Slot Player Wins $1 Million at Apartheid Reservation's Casino; Pechanga Pays Out

A Rancho Cucamonga woman won $1,039,984 on Thursday morning at the Pechanga Resort & Casino after hitting the progressive jackpot on a $1 Gold Double Series slot machine.   

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians are well known for abusing a large portion of their tribal members via disenrollment and abusing their civil and human rights in the bargain.   But for those customers who have little conscience about where they spend their money, they can still strike it lucky.

The woman, Marian Williams, was playing early Thursday morning at 3:55 a.m. when the life-changing digits aligned.

"I could not believe it!" she told a Pechanga public relations representative. "I really feel so blessed and for this to happen on Thanksgiving ... It's awesome."

The Thanksgiving slot machine jackpot is the fourth of more than one million dollars at Pechanga Resort & Casino in four years, the release states. Three of these four jackpots were hit on the same bank of slot machines – the Gold Series by Rocket Gaming.

I wonder how many tribal members are happy for this woman, taking profit from the casino?

Happy Thanksgiving to All our Readers

We don't celebrate the pilgrims "finding " us, but are Thankful that we have our family together.

Enjoy your day, please share your thoughts and what you plans are for today.

Financiers PUSHING Agreement at Chukchansi. WILL IT REOPEN? SHOULD IT?

Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino’s financiers have been meeting with the tribe’s separate political factions in hopes of getting them to iron out an agreement that will generate enough peace and allow the Coarsegold facility to reopen.

picture from Fresno Bee

Without casino revenues, the tribe will be unable to meet its financial obligations, thus raising the specter — for the second time in three years — of default. Investors who have put more than $250 million into the hotel and casino are growing more nervous with each week the casino remains closed and the tribal infighting continues.

The longer the casino remains closed, the less likely that the development authority will pay its two annual payments on time. The next one is due at the end of March.

Three years years ago, Chukchansi Economic Development Authority was in danger of defaulting on bonds that paid for Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino.

It was about the same time that tribal leaders were facing factional splits — the same problems that led to the closure of the Coarsegold facility last month. But despite the infighting at the time, tribal officials were able to rescue the financial notes in a complex restructuring deal that took months. But the restructuring put the casino and hotel at a financing rate of 9.75% because of previous financial issues that were in large measure due to the recession.

Under the 2012 deal, bondholders with about $303.1 million of debt agreed to the new payment plan. The tribe paid off nearly $40 million in notes with $30 million in cash. The tribe then exchanged $270 million in old notes for $250.4 million in new financing, Standard & Poor’s reported at the time.

Reggie Lewis, who represents the Lewis/Ayala tribal council that was managing the casino when the Tex McDonald group’s security forces took over the gaming office, said the tribe’s bondholders are increasingly concerned about the closure.

“Nobody cares what’s going on as long as they got their money, but they are concerned now, they realize until we get this all settled they will not be having their payments and their interest paid back,” he said.

The tribe’s payments to vendors and bondholders are monitored by a New York state judge, who is ensuring the bondholders’ investment is secure.

Lewis said time is money in this case; the bondholders may have to eventually weigh the risks of demanding a permanent closure and claiming pieces of the hotel and casino, such as slot machines, which would provide only “pennies on the dollar” for their investment.

Read the FULL STORY at the FRESNO BEE

Read more about Chukchansi Corruption and Disenrollment:

Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians
Picayune Rancheria
Chukchansi thuggery
Nancy Ayala
Chukchansi disenrollment
Chukchansi Council Dispute

ERIC HOLDER on Ferguson: Investigation ONGOING but He Ignores ACTUAL abuses in Indian Country which is ONGOING

Shameful turn of events from Attorney General Eric Holder.  After tonight's decision from the Grand Jury to NOT indict police officer Darren Wilson for shooting his attacker, 6' 4" 290 pound Michael Brown, Holder issued this statement:

Eric Holder washing his hands of civil rights abuses

“While the grand jury proceeding in St. Louis County has concluded, the Justice Department’s investigation into the shooting of Michael Brown remains ongoing. Though we have shared information with local prosecutors during the course of our investigation, the federal inquiry has been independent of the local one from the start, and remains so now. Even at this mature stage of the investigation, we have avoided prejudging any of the evidence. And although federal civil rights law imposes a high legal bar in these types of cases, we have resisted forming premature conclusions.

INDEPENDENT investigation?  What for? The grand jury listened to 50 witnesses, many who recanted their initial on camera statements, and 4 hours of testimony from Wilson.  They could find NO evidence to indict Wilson.  

Yet they have time to waste to continue to look?  This is bullshit.   He needs to spend time looking at the corruption in Indian Country, the apartheid, the segregation, the theft of $800 MILLION from tribal members via disenrollment.....  

Chukchansi Debacle Makes National News

Finally, some broader exposure the the crimes and abuse at Chukchani.  Yahoo News picked up this AP story by Scott Smith.   You can help by going to the link at the bottom, commenting on the story and emailing it out to your family and friends and ask them to do the same. WE can help it trend...


Go to the FULL YAHOO STORY HERE

COARSEGOLD, Calif. (AP) -- When it comes to controlling California's flashy Las Vegas-style casinos, the stakes are enormous for tribes who own the gambling operations that collectively generate billions of dollars a year to sustain Native Americans up and down the state.

With this backdrop, several tribes in the past two years have fallen into nasty, sometimes violent, power struggles pitting factions and families against one another.

The most recent case, involving the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians near Yosemite National Park, climaxed in an armed raid on Oct. 9 by one faction that caused gamblers to flee, leaving their chips on the table.

