Chukchansi Factions Nearing Resolutions. Decry "rogue" Leaders.

The Sierra Star News has a full story on the trouble which could be headed for a resolution at the corrupt Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians.

In an effort to resolve the on-going tribal council disputes, on Sunday, Aug. 24, the off-site Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians tribal council, led by Chairman Reggie Lewis, held a mediated settlement meeting in hopes of ending the leadership dispute which has lasted since 2011.

In a 20-hour marathon session, held Sunday on tribal grounds, members of the Lewis faction along with members of each previous council dating back to 2010 were invited to participate in an open discussion to decide the best avenue for the tribal councils to regain order and settle all active disputes.

More than 20 current and ex-tribal council members, consisting of a majority of every tribal council since the Dec. 2010 elections, came together during what tribal members called a momentous session to discuss the future of the Chukchansi tribal council.

TIME to PULL Chukchansi Federal Recognition? Who Recognizes They Have NO LEADERSHIP?

Corruption, Civil Rights Violations, Elder Abuse at Chukchansi, then violence, moving tribal money around.  WHO is in charge?  This is certainly violations of their gaming compact.  SUSPEND RECOGNITION!

Here's the story from the Fresno Bee's Marc Benjamin:

The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians has a new rift, with one group in the tribe's business complex and a second group, representing a cross-section of previous tribal councils, inside Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino.

The group in the casino employed armed security officers to get inside and have set up headquarters in an 11th floor suite, Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said on Monday. The group in the casino is overseeing its operations and the casino remains open for business.

The casino takeover reportedly began about 3 a.m. Monday. Members of the rival Reggie Lewis and Nancy Ayala factions joined forces and negotiated during the past week, said Robert Rosette,

NOOKSACK TRIBE Hoisted on Its OWN Soveignity Petard. They AGREED to Waive Sovereign Immunity, They Tried to Reclaim It.

The Nooksack Indian Tribe cannot claim its sovereignty trumps the terms of a contract it signed to obtain a loan for its casino, the Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday, Aug. 21.

In 2006 the tribe signed a loan agreement with BankFirst for about $15 million to renovate its Deming casino. As part of the contract, the tribe's business corporation granted "an irrevocable limited waiver of its sovereign immunity from suit or legal process with respect to any Claim," and consented to be sued in "any court of general jurisdiction in the State."

When the tribe did not make loan payments, Outsource Services Management, a loan servicing company, stepped in. Outsource and Nooksack made three agreements for the tribe to pay back the loans, but the tribe didn't pay. Outsource then sued for breach of contract in Whatcom County Superior Court.

While the tribe agreed it had waived its sovereign immunity, it claimed the superior court did not have jurisdiction over the case because it involved a contractual dispute with a tribal enterprise that was made on tribal land. The tribe moved for dismissal.

At the time, attorneys for Outsource argued that "if (the tribe's) arguments were the law, any tribal entity would have virtually unfettered discretion as to whether it should have to repay its obligations on a casino loan," according to one court document.

In response, the tribe's attorneys at the time said the seeming unfairness of the situation was beside the point.

"Sovereign immunity is a doctrine whose application frequently leads to unfair results," the tribe's attorneys stated in a Whatcom County Superior Court document.

The Superior Court denied the dismissal.

The tribe appealed that and a subsequent Court of Appeals decision.

In a 7-2 ruling Thursday, justices upheld the lower courts' refusal to dismiss the case.

According to the decision, "Given that the Nooksack made the decision to enter into that contract and consent to those provisions, we do not see how state court jurisdiction would infringe on the tribe's right to self-rule.

"In fact, we believe the opposite is true: ignoring the tribe's decision to waive sovereign immunity and consent to state court jurisdiction would infringe on the tribe's right to make those decisions for itself."

Now that the court has ruled against the tribe's efforts to dismiss the case, the lender can go back to trial to collect on the loans it made that haven't been repaid, said Rob McKenna, one of the lawyers representing Outsource.

"This ruling vindicates the sovereign immunity of tribes," McKenna said. "The Supreme Court has recognized the right of tribes to waive sovereign immunity for business purposes."

Had the ruling gone the other way, McKenna said, that would have signaled that tribes cannot voluntarily waive their sovereign immunity under contracts, which would have made it harder for them to obtain outside loans.

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2014/08/21/3813365_supreme-court-nooksack-tribe-cant.html?sp=/99/101/&rh=1#storylink=cpy

One Death in Missouri Gets Attorney General Holders Immediate Response. Apartheid, Disenrollment, Elder Abuse to THOUSANDS, Not So Much

The tragic shooting Death of Ferguson Missouri teenager Michael Brown has brought rioting, looting, attacks of police forces AND the immediate action of Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder.

