Original Pechanga's Blog Year in Review: FOURTH QTR October - December

Wrapping up our year in review, you can find our 3rd quarter HERE .   The second quarter Here  and the 1st quarter HERE.

Lots of stories that aren't linked, but spend some time perusing the site.  There are plenty of archived stories and each picture on the sidebar will take you to a prominent story.  Please, SHARE on twitter and facebook.  Help shine a spotlight on the corruption, as the spotlight is the best disinfectant

OCTOBER

Chukchansi leader TEX McDONALD JAILED for leading an attack on the Chukchansi Gold Casino
Word from Pechanga that chairman Macarro was shielding his corrupt little brother from attacks within. Luckily they came from felons who were a bit worse than Little John Macarro..

The Sacramento Bee said Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro's ad was misleading. Uh, that's almost a lie right?

Grabbing the pubicity in leading the charge against the Redskins nickname, we found a video Oneida Chairman Ray Halbritter leading the teardown of his own family's HOMES. Which is worse, BIA?

“If ever there were irrefutable proof of the need for the injunction to continue, it would be the opposition documents received from the McDonald faction,” the judge wrote in his nine-page order issued at noon. “The McDonald faction argues that its incursion was a lawful effort to evict ‘trespassers’ from the casino, namely members of the Lewis-Ayala faction and the ‘mercenary’ private security service.Judge Lowers the BOOM on Chukchansi and keeps casino closed

A GREAT STORY on theTongva of California keeping their language alive

The estimable Gabe Galonda on tribes using the Jack Abramoff playbook

The National Congress of American Indians embarrassing their organization by not discussing the civil and human rights abuses of Native Americans...BY Native Americans

NOVEMBER 

In an example of Tribal Abuse and expanding it's APARTHEID SYSTEM, the Pechanga Tribe stripped resident allottees of their mailboxes and REFUSED to allow mail carriers onto the reservation to deliver mail.


Further tarnishing his legacy, Attorney General Eric Holder finishes the year of ignoring civil and human rights abuse, by promising to keep looking into criminal Michael Brown's death. GET SERIOUS, ERIC.

The Britton family descendants of the PALA tribe heads to the appellate court after losings a ruling.As usual the BIA was a hinderance and not a help to Native Americans harmed by their own tribes

The Dry Creek Rancheria tossed out Harvey Hopkins from chairman spot. Loss of revenue and his leading a disenrollment debacle didn't help.


A MUST READ article about Redding Rancheria Chairman Robert Foreman's legacy, and the abuse his family had to bear. They should have a STATUE in his honor, instead, he died without receiving justice... PLEASE...read


We linked to a great article on Tribal Disenrollment by Johnnie Jae


DECEMBER

We constantly talk about tribal disenrollment, butTribal moratoriums on enrollment have left a lot of damage in their wake. Here's how the death of an elder, had Pechanga tribe turning it's back.

A reminder thatTribal Disenrollment is GENOCIDE even if bloodless, it's still abuse.

Senator Dianne Feinstein again showed concern for TERRORISTS, but NOT for the THOUSANDS in HER STATE abused by their own tribes.

The woman who committed the Pechanga Casino Murder was ordered to stand trial. Be careful when going there,

Facts don't matter when it comes to DNA testing the Foreman family of Redding Rancheria proved that sad fact.

Those that fought for their rights in the Berry Creek Rancheria went to court in waves. A reduced sentence was the result. But they stood UP.

Please, ask your family and friends to come by and check us out, share with your Facebook and Twitter and keep spreading the word.      HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Original Pechanga's Blog Year in Review: Third Quarter July - September 2014

More corruption, More Tribal Abuse of Children, Fake Indians, Lack of Support by native lawyers..

JULY

We reminded our readers that Disenrollment has been under the eyes of the BIA giving tacit approval to tribal cleansing. NOOKSACK 306 know this to be true

  A UCLA professor embarrassed himself with a poorly researched article that made bogus claims in Pechanga disenrollments.

Gabe Galonda on framing the debate on disenrollment... a must read.


A water rights bill by Pechanga Chairman's lobbyist wife STALLED in the SENATE after meetings and language changes disallowed the theft of allottee's water.  A waste of tribal money....again.