The National Indian Gaming Commission, which regulates Indian casinos, and a federal judge shut down the Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino, citing safety concerns. Charges have been filed against 15 men — two tribal council members, the tribal police chief and a hired security team that included a former sheriff's deputy and onetime Marine, and a former Navy Seal.

The casino remains closed — with estimated losses in the millions each week — because rivals have yet to diffuse what U.S. District Judge J. Lawrence O'Neill of Fresno called an "explosive keg" of emotions.

"It's a classic struggle over money and tribal rights and control for what everybody recognizes is a very lucrative enterprise," said Denise Runge, a gambling industry researcher at Helena College University of Montana.

"All of a sudden, you've got a government with a lot of responsibility and a lot of clout that didn't develop over decades like a lot of our other government institutions," said Phil Hogen, former chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Simmering tensions erupted last month at Chukchansi when a security team led by former tribal leader Tex McDonald stormed the casino. They were armed with firearms and stun guns and detained security officers.

Madera County Sheriff's deputies intervened. Prosecutors filed charges, including kidnapping, false imprisonment and assault against the men. Most have been arrested or have surrendered. McDonald is in jail with bail set at $2.4 million. His attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, Chukchansi's financial losses are unclear because Indian casinos are not required to disclose earnings.

Go to the FULL YAHOO STORY HERE

Pechanga Could Require Allottees to Wear YELLOW STAR to designate Status

Nazis forced Jews to wear Yellow Stars

UPDATE II: We think this story from 2012 is coming more TRUE every day, now with Reservation allottees being forced to give up their mailboxes.
UPDATE:    We posted the story below in February 2012 and now word is coming from the Pechanga Reservation in Temecula that an effort is being forwarded to keep any disenrolled tribal member from using the reservation facilities.    The story is developing but it sounds like the Masiel Basquez crime family is at it again.    Currently a number of Hunters, descendants of Original Pechanga allottee, Paulina Hunter, live on the reservation, some all their lives.    

The Temecula Band of Luiseno Indians, led by Democratic Party operatives  Mark Macarro and Andrew Masiel are well known civil and human rights abusers.  

Will Pechanga Force Allottees to Wear a Yellow Star or Sticker on their cars?

Oh, if only the question was too far-fetched to believe, since they have already stripped voting rights and elder care from 25% of their tribe.  The Nazis forced Jews to wear these stars on their clothing in an overt act of persecution. As we wrote about recently, the allottees on the reservation, who have had their land in the family since the beginning of the Temecula Indian Reservation, have now been threatened with trespassing charges. A yellow star would make it easy for tribal members like the Masiel-Basquez crime family to recognize them on sight.


The drinking fountains at the park will be one area where the tribe could have a sign saying: Tribal Members Only, No Temecula Indians Allowed.

They say that allottee may be excluded from their land if they are on the land of a tribal member, yet, Chairman Macarro's jackbooted Tribal Rangers trespassed on allottee's land to deliver the message. Yep, right to the front doors. And since a sexual predator is in charge of dispatching Rangers and is a member of the tribal motorcycle "club", wouldn't you be worried?

Remember, some Moratorium People have already been excluded from their own land....


Since the casino is on tribal property, any visitor could be charged with trespassing ..for any reason. Including not being the "right kind" of Indian...

Plaintiffs Counsel Speaks On Ruling In PALA CASE: On to Appellate Court

Law Offices of 

THOR O. EMBLEM

205 W. 5th Avenue, Suite 105 $ Escondido, California 92025 

Telephone (760) 738-9301 $ Fax (760) 738-9409 

e-mail: Owlinguish@emblemlaw.com 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 20, 2014
Contact: Erin Emblem
760.7383.9301 Office
Erin@EmblemLaw.com

San Diego, CA - The descendents of Margarita Britton have long been besieged in a dispute
about the nature of their Native American heritage with the Pala Band of Mission Indians. Despite
the Bureau of Indian Affairs 1989 "final decision" stating that Margarita Britton was in fact 4/4
Indian and the 2012 reaffirmation in their letter to the Pala Tribe recommending that the family
stay on Tribe's official rolls, corporate greed over gaming revenue and per capita distributions
have fuelled the forced exodus of this disenfranchised family as well as many others like them
from tribes throughout the state and nation.

"The motives of the band's current management team are pretty clear and actions like these make
us question the rights and responsibility of our own government and the extent of our authority to
protect federally enrolled members. The BIA says that they can only recommend. If the
government knows that the rights of its citizens are being violated isn't their responsibility to step
in? They do it all the time, all over the world and this case we're asking them to protect American
citizens here in the United States. This Laissez-Faire, bury your head in the sand, look the other
way stance our government seems to be taking with federally enrolled tribal governments that
make up the rules as they go along doesn't happen with other foreign nations. The level of
dysfunction is just baffling to me. Could you imagine what a relief it would be to foreign
dictatorships if we took the same position?" asks appellate attorney Tracy Emblem who has spent
countless hours researching case law, statutes and ordinances which requires the federal
government to step in and in this case enforce the BIA's determination.

After months of delay appealing to the BIA back in 2012 and 2013, the U.S. District Court in
Aguayo v. Jewel, et al, issued a ruling yesterday full of mixed messages about where the family
stands and the scope of the federal government's authority. The long and short of the 35 page
decision is that it is in Judge Bashant's opinion that she does not have the authority to hear or rule
on the case.

