

Tribal nations have sole jurisdiction and authority to establish and enforce procedures to determine their own tribal citizenship.

The courts have consistently upheld this tribal right because of more than 200 years of legal precedent."             

OP: Honorable tribal officials enforce procedures and Pechanga laws were not followed. If Mr. Macarro was looking to do the right thing, Pechanga Council Member Andrew Masiel should have recused himself for any appeals process, as his mother, Ruth Masiel and aunt Ihrene Scearse were on the enrollment committee. 

"The Pechanga Enrollment Committee is the Pechanga entity responsible for determining issues of enrollment and citizenship as established in our Tribal laws. This is accomplished through codified tribal processes with findings and due process requirements."               

OP: ALL findings were thrown out via a VOTE OF THE PECHANGA PEOPLE, who rule in all matters.  Additionally, not one member of the enrollment committee was qualified to, and did not write the record of decision.  There is no court that would rule that Ruth Masiel was competent to make a decision of this magnitude.

"Disenrollment actions occurred at Pechanga before we ever had a casino as well as after, quite independent of our gaming activities. Contrary to the allegations of a few, this matter has nothing to do with politics or profits."     

OP:  Few lies are as big as this one.  NO large family was ever disenrolled.   This was political, as Apis descendants are STILL in the tribe.  And the Hunter family still lives their original allotment, held IN TRUST by the Federal Government, unlike the Macarro Family, who is a re-purchaser of land.   If it had nothing to do with politics, WHY were both disenrollments, totaling 25% of eligible voters, done just prior to Pechanga elections.  Why did per capita payments go UP after both disenrollments?

The corrupt Macarro council did not follow the willl of the people.  His cabal overruled the General Council saying in fact that the tribe could vote to keep people out, as they did with the moratorium, but not keep them in.