My rebuttal to UCLA Professor was published in Indian Country Today he didn't get published for a while after...coincidence?

AUGUST 

We asked should Chukchansi Tribe's Federal Recognition be pulled?

The Nooksack Tribe was hoisted by their own sovereignty petard 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.

One death of a criminal in Missouri got Attorney General Eric Holder's attention, yet the abuses in Indian Country STILL can't get a return letter?
The inanity of the Redskins nickname flap gained some notoriety when Lakers Owner Jeanne Buss, who takes money from an APARTHEID Tribal Nation, Pechanga, refused to draft Washington Redskins players for her.....fantasy league..

There was a TRULY hostile takeover at Chukchansi Gold Casino wow

September

Proving that fighting for our rights faces an uphill battle.. the California Indian Law Association, held a gala at the Pechanga Resort & Casino, who's tribe stripped citizenship from 25% of their tribe, sent jackbooted thugs trespassing of private property, to warn THEM about tresspacing, initiating Segregation on the Pechanga Reservation. I know, hard to believe...

Vaunted Elder and Civil Rights Activist Lehman Brightman needs OUR HELP after suffering the effects of a stroke...
 In a truly FACEPALM WORTHY action, Democrats worried about ISIS's rights, yet show no concern about the rights of Native Americans. Barbara Boxer...where ARE YOU?

The Paskenta Band replaced FOUR members of their corrupt tribal council

In talking about FAKE INDIANS (a la Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren, this story on actor Iron Eyes Cody points out, that no matter how you act, you are not Indian without blood. Pechanga's council member Butch Murphy has NO Pechanga blood.

Nooksack Chairman Bob Kelly CONTINUED his abuse of the Nooksack 306 CHILDREN.

Original Pechanga's Blog Year in Review: 2nd Quarter April-June 2014

Our first quarter recap covered January through March, we move on now to the second quarter 2014

APRIL

The big story of the month was the double standard of the NBA in working so hard to get rid of Clippers owner Donald Sterling (rightfully) but turning a blind eye to ACTUAL civil rights violations of one of their sponsors, Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians.  Now, keep in mind, the NBA thinks using bad language is worse than: Elder Abuse, voter disenfranchisement, Apartheid, Segregation and theft of per capita..... go figure.

In that same vein, Madera County took BLOOD MONEY from Chukchansi, a well know violator of civil and human rights for a decade.

Democrat Senator Elizabeth "Fauxahontas" Warren writes in her new book that she was upset at being called out on her lies about her Cherokee Ancestors, and decried the work of Twila Barnes, called out as "some blogger" in exposing her.   Twila Barnes, she is some blogger alright, exposed Warren's lies and chicanery

EARNING A YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! AWARD" award, Ernie Stevens Jr. of the NIGA chooses the Indian Mascot issue to stand up against, ignoring the more hurtful and damaging acts of stripping citizenship and heritage from Native Americans BY Native Americans.    Why not stand up for the THOUSANDS of Indians who have been harmed, Ernie? 

Termination of Pala's Executive Assistant Leads to Incriminations Robert Smith and Theresa Nieto Accused of corruption...

MAY

Theft of Per Capita Reaches $770 MILLION. $500 MILLION PLUS for Pechanga Alone FOLLOW THE MONEY  OVER  three quarters of a BILLION DOLLARS, have been stolen by corrupt tribal councils and their leaders, including Mark Macarro of Pechanga and Robert Smith of Pala and the STOOGES, Reggie Lewis and Nancy Ayala of Chukchansi, among others.  Yet, 50 Democrat Senator's are concerned about a football team NICKNAME?
In fact, we called out Senators who choose a Redskins nickname as a big deal over the abuse of Native Americans BY Native Americans


Paskenta Tribe accused of mishandling tribal money

Shingle Springs Miwoks continue disenrollment

Coming to their senses, Dry Creek Pomos HALT their controversial disenrollment will other tribes follow their lead...uh..no

Pala had emergency meeting looking for missing $100 million. Corruption at its finest

Nooksack Tribal Member sentenced for thievery Money, not heritage this time

JUNE

While the Native American Rights Fund stands against the Redskins nickname, they CONSORT WITH a tribal leader who practices APARTHEID on his reservation.

