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You can find their court filing here: Cook Family Appeal Documents
Mass Tribal Disenrollment at Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
On January 7, 2014, the Cook Family received the devastating news they were being suspended as members of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians recommended by the Enrollment Committee and enacted by the Tribal Council. A total of 138 family members were being questioned of their lineal heritage to their ancestors who were named on a BIA Census. On March 7, 2014 the Cook Family were disenrolled from the Tribe and stripped of their rights and citizenship.
The severity of disenrollment by the Tribe was demoralizing. To be stripped of our heritage, identity, as well as rights, takes a lifetime to overcome for such a traumatic event. The Family had been part of the Tribe for decades. Growing up and being told you are Miwok Indian and belong to a Tribe offers stability in your heritage and culture. To be disbanded from the tribal land, caused confusion and uncertainty to the Family. The elders were stricken with grief of their ancestors lineage while the younger generation questioned the entire situation and understood they were no longer with a Tribe. This also caused them to question their future.
The Cook Family was banished from all tribal entities for program services. Their rights to receive health care and social services was abruptly interrupted. Certain family members had serious health conditions which placed them at risk and were forced to seek other medical services. In some instances, their services were delayed pending approval. We continue to find there are limited services available to us.
While the Tribe manages the TANF program in the area and the Family is banned from all tribal entities, we cannot receive emergency social and health services to survive. To say the least, we are upholding our rent leases and car payments with difficulty. Any extra curricula programs for the children has also stopped. Family members were treading down roads of success by receiving services offered by the Tribe; GED classes, cultural involvement, etc. Now that members have been disenrolled from the Tribe, they now experience road blocks of accomplishments.
Family members who worked for the Tribe were greatly impacted by the decision of the Enrollment Committee to disenroll them. Some members held positions for a lengthy period of time and decided to work for the Tribe. However, their decision backfired on them after holding long term positions with previous employers. Family members struggle to find employment outside of the Tribe. When Family members seek employment and attend job interviews, we are scrutinized of why we were terminated from our job because employers do not understand Indian country and its membership. It doesn't make sense to add more people to the unemployment line when there is a hiring preference of employment with a Tribe.
Upon receiving disenrollment notices, the Family was informed their status as Native American citizens will remain as a way of the Tribe showing some remorse for their decision. Unfortunately, this is not enough as most program services require you to be affiliated with a recognized tribe.
Again, the Family's rights have been taken away as Indian people.
The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians is located in Northern Ca east of Sacramento. The Tribe was formerly known as the Verona Band of Homeless Indians and was federally recognized in 1920 and reorganized in the 1970s.
Based on the evidence of lineal heritage provided by the Family, we believe we have the proof necessary to remain as tribal members. Our Family submitted an appeal to the Tribe's Tribal Court, and continue to experience the shock and tremors of such a decision and question will justice be given.
Learn More on Disenrollment, Ethnic Cleansing in Indian Gaming Country at these Links:
Gaming Revenue Blamed for Disenrollment
disenrollment is paper Genocide
CA Tribal Cleansing
Tribal terrorism
TRIBAL TERRORISM includes Banishment
Nooksack Disenrollment
13 comments:
Greed and power does not last forever!!!!
The tribe as a whole put the wrong
people in the council seats, choose the wrong chairman
and overall the enrollment committee should have approached the family first.
To treat a family with so much disrespect and hate goes to show who you all sitting up on that hill really is as individuals.
A year in advance you do background research on the faimly, it seems like its based on their skin color.
Its something deeper then what's on the surface. From what it sounds like, they have stated who they
were a number of times and for
their ancestors to be stated on
1916 census should be proven fact.
Greed and power will destroy the Indian country.And YOU (the council, chairman, enrollment committee and all tribal members that knew something like this would happen)
went against the Creator when you disenrolled your "FAMILY".
Greed blinds so many people to the damage they cause...
We must look at allegations of illegal drug use, including meth trafficking, that is tolerated by elected tribal officials and look at this. Redskin name is nothing when it comes to this evil on all Rezes in the United States.
Refuse to use a made up term for the ILLEGAL REMOVAL OF FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBAL MEMBERS.
Indian country has to much power. They have very much ruined lives of both adults and children. Leading them to question their heritage. These tribal members were forcefully removed from the positions they held and also were forcefully removed and banned from tribal grounds, clinic and casino despite the fact they had no aggression nor did they show aggression towards any tribal members or security while being removed. The tribe treated these members and even the elders (55+) as though they were criminals by wearing bullet proof vests and had police enforcement when the elders (60+) were asked to come show proof of their lineage to the tribal council and enrollment committee. We as a tribal country need to voice our opinions and let our voices be heard about this disenrollment in ALL tribes! NOT JUST ONE...