When asked for his take on the ruling, Plaintiff's attorney Thor Emblem remarked, "it's apparent
that the judge wants the court of appeals to make the call on this. A decision of this magnitude
should come from a higher court as it has the power to specify the extent of the government's
authority and duty over a sovereign nation within its borders. If the ruling had gone the other way,
it was likely that the Tribe would have challenged a decision in our favor by filing a joinder, so no
matter the outcome, this case was on track for the appeals court. The good thing to come of this is
that moving forward our case can be heard in a court that is both familiar with the nature of our
case and is comfortable making a ruling that affects governmental policy. The 9th Circuit Court of 
Appeals has previously ruled on two of our primary arguments in the case of Alto v. Black where 
they found in our favor. From where we're standing, the appellate route is our next and best 
course of action at this time."

LaDonna Harris, Civil Rights Activist to Screen Her Film at Apartheid Practicing, Civil Rights Abusing Pechanga Reservation

Irony of ironies:

A documentary highlighting the accomplishments of LaDonna Harris, an Indian Country social and civil rights activist, to be shown at Pechanga Reservation during the San Diego American Indian Film Festival.   

Comanched Member LaDonna Harris

Ms. Harris will also be on hand to answer questions after the screening of "LaDonna Harris: Indian 101".

I wonder how Ms. Harris feels having a movie about her life and work shown at a place where so many Indian people have been subjected to human and civil rights abuses?  These victims of oppression are very similar to those she fought for in her younger days.   Now, she can walk into Pechanga, dashing the hopes of Native Americans who have been harmed by their own tribes, that someone with her strong credentials, might stand up against the tyranny we face......we hope someone will champion our cause, it may not be LaDonna, unless she can be persuaded about the violations faced by Natives FROM Natives....

Many of these Indians-elders, children, friends and family- cannot even go to the screening of her movie for fear of retribution.  Some are outright banished and just this week, notifications went out to allottees of the reservation that their mailboxes are being confiscated for use by non resident tribal members.

Of those who do go, will anyone dare ask Ms. Harris what her position is regarding the epidemic of rights abuses that has infected Indian Country- particularly at Pechanga- and which have resulted in the disenrollment and Banishment of thousands?

More importantly, if asked, can Ms. Harris offer an honest answer to such a question and possibly insult her "host"?   Would she miss this opportunity to speak "truth to POWER?"

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
Attorney General Holder

BIA Successful in Throwing PALA Disenrolled Under The Bus in Aguayo v. Jewell

Judge Cynthia Bashant wasted no time in denying Plaintiff's motion.   
See Documents here: Aguayo v. Jewell

Sally Jewell doesn't swear to protect ALL Natives

IV. CONCLUSION & ORDER9
The Court sympathizes with the hardships that Plaintiffs face as a result of their
disenrollment from the Pala Band. The significance of terminating membership from
one’s tribe is not lost. However, the Court’s role in this situation is “not to substitute
its judgment for that of the agency,” but rather to examine whether there is a “rational
connection between the facts found and the choice made” by the agency. Nw. Envtl.
Def. Ctr. v. Bonneville Power Admin., 477 F.3d 668, 687 (9th Cir. 2007) (quoting State
Farm, 463 U.S. at 43) (internal quotation marks omitted). Under the standard
prescribed by 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A), which is highly deferential to the agency, Plaintiffs
fail to meet their burden to demonstrate that the Assistant Secretary’s decision isin any
way “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse or discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with
law.” See 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A); San Luis & Delta-Mendota, 747 F.3d at 601.

In light of the foregoing, the Court DENIES Plaintiffs’ motion for summary
judgment, and GRANTS Defendants’ cross-motion for summary judgment. 
Accordingly, this Court affirms the Assistant Secretary’s June 2013 decision
concluding that “the Regional Director acted based on a proper interpretation of authority under tribal law to review the enrollment appeals[,]” and that “the Department
has no authority under Federal or tribal law to decide enrollment issues for the Band.”
(See AR 23.) 
IT IS SO ORDERED.

Read MORE about PALA DISENROLLMENTS:
Pala Disenrollments
Pala dispute
Pala disenrolled 162 members

HARVEY HOPKINS OUT at Dry Creek Rancheria; CHRIS WRIGHT IN

The Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, which has seen a drastic decline in revenues from its River Rock Casino since a bigger, newer competitor opened near Rohnert Park, has chosen a new leader.

Harvey Hopkins, chairman of the Dry Creek tribe for the past 10 years, lost his bid for re-election over the weekend, coming in last to two other challengers.

The new chairman of the tribe is Chris Wright, 43, who is also the head of marketing for River Rock Casino near Geyserville. Preliminary results shared Monday by two tribal members had Wright earning 41 percent of the vote to 35 percent for Salvina Norris, the vice chairwoman, and 24 percent for Hopkins.

Saturday’s election came at a pivotal time for the 1,200-member tribe, which has seen its casino revenues cut in half since the Graton Resort and Casino opened a year ago about 30 miles south.

After its casino revenues plummeted, Dry Creek defaulted on more than $140 million owed to River Rock bondholders and also remains delinquent on a $3.5 million annual payment to Sonoma County to offset impacts from the gambling hall on a hill overlooking scenic Alexander Valley.

Tribal members said Wright is a fresh face, smart and personable.

“Those that voted for him probably think he (has) younger ideas, maybe more marketing ideas to keep our casino going,” said tribal elder Reg Elgin, who supported Hopkins.

Elgin said Hopkins, 66, may have unfairly been blamed for River Rock’s troubles since Graton opened. But he added that “the voters were pretty adamant in their stand — they thought it was time for a change.”

Pechanga Tribe Forcing Reservation Residents to VACATE their Mailboxes

The Pechanga Tribe is forcing the non member residents of the reservation, including reservation allottees, who were stripped of tribal citizenship to vacate their mailboxes within 30 days.