Nooksack 306 receive the right of discovery judge will help those disenrolled to see the evidence


Kamala Harris SUES the Paskenta Band to protect the customers from threat of violence on the reservation and casino property

Two of three members of the California Tribal Business Alliance under fire for corruption. Have they jumped the shark?

Redding Rancheria reaches 10 year anniversary of the disenrollment of their first chairman Robert Foreman and his family. Remember they forced them to dig up their ancestor for DNA which proved their case? Oh, yeah, they ignored it.

San Pasqual PROTEST Scheduled for January 11, 2015 Who can help SUPPORT the Search for JUSTICE?

We've written about San Pasqual and their search for justice with moratoriums and disenrollments.  Now, there is a peaceful protest scheduled to demonstrate agains Allen Lawson and the Trask family descendants.  From the Facebook Website REZTALK

JANUARY 11, 2015 Peaceful Protest will be happening at 9:00am. Protesting Allen Lawson and all 25 Trask impostor descendants to Step Down.., the Trask challenges point out that ALL 25 Trask family members DO NOT BELONG AND THEY DO NOT POSSESS THE BLOOD OF THE BAND. WE ARE NOT GOING TO IDLE NO MORE WITH THIS TRASK GOVERNMENT.... We will attempt to shut down the tribal government if the Trask government continues to operate. You Trask's ignore our tribal constitution and federal statues..... Come In January and take back this tribe from the Trask controlling government.

Read more on San Pasqual at these links:

San Pasqual Split

San Pasqual Must Lose Right to Run Valley View

San Pasqual Members DENIED their Civil Rights says BIA director who stood by while Pechanga violated its members civil rights

Original Pechanga's Blog Year in Review: First Quarter Jan-March 2014

It's been a year of turmoil in Indian Country with more tribes joining the disenrollment train and abusing their members...here's the first of four recaps..


JANUARY

We started off the year with a story about how the Spirit Lake Casino ramped up their giving...to hide their disenrollments at Grand Ronde.  Things got so bad, even the AP finally discovered disenrollment , albeit a decade late.

Showing that the Northwest can disenroll with the corrupt tribes of California, Nooksack Chairman Bob Kelly showed his contempt for his Tribal Court going against their rulings, and their disenrollments continued by phone in some cases, as facing those you will harm, takes balls, which were missing from Kelly.

Senator Maria Cantwell announced she'd leave the chairmanship of the Senate Indian Committee. At least she gave Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro who had lied to Congress a hard time in trying to steal water rights from allottees of the Temecula Indian Reservation.

We again asked if the federal recognition of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians Indians should be revoked for their corruption, disenrollment and abuse of their people for over a decade. It was a sad anniversary of ten years for the Redding Rancheria disenrollments of their first tribal chairman and family.


FEBRUARY

Theft from Native Americans topped topped $700 Million and that was just from the detail we had. It will real one BILLION DOLLARS soon.  And tribes will say, disenrollment is NOT about the money.

The Chukchansi Tribe continued it's disenrolling ways coming with threats of treason and sedition..


The BIA provides GRIEF Counseling after murders of tribal people by former chair of Cedarville Rancheria.  Funny how they can help AFTER the fact...Tribal disenrollment, the cute name given to the ripping out of the culture/history of Native People, has been growing for a decade, under the eyes of the Department of Interior, The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Justice Department and look at the result.

MURDER at the Pechanga Resort and Casino proves that you are not safe there.  Pechanga has had car jackings (from their own tribal people, thuggery that forced closure of their Eagle's Nest club for a time) and their own casino guards beat an elderly customer for not moving fast enough...

MARCH

The National Council of American Indians came out STRONGLY against the Redskins nickname, Yet the NCAI  was alarmingly silent on the scourge of disenrollment that has ripped the hearts from Native People, much more than the moniker of a football team.    REALLY, NCAI?  Is this what is important to you?  Have you called tribes who have disenrolled and spoke to them about the THOUSANDS of Native Americans who have had their heritage wiped away?  

We asked if disenrolling tribes of California should be called bad actors  and lose the right to have internet gaming should it become law.  What's worse, Poker Stars or Pala?