So today was judgment day for our family from the tribes judge who ruled in favor of the them people who, disenrolled 1/3 of that tribe we have more native blood than they do. It's so sad that this world is ruled by greed. Nick Fonseca runs the tribe intimidation and fear of losing your jobs, fines and or your sit on council or any other board that they have up there and their pay $1000's of dollars on top of the an individuals pay check not to include their per capta. He uses hush money to buy your votes and also to do as he has just done to us RUIN our lives. The coldest thing about all this we were used and blinded by our heritage and accepted them as distant family members as they would call us ( cousins ), but you got greedy and felt our skin was a bit to tanned for you, I feel as if the Booze-fighters your biker club forced you to get rid of us. Those tribal members that know the truth and was bought off or in fear of this happening to you, your cowards and I say that because you embraced us as so-called family but you stood and are standing by as he dose this. God don't like ugly and you all are far from pretty. He's coming for you all next.
My comment is focused on the Judge's statement, "Most compelling is the report from the professional genealogy company that respondents relied on." No way did this report demonstrate that the professional genealogy company understood GPS, the Genealogical Proof Standard because they certainly did not apply it to their research or their report. Considering the magnitude of the subsequent action, I hope the SOCIETY OF GENEALOGIST takes a good hard look at this report.
There is two sides to every story and your side is far from the truth. You weren't part of this Tribe for decades....most of you if not all of you enrolled when The Tribe started receiving money from the Special Distribution from other gaming Tribes. Get your story straight, before spreading untruths about the Tribe. Point Blank you don't belong and the sad thing is you all new it ...and this is coming from someone in your family who admitted that you all didn't belong. Instead of you doing the right thing you all kept taking and taking. So again get your facts straight.
Hmmm...It looked like this was about Mae Cook Keola who applied for enrollment in the Shingle Springs Band in 1971. The Special Distribution Fund is associated with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. Hmmm...sounds like there are people on both sides of this story that need to get their facts straight.
In replicating the steps the professional genealogy company took to reach their conclusion, I found an inadequate appreciation of the all evidence and that their conclusion was based on bias and a preconception that Martina may have taken May in to raise after the loss of her own family.
No real importance was given by the professional genealogy company to Martina’s application to the 1928 California Indian Census, except that her tribe was unknown and her address was confirmed. If the professional genealogy company had researched the 1928 California Indian Census, their report would have reflected that when Examiner Fred A. Baker began compiling the California Indian census rolls, applicants were enrolled in public hearings, in which they had to pass the scrutiny of Indians of the local community. In many cases, a committee of elderly Native Americans acted as witnesses to the authenticity of claims and to the fact of claimants being recognized as persons of California Indian descent.
Although the 1928 California Indian Census Roll was not intended to denote tribal affiliation, the affidavit attached to the application did denote a personal affiliation. In reference to Martina’s Indian descent and the parentage of her children, the witnesses stated she was well acquainted with and had known Martina for 25 years. With a little research, it seems that this witnesses was also associated with a person listed on the 1916 census (at least long enough to have a child by him in 1905). This should have been considered a significant factor in demonstrating the validity of May Cook Keola’s identity and kinship and not just as a confirmation of her address.
The statement by the professional genealogy company “We have been unable to find any member of the Cook family named William and can provide no explanation for this entry, which confused a 21 year old white woman for a Hawaiian man 15 years her senior” is misleading with intent. The professional genealogy company only zoomed in on lines 25 through 29 in their report. You would have to examine the entire census page to see the bigger picture. The bigger picture would have shown that:
1. Martina could not read or write (she made her mark on her 1928 California Indian Census application);
2. If Martina was the informant, she would not be able to read the instruction along with the enumerator;
3. If Martina had no education she may not have been able to understand the questions;
4. Lines 25 through 34 were associated with each other but lived in different households (Martina Cook and Lucinda Kahula are full sisters according to their applications to the 1928 California Indian Census application);
5. William was moved from line 26 to line 33 but his last name is too illegible with possible transcription errors (see the same crossed out age at last birthday) and;
6. Lines 25 through 34 were the only major corrections made by the enumerator on the entire page.
There is an explanation but none was pointed out by the professional genealogy company. By directing focus to only lines 25 through 29 demonstrates intent to mislead the evidence.
There are a few inaccuracies in this particular post.
1) You state that the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians were "Formerly" known as the Verona Band of Homeless Indians and were federally recognized in 1920 and reorganized in the 1970s.
Firstly, we are talking about 2 different groups of people, one being the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok (whose tribal Identity was usurped by the None India Hawaiian Groupcalled the Verona Band of Homeless Indians.
Secondly, the ONLY tribal recognition that we know of, was that given to the True Shingle Springs Band of Miwok in 1918.
Due to possible legal action coming against the BIA, would you please correct the public record on this. I am able to send you documents on recognition.
The word got out the BIA is giving info out.
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