Purple Pin shows mailboxes and red pin shows where elders live

It seems they couldn't just ask the post office to provide MORE mailboxes as the population grows.

Giving short notice of taking of mailboxes

We received a letter in the mail today from Pechanga Tribal Hall that we have 30 days to vacate our mailbox on the reservation, that we've had for 30 years since they were first installed. They want to give our (non-member) mailboxes to the Tribal members that are moving out here.

Robert Edward Foreman, A Remembrance of the FIRST Chairman of the REDDING RANCHERIA

Robert Edward Foreman: A Remembrance of the First Chairman of The Redding Rancheria

Robert Edward Foreman, the first Chairman of the Redding Rancheria, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008.  I wanted to make sure we got this up for him for the weekend

Here's how the first Chairman was treated by the Redding Tribal Council:

On January 27, 2004, all 76 members of my family the “Foremans” were removed from the Redding Rancheria tribal rolls based on nothing more than a conjured up rumor alleging my mother Lorena Foreman-Butler was not the daughter of her mother Virginia Timmons, one of Redding Rancheria’s 17 Original Distributees.

Tribal Officials never produced a single piece of evidence to dispute my mother's maternal lineage and my family provided reams of legal and contemporary documents proving her mother was Virginia Timmons. Tribal Council still required my family to provide genomic DNA from my deceased mother and grandmother to retain our tribal citizenship

Despite my family providing Tribal Council with DNA test results from two separate labs of 99.987% and 99.890%, proving by the legal standards established by the American Bar Association and the American Medical Associations that Lorena Butler and Virginia Timmons were mother and daughter, Tribal Council still stripped my family of our tribal citizenship.

Bob Foreman has been fighting to regain his family's civil rights and the rights of disenfranchised Native Americans since.

Here is Bob's Obituary:

Bob Foreman, Redding Rancheria's first tribal chairman and a pioneer in north state American Indian health clinics, died Wednesday after a long illness. He was 72.
An Achumawi Pit River Indian, Foreman was remembered Thursday by friends and family as a tireless advocate for Indian rights, skilled communicator and loyal patriarch.

He was born June 12, 1936, in Lake County. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he worked in construction as did his father, said daughter Carla Maslin of Redding. In the late 1960s, he began his campaign to get Indians health care in the north state.
His efforts paid off in 1971, with the opening of the federally financed Shasta-Trinity-Siskiyou Rural Indian Health Center in Anderson.

"Bobby was a real devoted guy to his tribe," said Everett Freeman, tribal chairman of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians near Corning. "He almost single-handedly got Indian health to where it is today."
Larry McClanahan, a Navajo Indian who moved to Cottonwood from Arizona in 1972, said Foreman was one of the first people he met in the north state. He and his family were glad to receive clinic services.

"He took me as I was," McClanahan recalled. "He was a man that was concerned for people."
Rod Lindsay, a Shasta Lake city councilman who works with the Office of Indian Education for the Anderson Union High School District, also met Foreman through the clinic. Lindsay said Foreman was a mentor for many, sharing his knowledge of culture and history with the young.
Foreman also was instrumental in organizing the Redding Rancheria Indian Health Clinic on Churn Creek Road and served as director, later retiring as self-governance coordinator for the rancheria, Maslin said.
In 1985, when the rancheria regained its tribal status, Foreman was elected as its first chairman and subsequently served on the tribal council.

But in 2004, he and all his family members were disenrolled after a bitter dispute over his mother's maternal lineage. The struggle took a toll on his health, Maslin said. Foreman suffered from heart and kidney problems, she said.
Leah Harper, a family friend of more than 20 years who does native medicine work in Redding, said she wanted to stand out in front of the Churn Creek clinic with a "thank you" banner in Foreman's honor.
"I believe that Bob had the heart of the native people and he wanted to make a difference for them," she said. "Bob was loving and the children are loving and they work very hard."
In addition to Maslin, Foreman is survived by three daughters and three sons, as well as 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Funeral services are pending.
For her part, Maslin is grateful her father last year was able to do something he'd always wanted - to see the Grand Canyon.

"He actually got emotional just looking at it," she said. "He was in awe of its beauty and couldn't believe the world had such a beautiful place."

Congratulations to the Redding Rancheria for their dispicable acts of DISHONOR in what they did to this man and his family. Look who they have NOW

Who Needs INDIANS for Casino Gaming?

Do we need more tribal Casinos?  Or, is it time for state governments to go after that entertainment dollar?  We've seen what corruption has done to Chukchansi, what greed has done to the Pechanga people and what power has done to the Pala Tribe.   Here's an article from Connecticut who may look to end the tribal casino Monopoly

Connecticut seems unlikely to accept the favor Massachusetts has just done it by affirming plans to develop its own casinos, especially in Springfield, just over Connecticut’s northern border along an interstate highway, a casino that might become more of a draw to Connecticut residents than the two Indian casinos in the rural southeastern part of the state.

So suddenly there is clamor from state legislators and the Indian casinos themselves for Connecticut to increase its gambling options and facilities, particularly on the way to Springfield, to keep the state’s gamblers home and prevent Massachusetts from doing to Connecticut what Connecticut did to Massachusetts three decades ago by authorizing Indian casinos here. State government is being told that it must protect the revenue it receives from the slot machines at the Indian casinos, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, as payment for their monopoly.

That revenue has been diminishing for years as gambling proliferates throughout the country in a trend that Connecticut may have made inevitable by dressing up state government’s insatiability as a form of recompense to people who had been dead for hundreds of years, people whose distant descendants were living in raised ranches and working at Electric Boat in Groton like nearly everyone else in the old stomping grounds of the ancient Pequots and Mohegans.