It's a sad story that has changed constantly.  It's an amazing sight to see Holder moving quickly on this one issue, when we've been writing to his justice department for YEARS asking him to investigate wrongdoing in Indian Country.

Attorney General Eric Holder WASHES his hand of
an ISSUES in Indian Country

Thousands have been harmed by their tribes via disenrollment, banishment, intimidation, threats, apartheid, trespass.  Yet, we can't seen to get the AG's attention.   Does their have to be violence?

Laker Owner Jeanie Buss won't Draft a Redskin Player SO as NOT to Offend: Takes MONEY from Apartheid Tribe and Civil Rights Abusing Pechanga Band Of Luiseno Indians

File under "It would be hilarious if not so stupid"  Here is a tweet from Laker owner Jeanie buss

I decided NOT to draft any Washington players (apologies to them) on my #fantasyfootball team in deference to those offended by team name.
— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) August 11, 2014

We wrote about the unseriousness of the NBA: Lakers take money from Apartheid practicing Tribe in April.

The NBA stood up today and fined NBA CLIPPERS owner Donald Sterling $2.5 Million and banned him for life.   Now, he will be forced to sell the team and make $700 Million and live out the rest of his life in luxury.

Left unresolved is the NBA's inaction on taking sponsorships from Indian tribes, particularly Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, from Temecula, that sponsors the Los Angeles Lakers, the "other" NBA franchise.   They also sponsor the Angels.

Now the NBA has been informed about the Apartheid that Pechanga practices on Indian people on their reservation.   We detail that here: Pechanga’s Apartheid Reservation. We wrote to then NBA Commissioner David Stern and Laker's owner, Jerry Buss about this sponsor in 2008: 

GET SERIOUS Jeanie.  Look at the REAL ISSUES affecting Indian Country, rather than the LOW HANGING fruit of a STUPID NICKNAME.  

Disenrollment is offensive, Apartheid is offensive, YOUR SPONSOR Pechanga is an abusive Tribe.

Pechanga Lawsuit Details Threats, Exposure of Informant by Tribal Entities Makes Him Fear for his Life

A recent court case against the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians and the Pechanga Gaming Commission details the mishandling of employees, and the "outing" of a confidential informant who was working with the F.B.I. during the period where former tribal chairman Jennie Miranda and her son, Larry Miranda were disenfranchised from the tribe.

From the Brief
 Prior to starting work at the Pechanga Casino, the PGC licensed Cosentino as required by IGRA and the PGA.  Shortly after he started work at the Pechanga Casino, Cosentino began to witness rampant criminal activity at the Pechanga Casino including an illegal online casino being operated from the floor of the Pechanga Casino; loan sharking; extortion and bribery; rampant employee theft; 
and collusion between corrupt dealers, supervisors and players. 

HOSTILE TAKEOVER at Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians; TEX McDonald Suspended

The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians had another takeover late Thursday night, officials from the tribe's opposing factions confirm, reports MARC BENJAMIN.

The Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in Coarsegold, which generates an estimated $100 million in annual revenue for the tribe, remains open.

Two people involved in the ongoing dispute for tribal leadership both say that a takeover happened, but differed on how it happened.

NO Internet Poker Bill Means BAD ACTOR TRIBES LIKE PECHANGA will NOT be able to Benefit ...

A representative of Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer told PokerNewstoday that his bill to legalize online poker in California will not have enough time to pass this legislative session, which concludes at the end of the month, but that a new bill will be the first one introduced by the assemblyman for the next session in December.

Jones-Sawyer's announcement comes a day after the Los Angeles Timesreported that Sen. Lou Correa was shelving his online poker bill. Correa won't be returning next year because of term limits.

DISENROLLING THE DEAD is NOT the Indian Way; At Pechanga NOTHING is SACRED, Especially Ancestors

Attorney Gabe Galonda has a nice piece on what disenrollments are doing.  They did so in our family's case at Pechanga, disenrolling our ancestor Paulina Hunter and to the first family disenrolled at Pechanga, the Manuela Miranda descendents.

Your dead cease to love you and the land of their nativity as soon as they pass the portals of the tomb and wander away beyond the stars. They are soon forgotten and never return.

Our dead never forget this beautiful world that gave them being. They still . . . yearn in tender fond affection over the lonely hearted living, and often return from the happy hunting ground to visit, guide, console, and comfort them. – Chief Seattle

There is perhaps nothing more reviling about disenrollment, than the disenrollment of ancestors, or what offending tribes call “posthumous disenrollment.”

It has happened at Saginaw Chippewa, at Las Vegas Paiute, at Robinson Rancheria, and most recently, at Grand Ronde. And it could happen to your ancestors, and to you.