In a bit of sanity, the tribal court threw out  Nooksack chairman Bob Kelly's attempt to "disenroll by phone".  They did refrain from calling him a gutless pussy, but the intent was clear.

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indian reached a decade of disenrollment marking ten years since the Manuela Miranda descendents were disenrolled en masse.

Attorney General Eric Holder may not be a pinball wizard but he has been deaf, dumb and blind to the injustices in Indian Country, even with many letters sent to the Justice Department...

March was "Nooksack Month" with a lot of wrongdoing happening in that tribe.  Take a look at our archives for March.   Next up: 2nd Quarter.

Chukchansi Raid and Closure # 6 Fresno Bee story of 2014

Tribal casino corruption a top story in the Central Valley.  Chukchansi embarrassment on display.

6. Chukchansi raid and closure

It was a tense year for the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, with clashes that forced Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino to close out of safety concerns for visitors and employees.

The year began with two tribal groups battling over control of the Coarsegold casino and tribal offices. The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs ruled in February that its governmental relationship would be with a 2010 tribal council that included members of the Reggie Lewis and Nancy Ayala faction, as well as members of the Morris Reid group, who were suspended by the Lewis/Ayala group after a controversial 2011 tribal election.

By summer, Ayala joined with Lewis, whose group had made amends with Reid’s group. But members on a so-called “unification council” ousted Reid and his followers from council leadership. In August, members of the Lewis/Ayala group took control of the casino by taking over two hotel floors.

In October, the National Indian Gaming Commission ordered the tribe to deliver audits for 2012 and 2013 and threatened to close the casino. Later that week, the McDonald group used members of its armed tribal police force to enter Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino’s gaming commission office to recover audit data. The McDonald forces clashed with security loyal to Lewis and Ayala. During the takeover, about 500 patrons and employees fled, some leaving winnings in the gaming area.

The following day, citing safety issues, the National Indian Gaming Commission and state attorney general closed the casino. Three weeks later, Madera County District Attorney Michael Keitz filed charges against 15 members of the McDonald security forces, including McDonald and fellow tribal council member Vernon King, who remain jailed. The audits revealed that $49.6 million went unaccounted.

Criminal court hearings are scheduled in Madera County Superior Court in January. The casino has not reopened as negotiations continue with the federal government, said Richard Verri, a lawyer representing the Lewis/Ayala group. Meanwhile, investors holding bonds will be increasingly concerned about upcoming debt payments if the casino remains closed.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/12/28/4305253/fresno-bee-readers-select-top.html?sp=/99/217/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

Last of CHUKCHANSI 15 CAUGHT.

The last of 15 suspects wanted in connection to the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino Oct. 9, takeover turned himself in to authorities last week.

According to the Madera County Sheriff’s Department David Lee Dixon, 35, was the last of 15 men wanted for their involvement in takeover which ultimately led to the forced closure of the casino.

Dixon turned himself in Wednesday, Dec. 17, after authorities had spent more than two months trying to apprehended those who with charges filed against them for their involvement.

Dixon was wanted for his involvement in the incident and has been charged with kidnapping and assault. As of the weekend Dixon remained in jail on $800,000 bond. The date for his arraignment is unknown however tribal council members Tex McDonald and Vernon King will be in court in January.

The casino remains closed after a federal judge in Fresno issued a preliminary injunction requested by the state Attorney General that will keep Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino closed indefinitely.

The preliminary injunction will remain in effect until “resolution of the case by settlement or judgment or the court’s further order.”

During the Oct. 9 incident several armed gunman entered the casino confronting and detaining casino security guards. That evening Lucky Lane was closed while order was restored.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL, MAY YOU HAVE YOUR FAMILY and Friends About You.

I'd like to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas.

Sadly, this time of year is not always good to many of us.  Our Rios family friends have lost their patriarch and worries about how they will pay for his funeral have made this past week difficult.

Our elders are aging quickly, and sadly, many will walk on without receiving justice.   We must increase our efforts for THEIR sake.

As we move into the New Year, please look inward for what YOU can do to help.   Get on your computers, share letters, comment on news articles, join Twitter, so that you can share our blog posts, and others with those who should be working on our behalf, including our Senators and Congress.