These are some of the policy issues:

• Since gambling produces nothing but merely redistributes wealth, and does so disproportionately from the poor and other entertainment businesses to the government and gambling operators, the government’s cut comes at much greater social cost than ordinary taxation does. State government might as well install in the homes of welfare and food stamp recipients slot machines that run on electronic benefit transfer cards.

Read the FULL ARTICLE HERE

Harvey Hopkins of Dry Creek Pomos Faces Two Challengers

Harvey Hopkins, longtime chairman of the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, is up for re-election, facing two challengers, including the tribal vice chairwoman who tried to recall him four years ago.

Saturday’s election comes at a pivotal time for the tribe, which for 11 years had a monopoly on Indian gaming in Sonoma County, only to see revenues at its River Rock Casino near Geyserville plummet by half following the opening a year ago of Graton Resort and Casino next to Rohnert Park.

Subsequently, the tribe missed interest payments and defaulted on more than $140 million owed to River Rock bondholders. It also is delinquent on a $3.5 million payment to Sonoma County, owed since July.

“We’re not trying to run from debt. We want to pay our bill, pay our debts,” Hopkins said in an interview this week, adding that the tribe’s representatives expect to sit down with a majority of bondholders after the election to restructure the debt. He said the tribe is negotiating with the county on the missed annual payment, most of which goes to pay for extra patrols by sheriff’s deputies in the vicinity of River Rock Casino.

As a result of the casino’s decline in fortune, Dry Creek tribal members have seen a reduction in their monthly payments and have had programs curtailed or discontinued that provided books and clothes to schoolchildren and assistance for college tuition and housing.

But whether members will take it out on Hopkins, who has led the tribe with about 1,200 members for 10 years, remains to be seen.

Hopkins’ challengers for leadership of the tribe include the current vice chairwoman, Salvina Norris, 36, and Chris Wright, 43, head of marketing at River Rock.

Neither returned phone calls or requests for comment over the past several days.

Hopkins said he has kept a keen eye on expenses, trimming the budget, while creating new ventures to increase income. The tribe has bought vineyards, produced wine, expanded into tobacco sales, explored olive oil production and worked to develop a highly profitable wetlands mitigation bank on the 277 acres the tribe acquired south of Petaluma during his tenure, he said.

The tribe this week also announced a joint effort to develop a large, 10-megawatt solar array in the hills overlooking Lake Sonoma on land leased from the Army Corps of Engineers, a project that is expected to both cut the casino’s electric bills and potentially produce income.

UPDATE: BIA & Pala Tribe in Federal Court 11/17

Attorneys Thor and Tracey Emblem are arguing a case involving the Pala Band and the BIA Monday at 10:30 in Cynthia Bashant's department in federal court in San Diego.

The BIA has not done it's duty in protecting Native American's rights and they will have to defend their actions, or rather inaction in court.

The PALA Band of Luiseno Indians are well know for violating the rights of their tribal citizens, via disenrollment, elder abuse, theft of per capita.

Check these links for MORE:

Pala disenrolled 162 members
Pala Disenrolls families
Pala disenrollments led to hardship
  PALA WATCH

UPDATES:   Arguments from both sides today and the judge is taking the matter under submission.

Democrats Looks to Put FAKE CHEROKEE Elizabeth Warren in a Leadership Role

Yes, first, the architect of Obamacare comes out and claims that American voters are stupid, then the Democrats double down on that by looking for a leadership role for noted fake Cherokee Elizabeth Warren.

Political blog Hot Air has the details:

Senate Democrats want to enlist a progressive firebrand as a member of their leadership: Elizabeth Warren.

The incoming Senate minority leader, Harry Reid, is engaged in private talks with the Massachusetts freshman to create a special leadership post for the former Harvard professor, according to several people familiar with the matter. It’s unclear exactly what the new job would entail — but luring the populist liberal into leadership could inject fresh blood into a team reeling from significant midterm election losses.


The noted Cherokee genealogist Twila Barnes, who has done yeoman's work on her blog Thoughts From Polly's Granddaughter had this to say about Warren:
There is absolutely no evidence to suggest she actually had a Cherokee or American Indian ancestor. Despite repeated requests for her to release her personnel records from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School, she refuses to do so.

  Click here for FULL information on Elizabeth Warren's Ancestry

MASTERMIND of Chukchansi Casino Raid Surrenders to Authorities

John Oliveira, the tribal police chief who was the mastermind of the armed raid that led to the shutdown of Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, turned himself in Wednesday morning.

Oliveira was among the men, including Tex McDonald, recently beaten in jail and Vernon King, at a hearing in Madera County Superior Court.

Oliveira was wanted on a $800,000 warrant. In an interview with The Bee last week, he said he would turn himself in at Wednesday’s hearing. His bail was set Wednesday at $1.25 million.

Before the hearing began, supporters of the men who raided Chukchansi gaming offices Oct. 9 rallied outside the courthouse.

Madera County District Attorney Michael Keitz filed felony charges Oct. 31 against Oliveira and 14 others for their armed entry into the hotel and gaming commission offices. McDonald is the leader of one of the contentious factions of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians. At an arraignment last week, McDonald’s bail was set at $2.4 million and King’s at $1.75 million. The judge at Wednesday’s hearing ruled those bail levels would not be changed.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/11/12/4231092_chukchansi-tribal-police-chief.html?sp=/99/217/&rh=1#storylink=cpy

Mark Macarro Screws His OWN Family Over: TRAPPED in Moratorium Are 10 Macarro Blood Relatives

It's well know that Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians Chairman Mark Macarro has wiped out more than 20% of his tribe, via an unlawful disenrollment. (Against the Pechanga Constitution).  What more of a "family secret" is that Macarro, little brother John and Cousin Victor have all worked to keep their OWN FAMILY members out of the tribe.

Their own cousin, A. Macarro who writes the blog pechangajournal has been in the membership moratorium for over a decade. Yet as we wrote about here:Quid Pro Quo for Hunter Disenrollment  former enrollment committee chairman Bobbi LeMere was able to get her adult family into the tribe. It came just after the Hunter disenrollments were confirmed.

Take a look at the link to pechangajournal, which details some threat made to Arlene from Victor Rocha, which she has written about.  It belies that puff piece that came out last week in the Riverside Press Enterprise.

I guess being an asshole runs in the Macarro side?

Death Penalty Sought For Cheri Rhoades In Cedarville Rancheria Murders

 Prosecutors say they plan to seek the death penalty against a woman accused of killing four people and trying to kill two others at a Northern California tribal meeting.

Modoc County prosecutors announced Monday that they intend to seek capital punishment against Cherie Rhoades. Rhoades has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder and two of attempted murder in the Feb. 20 gun and knife attack at a meeting of the Cedarville Rancheria Tribal Council in Alturas. Rhoades had been suspended as tribal chairwoman just three weeks earlier pending an investigation into embezzlement allegations, and the tribe was considering evicting her.

Among those killed were three of Rhoades' relatives.

Her attorney, Antonio Alvarez, said the District Attorney appeared to be leaning toward the death penalty, so he wasn't surprised by the announcement.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/11/10/4228214/death-penalty-planned-in-tribal.html#storylink=cpy

AZ Cop Who Directs Staff to ONLY Jail Native Americans KEEPS JOB.

 Arizona police sergeant who told officers to take only Native Americans to jail for shoplifting will be punished with a demotion so that she can retire with a full pension after 2015.

A Chandler Police Department Internal Affairs investigation obtained by The Arizona Republic said that Sgt. Sue Freeman had responded to a shoplifting problem in south Chandler patrol district, which borders the Gila River Reservation, by ordering officers to jail only Native American shoplifters. Other shoplifters were to be given citations and immediately released.

“Your directive was interpreted by members of your team as removing any discretion for handling a shoplifting investigation and more specifically for singling out a race of people for disparate treatment,” the charges against Freeman indicated.

Read About the Racial Profiling HERE

Chukchansi 'Leader" Gets Taste of His OWN Medicine, Roughed up IN JAIL

Chukchansi tribal leader Tex McDonald was injured in a fight in the Madera County jail over the weekend, his lawyer confirmed Tuesday.

Jeff Reich, who represents McDonald, 64, in the criminal case stemming from the raid last month of the tribal gaming office at Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, said his client may have suffered a broken jaw. He also has a deep scratch on his neck from a makeshift weapon. He was not taken to a hospital, Reich said.

McDonald is in the Madera County Corrections facilty on $2.4 million bail, charged with kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment. He is scheduled to be in court Wednesday in Madera with four other defendants, including Vernon King, a fellow member of one of the councils that claims leadership of the Coarsegold tribe. King serves as chairman.Nine others wanted in connection with the case are at large.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/11/11/4229973_more-chukchansi-troubles-tex-mcdonald.html?sp=/99/217/&rh=1#storylink=cpy

Pechanga Veteran's Day: Mary Ann Cuevas Poole An Appreciation

A tribute to Pechanga’s military veterans for this year’s Veteran’s day.   You may recall that we wrote earlier that the Pechanga Band recently scrubbed their page honoring Pechanga’s military veterans.   We believe it was primarily because the Hunter family and the Manuela Miranda descendents constituted the majority of their veterans.   Well, you can’t honor those you have dishonored by disenrolling them, can you?     Well, Pechanga took credit for them for over four years, so obviously, they have no shame, or their webmaster was incompetent.

This post honors our aunt, Mary Ann Poole, who is a descendent of Paulina Hunter, through Mary Ann Miller.    Her enrollment number was in double digits, much lower than Tribal Chairman Macarro, or the previous chair Jennie Miranda.

Here’s that Veteran’s story.    Yes, in the 1950’s Pechanga women served in our military.   Her husband, Paul Poole relates the story.

All five of Olive Miller Cuevas’ kids were active at the same time, the boys in the Army, lone survivor Matilda in the Air Force, and Mary Ann in the Navy

A lot of military brats were raised by that crew, with Matilda marrying an Air Force career guy and Mary Ann marrying a career Navy guy. (OP:  14 of them! Some veterans themselves) Then there's Felipe, who stayed in the Army,  Tommy and David spending two separate hitches in the Army and marrying Inge from Germany - and bringing Russell home to LA when he got discharged.  I'll say this - coming to LA on leave, and possibly finding one of the other siblings (with family) at home at the same time, was a blast. 

Each one KNEW that his branch of the military was the BEST, and arguments ensued.  It was a patriotic bunch, I'll say that.  Mom and Pop were proud of us all, and we were proud to serve. 

As for Mary Ann - she joined the Navy in early 1954 and went to Boot Camp in Bainbridge, MD.

She got to Radio School at the Naval Radio Station, Imperial Beach, CA, in May of '54.  That's

when we met - she joined my radio school class which was already in progress.  In that Basic

Radio school we were taught the Morse Code (sending and receiving) plus basic typing.  She had

a little problem with Morse Code but, since she had already been a secretary, she could type

over a hundred words a minute - and she and the typing instructor would sit at the back of the

class and "race" on their typewriters. 

After radio school we both were advanced to the classified part of the schooling, where we

began to learn about our future military intelligence duties.  In that school we separated into

different skills.  Mary Ann was taught about teletype circuits and how to send and receive

messages containing military intelligence to and from other U.S. military installations as required. 