TELL OUR STORIES of abuse and injustice with everyone.  Spread the news of their SHAME and why they shouldn't spend their dollars at some of these tribe's businesses.

One or two is too few...when there are THOUSANDS of us who have been harmed.  ADD YOUR VOICE, ADD YOUR STRENGTH and the strength of our ancestors.   Don't let THEM win, without a struggle.   We have proved that winning is possible, fighting off a theft of our water rights..with just TWO of us going to Washington.    Chukchansi Casino is CLOSED and that story may be #1 for the Fresno Bee.  

Believe me, the powers that be KNOW what is going on.....they just have little political will to do the right thing.  YOU can help give them back their backbone... if you USE YOURS.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all  and keep coming to this blog and share it with all your family and friends..

Tribal Disenrollment IS Bloodless Genocide

Tribal disenrollment in Indian Country is a sort of genocide. It's nothing compared to the horrors in Rwanda,however, tribes are eliminating large percentages of their people.  

The Picayune Rancheria, near Fresno, eliminated almost 50% of their tribe.  Pechanga at about 25%.  Redding Rancheria even terminated the family of their FIRST Tribal Chairman after restoration, Robert Foreman.

How Pechanga Treats Reservation Landowners: The Rios Family BANISHMENT. Thanks MUNOA's for Standing UP for your OWN

REMEMBER this treatment of the RIOS family. They were kicked off the reservation, where there are land owners for PICKING SAGE...




It's amazing what Pechanga chooses to BANISH tribal descendents for. It's WELL KNOWN that they have a child molestor in their midst as well as many of the Masiel Crime family with violent offenses that bring police to the reservation.

And AMAZINGLY, they banish members of the Tosobol family, which HAS LAND ON THE RESERVATION and BLOOD RELATIVES living there for: wait for it...

PICKING SAGE!

Those dastardly villains who come onto the reservation, TELLING the security guards WHAT THEY are doing there, then get detained, searched and now face LIFE EXCLUSION for merely being on the land they OWN?

Ask yourselves, readers, WHAT is the larger crime, child molestation or sage picking? Destruction of a childhood or a plant that grows in abudance? What is the Pechanga Tribal Rangers definition of UNDESIRABLE? Please check the links above

Morongo Tribe Steps UP, Where Pechanga Fails to Help With Pechanga Descendant's Burial. Munoa Relatives Silent

Word is coming from family of the Manuel Rios Sr., whose own family is in the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians via the Munoa/Vasquez family, that PECHANGA REFUSES to help with the cost of funeral expenses.  Claiming that Mr. Rios is not part of the tribe, though he owns land on the reservation, which was set aside for ALL Temecula Indians.   True, but only because corruption on the Enrollment Committee kept the family from being enrolled, which we've written about before.

Munoa Family Members are on the PDC, Pechanga Gaming Commission and on the Pechanga Tribal Council.

Jared Munoa
Pechanga PDC Member

The MORONGO BAND has agreed to help a Native Family out with a donation of $500 which will bring the family closer to their $5,000 goal.  This is what real Native's do, help each other in times of need

Pechanga's Tribal Secretary Louise Burke, refused the Rios Family plea for assistance. Pechanga will help STRANGERS, but not those with attachment to the tribe, even when they have stolen over $500 MILLION in per capita payments from members via disenrollment.   "Not their policy" was the reply.  Maybe the Rios' should have claimed it was for a sports team.

Louise Burke
Pechanga Tribal Secretary

YOU CAN STEP UP WHERE PECHANGA FAILED: PAYPAL ACCOUNT FOR MANUEL RIOS SR.  A link is on the left sidebar... PLEASE HELP...

FCC DISMISSES Petition Claiming Washington Redskins Name is INDECENT.

The FCC on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by a professor claiming the Washington Redskins name is indecent, according to agency sources.

George Washington University Professor John Banzhaf asked the FCC to deny renewal of the broadcast license for a radio station co-owned by Washington team owner Daniel Snyder, because of the repeated use of the word “Redskins.” Attorneys for Snyder have said banning broadcasters’ use of the word would violate free speech and property rights.