We graduated from the Communications Technician school in December 1954, having been

married a week earlier.  I should note that our "rating" was later changed from Communications

Technician to Cryptologic Technician. 

In any case, Mary Ann was transferred to Wash DC and I went to Kami Seya, Japan.  She spent an interesting year in DC.  She worked for the National Security Agency (NSA) in their communications center. 

Also, since she was one ofthe service women who had a Top Secret security clearance, (OP: Anyone think the Pechanga Tribal Council could get one?  Or the Masiel Crime family?) and was deemed trustworthy, she was asked from time to time to babysit the kids of the "big wigs".  She wound up sitting with Gerald Ford's kids on several occasions, a job that she was proud of, especially since he later advanced from just a US Congressman from Michigan to the US Presidency. 
 

Mary Ann was honorably discharged in Dec 1955, and in January 1956 she joined me in Japan.  After that she was with me, along with our two boys, in other duty stations overseas, including Puerto Rico, Okinawa, and Japan (again).  Son Roger was born at North Island Naval Air Station, Coronado, and Greg was born at an Army hospital in Puerto Rico.    She was happiest when we spent time at our trailer on the reservation.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY to all veterans.

I Honor MY FATHER on Veteran's Day: Felipe Cuevas, A Pechanga Veteran, Posthumously Stripped of his Tribal Citizenship by Mark Macarro and his Cronies

We at Original Pechanga's Blog would like to thank all our veterans for their sacrifices. Though they are offering free meals to veterans today, what they really want is for them to spend their retirement pay on their slot machines. Vets would do better by taking a baggie of shrimp home from the buffet.


Here is an appreciation of a father, by his son, ME that we wrote for last year's Veteran's Day.

On this Veteran’s Day, I want to remember my father, Felipe Cuevas, born July 13, 1928. He was the son of Phillip and Olive Cuevas. Olive was the daughter of Mary Ann Miller, who, in turn, was the daughter of Paulina Hunter of Pechanga. Paulina was the matriarch of the Hunter Clan who was given her 20 acres of land on the Pechanga Reservation as the head of the Family by President McKinley. Her Pechanga Ancestry was proved by a researcher Dr. John Johnson, who was hired by the Pechanga Enrollment Committee.

My father grew up in Los Angeles, attending Malabar Elementary, and a graduate of Roosevelt High School and the oldest of five children, all of whom served in our military, including his sister Mary Ann Poole and his eldest sister, Matilda Smith, who is the eldest now of the Hunter Family. He entered the U.S. Army in 1948 and served in many capacities, primarily as a drill instructor. He was stationed in Germany, where his wife Alice bore a son,serving as well in South Korea, Ft. Ord, CA (three times), Ft. Lewis, WA where I was born, and Ft. Benning, GA. At all of these posts he trained young men to serve our country. He served two tours in Vietnam, once an advisor with a South Vietnamese Army Battalion, both tours were near the end of his 23 year career.

He always taught us about our family roots at Pechanga, having helped to build the cabin on Hunter Lane in 1957 with his cousins and uncles. My first time on the reservation was when he served his first tour in Vietnam in 1966. My Aunt Tillie and Uncle Bars took my brother and me to spend time at the cabin. That was when you could still hunt on the rez, for rabbit and dove. He was proud to be Pechanga and he was happy that family members were able to bring us to the reservation while he was in Southeast Asia.  At that time, there were few homes on the reservation. It wasn't until after the casino came and many found out that they could avoid state income taxes did they move there ... or build there.

As it is Veteran’s Day, I’m proud to write about one of his achievements. This Pechanga warrior was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device (valor).  His first tour was as an advisor to a South Vietnamese Unit, serving with two other Americans.  Since my scanner is down, I’ll re-type the citation here, but will have a copy linked as soon as I can, so there can be no "Rathergate" claims. Here's what the citation says:

Date action: 3 July 1967
Theater: Republic of Vietnam
Reason:

For heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force: Sergeant First Class Cuevas distinguished himself by heroic action on 3 July 1967 while serving as Light Weapons Infantry Advisor to the 1st Battalion, 48th Infantry Regiment, Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

On that date, the Viet Cong opened fire on the battalion headquarters compound with machinegun, small arms and 82mm mortar fire. Eight Vietnamese soldiers and dependents were seriously wounded during the initial phase of the attack and an aerial evacuation was requested. Sergeant Cuevas voluntarily proceeded to the helicopter landing area.

Sergeant Cuevas remained in the exposed area assisting in sorting the wounded and determining priority for evacuation. Only when all wounded personnel were safely aboard an aircraft and airborne did Sergeant Cuevas return to a safe position. As result of Sergeant Cuevas’s prompt and courageous efforts, the rapid and efficient evacuation of all wounded was accomplished. Sergeant First Class Cuevas’ heroic actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.

NEIL N. SNYDER, JR.
Colonel, USA
Adjutant General

In a letter home to my mother, my father described what went on and his final reference to the above action which, by the way was his FIRST DAY there was;  " This made points with the troops, So I'm not in bad shape with ehe ARVN's."

My father was also awarded the Bronze Star. You don’t “win” these by the way. But he was proud of his service, proud that he was able to make young men ready to defend themselves and our country.

After surviving two tours, in Vietnam and countless hours in the field training our military men, he died of a sudden heart attack in April 1979.