NOW, let's move on to more important matters, namely the violations of human and civil rights perpetrated by corrupt tribal councils upon their membership.   APARTHEID, segregation, voter disenfranchisement... ALL worse than a team nickname

from Cuba to Pechanga It's A Great Week to Be Communist and an Oppressor.

This week, the North Koreans won the first battle of the CYBERWARS, and Fidel and Raul Castro, can now use President Obama's line to Boehner:  "I WON"  

It must warm the hearts of Native American Tinpot Dictators like Mark Macarro of Pechanga, which still practices Apartheid on their Reservation.

The fight isn't over, but the smoke from politicians asses is getting thicker.

Pechanga's Decade of Abuse, Not Torture, But OKAY with Boxer and Feinstein As Long as the MONEY Flows..

There is a gathering storm, of oppressed Native Americans, who have been harmed by their own tribes, sometimes by those who were fraudulently enrolled, or adopted with NO blood of the band.

In 2004 and 2006, as part of the Concerned Pechanga People’s Indian Removal Policy, members of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians were forced to give up their membership in the tribe whose reservation is in Temecula, CA. Life-long members, who have had land on the reservation for centuries were forcibly expelled from the tribe. This act of paper genocide has had devastating effects on 25% of the Pechanga people.

Elders no longer qualify for the health care that they lobbied the tribe to provide for all its members. The young are not allowed to attend the reservation’s school, being forcibly blocked and told to leave, much in the manner of the white racists who blocked black children from integrating schools in Little Rock in the 1950’s.

Those who were removed, face an unsecured financial future. Many worked for the tribe, were part of all events, meetings, have their dead buried in the Pechanga Cemetery. Now, that has ended. In order to increase the per capita ($15,000 per month at the time of the first removal) some of the descendents of Pablo Apis, the family of Manuela Miranda were terminated from the tribe. Per capita grew to $20,000 per month (plus bonuses) for those remaining, members of the Concerned Pechanga People initiated a misinformation campaign, one that has successfully terminated over 300 Native Americans of Pechanga descent at the time of the second removal (the descendents of Paulina Hunter.) The per capita is now reportedly $40,000 per month.

Blood relatives are banished from the reservations, families who are no longer in the tribe, but live on the reservation property that they’ve owned since the late 1800’s live in fear that the tribe will take away their water, which has been threatened by some of the remaining tribal members. Will Pechanga really turn off their lifeblood, as easily as they took away their civil rights? It’s not difficult to think so, after the atrocities that the CPP have already committed.

Dianne Feinstein's Concern Over Terrorists and Disdain for Abused Native Americans In California

This week brought one of the most shameful acts by a sitting Senator. Dianne Feinstein released a $40 million dollar report on the CIA's abuse of terrorists who masterminded the death of 3,000 of our citizens. Whichever political stripe you are, you have to agree that NOT interviewing the subject of your "report", the CIA, who were involved, means that you don't want the TRUTH, you simply want to score political points before your power wanes.  Coincidentally, she did not speak to Pechanga allottees BEFORE sponsoring a bill that would strip us of our water rights for our reservation land.

We see it this way: She exposes abuse of our mortal enemies but does nothing about abuse of Native Americans by fraudulently enrolled tribal members. California is HER STATE, we are HER people yet she is IDLE SOME MORE when it comes to protecting the civil and human rights of thousands of Native Americans who have been stripped of their citizenship.

There is NO way that Senator Feinstein or Senator Boxer can claim they don't know what's going on. Laura Wass with AIM has been working with Boxer for a decade, and I have met with Boxer's legislative analysts to let them know what's happening...believe me...THEY KNEW. And I've had phone conversations with Senator Feinstein legislative analyst and THEY KNOW. They just DON'T CARE. If it's NOT financially going to hurt the BANKS, they don't care if it hurts THOUSANDS of Native American in CALIFORNIA or other states.

Protecting Native Americans from abusive tribal councils, enforcing the Indian Civil Rights act, and STOPPING the civil and human rights abuses here in the United States of America seems a better legacy, than being know for giving aid and comfort to our enemies for political gain.

Pechanga Casino MURDER: Maria Vihanek to Stand Trial for Killing at Resort

MURRIETA - A Wildomar woman accused of gunning down her boyfriend in an allegedly premeditated attack at the Pechanga Resort &  Casino in Temecula must stand trial on murder and other charges, a judge ruled today. 

It is not only the Pechanga tribal council that are the bad guys.  Now add murder to the list of crimes at the Pechanga Resort and Casino

Maria Santos Vihnanek, 32, could face life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty, if convicted of killing 49-year- old Keith Rodman of Los Angeles. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office has yet to decide what penalty it intends to seek should she be found guilty. 

Following a nearly daylong preliminary hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, Superior Court Judge Michael Rushton found there was sufficient evidence for Vihnanek to proceed to trial on charges of first-degree murder and child endangerment charges, with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait. 

Rushton scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Dec. 29. The defendant is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside. 

Vihnanek and Rodman had been together for several years. Their son was 6 months old at the time of the shooting, according to prosecutors. 

Sheriff's investigators testified today that the defendant kept a diary full of  vitriol against Rodman, whom she suggested had subjected her to domestic violence. It's alleged the journal contained an entry in which Vihnanek expressed a desire to kill him. 

The two had gone to Pechanga on Feb. 21 for a weekend of gambling and entertainment. Vihnanek rented a room at the resort that afternoon, and shortly before 11 p.m., the defendant allegedly confronted Rodman with a .357 revolver and shot him multiple times in the upper body 

The infant was in the room but was not injured, prosecutors said. 

Rodman staggered out of the room and made it into an elevator and on the resort lobby, where he collapsed. He was taken to a Temecula-area hospital, where he died about 90 minutes later. 

Vihnanek remained in the room, crawling into an empty bathtub with her nightgown on, according to investigators. 

The District Attorney's Office said the defendant made statements to deputies regarding what transpired, but the nature of those statements was not disclosed. 

She had a gash on her neck that investigators later determined was self- inflicted, according to testimony. 

Dishonorable Chukchansi Tribe Says will Honor Vouchers For Money KEPT by Casino After Takeover

The Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino (CGRC) today issued a statement clarifying the time line for reimbursing customers who left with casino slot tickets or table gaming chips in the aftermath of the Resort’s recent closure by Federal and State authorities.

“We understand that Chukchansi’s patrons who left the Casino with chips or vouchers have many questions left unanswered as a result of the federal and state-ordered closure of the Resort, not the least of which is ‘how can I get my money back?’” said Giffen Tan, General Manager of the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino. “We are implementing a plan to redeem vouchers and chips by the end of the year. In the past, we have noted that we did not have a time line for reopening, and that the Casino will honor all of its commitments when it re-opens. While we still do not have time line for reopening, we are accelerating that process to ensure all patrons are reimbursed and all vouchers and gaming chips honored before the end of the year.”

*  For Casino guests that used a Chukchansi Players Card while playing, the Casino has been able to identify the patron and how much they are owed and are processing checks that began going out in the mail late last week. Since we have over 5,000 tickets outstanding, it has taken a while to research each item. Checks of $100 and greater will be sent via certified mail.

*  For Casino guests that did not use a Chukchansi Players Card but have table gaming chips or casino slot tickets, Casino guests can come to the property and exchange gaming chips or slot tickets for bank checks at the property on Dec. 16 through Dec. 18 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

“As we have stated in the past, Casino management is working with federal and state authorities as well as Tribal leadership to find a solution to the issues which led to the Casino’s closure,” Tan added

Indian Gaming Pits Enterprise Rancheria vs United Auburn Tribes (Thunder Valley Casino)

Remember Enterprise Rancheria, that disenrolled a number of their people a decade ago? Now they want an off reservation casino.   They're poor, because they have a stain on them from how they treated their own people.  SAY NO to a casino for them, until they do the right thing.

Read MORE about Enterprise here:
Enterprise Rancheria
Enterprise Truths
Read the Enterprise Story

OROVILLE, Calif. — A pitted gravel road snakes through the forest to the Enterprise Rancheria of the Maidu Indians’ sole piece of tribal land about 15 miles east of here in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Broken trailers and a hot tub rejiggered to irrigate a garden sit in a clearing, the few acres of flat land where a handful of people live in houses in disrepair.