Sadly, he was never able to enjoy the largesse that came with the successful opening of the Pechanga Resort and Casino, which brought much needed funds to the reservation and our people. Conversely, he also was never able to feel the sting of seeing his birthright ripped from his family, which now includes five grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren by a "disenrollment" committee that included: Ruth Masiel, Ihrene Scearce, Frances Miranda and Bobbie LeMere. Pechanga proudly displayed his name as a Pechanga Veteran on their website, along with his brother and sisters, yet now, they also say, HE IS NOT PECHANGA. Pechanga has disrespected all their veterans by removing their veteran's page, because most of the veteran's were Hunters.

On July 13, 2006, on what would have been his 78th birthday, the Pechanga Tribal Council heard our family’s appeal of our unconstitutional disenrollment and later did not allow our appeal. Much of that story is written here on this blog.

My father always encouraged my brother and me to do our best, to do what is right and THAT is why we continue to fight for our rights and against the evil that has been done to our family. We may not be triumphant, but we will be successful in shining a light on the corruption in the tribe and forcing them to defend their disgraceful actions.

Dad, thank you for all that you gave to your family and to your country. I am proud to be your son. It is shameful that Pechanga doesn't reward your memory by following the rule of law and the will of the people. Even more scurrilous, the Pechanga Tribal Council has seen fit to remove it's page honoring tribal veterans.

TO ALL OUR VETERANS: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. 
Feel free to discuss YOUR family veterans in our comments.

Unbridled Sovereignty, Assimilation - Cultural Tradition = DISENROLLMENT

Excellent piece by Johnnie Jae on how disenrollment has affected those of the Saginaw Chippewa nation.  It can be extrapolated to fit most tribes.

She writes that:
Disenrollment "is an extremely disgraceful practices that threatens each one of us, regardless of tribal affiliation, blood quantum and lineage. It decimates our numbers and reinforces the government's stance that we can not only be bred out of existence, but we can be amended out of existence."
"If they were able to prove and meet the criteria for enrollment and the tribe exercised their sovereign right to accept them as members, there is absolutely NO justification for stripping them of their citizenship and jeopardizing the future of a tribal nation due to greed and corruption."

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

You can Read Johnnie Jae's article here which includes some video testimony.  Please share on FB and Twitter.

To Vietnam Veterans: Thank You For Coming

I wanted to share this tribute to Vietnam Veterans, written by my friend Terry Wilson. It honors the service of Vietnam vets and since my own father, whom I'll honor tomorrow, served two tours in Vietnam, it hits a mark. And though he wasn't spit on during his homecoming, his memory was certainly spit on by his tribe, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians. More on that tomorrow. Please enjoy this story:

I got assigned to work on a special project with a young woman named Michelle on 3/27/00..we work thru e-mail and the fax machine...I met Michelle in Feb.1999 and she blessed me in a way that no one ever has.
I got sent down to Orange Co.for some training on the mapping system the company uses and went into the office and a friend of mine took me down to the room we would be using for the class.

There were two women in the room and we would be using their computers while they went to other computers in the building.

Introductions were made and I sat down to wait for the others to arrive..I commented to the older lady that I liked her choice of music which was country and we talked about country music for awhile.

The younger lady Michelle is Vietnamese and she was singing along to all the songs and I commented on her singing along and she just laughed and said.."I started listening to country when I arrived in America and I liked it and I also listen to oldies"..my kind of woman.

The other lady laughed and told Michelle to tell me the song that she had played at the dance for her and her new husband..Michelle made me promise not to laugh and then she said.."we had them play Crazy by Patsy Cline.

I commented that it wasn't your ordinary wedding dance song but if that was what she wanted why not.

She said she had them play that song cause she could slow dance to it and everyone seemed to like it...and then proceeded to tell me about wanting to have an American wedding with the dress..veil and the whole nine yards.

We talked some more and then they came and canceled the class and told me to return in three weeks.

When I returned the older lady wasn't there and I was sitting talking to Michelle and the talk turned to Vietnam..she wanted to know when I was there so I told her.."Dec.1966 to Dec.1967"..she informed me that she was born in July,1968.

She asked if I was wounded over there and was that the reason I was using forearm crutches and I told her.."no..I have MS."

She told me about being poor and not having a lot to eat..not knowing a war was going on until bombs started to go off and her dad explained what they were and what a war was.

She told me about them getting out of Vietnam and eventually getting to America and how glad she was.

And then she did something that touched me in my soul..she slid back from her desk and got out in the aisle and stood up straight and said.."Terry...thank you for coming to Vietnam and fighting so we might have freedom."

Then she bowed to me..not just a slight bow where they incline their head but a bow from the waist..I was stunned.

She sat back down and said.."my mother told me when we arrived in America that everytime I met an American who fought in Vietnam I was to honor him and thank him."

"My mother said that many Americans came to Vietnam for many yrs...some paid the ultimate price with their lives..some went home crippled...no arms..blind...they fought for us so that we could have freedom and they deserve respect...thanks and honor."

Michelle told how she had honored many men and thanked them for coming to her homeland...finally she asked.."Terry...are you ok?"

I had taken off my glasses and wiped the tears out of my eyes...I told her I was ok and told her about how a lot of my fellow citizens had just cursed me and given me the finger and that I had never thought that I would see the day when a Vietnamese person would thank me for coming over there.

I told her that she had no idea how that made me feel..the next day a friend of mine came in to see the mappers and Jack sat down to talk to me for awhile.

Jack was in the Marines also and was in the first Marine group that landed in Aug.1965...I told Jack about Michelle and he got tears in his eyes and told me that all he got when he returned was a few curse words and that I was a blessed person for having received Michelles thanks.

Since this has happened Michelle and I have become friends...She told me a while back that the next time I come down to where she works and these are her exact words..."Terry...we'll have to go out and do lunch"..Terry