With little accessible space on its 40-acre territory, the 800-member tribe used government grants last year to buy a nearby trailer park that is now home to a dozen families. About half live in old trailers that were used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to house those displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

To pull itself out of poverty, the tribe applied in 2002 to build an off-reservation casino at a spot with more economic potential, near towns and highways about 35 miles south of here. After the federal government gave its approval last year, the final decision now rests with Gov. Jerry Brown, who is expected to decide on the fate of the Enterprise casino and another tribe’s off-reservation proposal by an Aug. 31 deadline.

But plans for the two casinos are drawing fierce opposition and last-minute lobbying in the state capital from an unexpected source: nearby tribes with casinos that they say will be hurt by the newcomers. Leading the fight against Enterprise is the United Auburn Indian Community, whose casino, Thunder Valley, has become one of America’s most profitable and has brought the formerly destitute tribe unimaginable riches.

“It’s really sad right now in Indian country with the divide between the haves and have-nots,” said Cindy Smith, the secretary of Enterprise’s tribal council. “It’s just a struggle to get on equal footing. And even when you’re on equal footing, you’re really not, because we’re almost two decades behind.”

On DNA Testing and Tribal Membership: Facts Don't Matter

I get a lot of comments about DNA testing to prove rights to membership in Tribal Nations.   While it may prove your relations, would it prove you belong?

The American Indian and Alaska Native Genetic Resource Center has this to say:

The use of DNA testing for tribal enrollment raises many issues. Tribal enrollment criteria each represent a different value or set of values that the community holds.  Over time, as the community changes so too might the membership criteria or the value that they represent.  

For example, lineal descendancy demonstrates a value of proven biological relation to a particular historical census record of tribal members.  DNA testing may provide another tool to uphold such a value, but it has limits and is not the only tool that may be useful.  When considering tribal membership requirements and whether DNA testing should become one, tribal leaders and community members might consider the values of the current criteria, the added (or not) value of DNA testing, the potential challenges associated with using a particular kind of DNA test, and particularly how it compares to other DNA testing. 

While genetic tests cannot determine whether an individual is AI/AN or not, they can determine whether people are likely related to one another.  This limitation means that genetic testing will not be helpful in many enrollment cases, but it can be helpful for some areas with less documentation of family relationships or the need to confirm direct biological relationships.

See the page here:AI-AN Genetics Resource Center  

We are reminded that the Redding Rancheria forced the Foreman family to exhume their ancester for a DNA test which was 99.6% positive and they were still denied re-instatement.   Like you hear from many politicians now....they don't CARE about evidence...

Chukchansi Police Chief Speaks Out on Casino Closure Dispute

The police chief and an officer who were hired by one faction of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians are speaking out about a dispute that led to the closure of the California tribe's casino.

Chief John Oliveira and officer Tim Tofaute say they only went to the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino to obtain documents that needed to be submitted to the National Indian Gaming Commission. They now face numerous charges in state court after they got into an armed confrontation with tribal members from another faction.

"I can't imagine one of the claims or the charges that are placed on us that our video won't show the contrary action to," Olivera told KRNV, referring to video of the October 9 incident.
"I'm still dumb-founded," added Tofaute. "Our legal counsel, every council that we have spoken to, they are perplexed by this."

Olivera turned himself in after being charged but is out on $1.25 million bail. The tribal leaders that hired him -- Tex McDonald and Vernon King -- remain in jail on higher bond amounts.

Tofaute is also out after posting an $800,000 bond. He and Olivera are now conducting their own investigation into the incident and they believe the charges against them won't hold up in court.

The casino has been closed under a permanent injunction issued by a federal judge at the request of the state. The National Indian Gaming Commission also issued a notice of violation and a temporary closure order to the tribe for failing to submit audits and for failing to protect the public health and safety at the facility.

Sen. Barbara Boxer Retired without a Legacy of Protecting Native Americans Harmed by Their Own Tribes

Word from POLITICO today that rumors are that Sen. Barbara Boxer will retire:

Sources close to Boxer, 74, say the outspoken liberal senator will decide over the holidays whether to seek reelection in 2016 and will announce her plans shortly after the new year. Few of her friends believe she will run for a fifth term. Boxer has stopped raising money and is not taking steps to assemble a campaign. With Republicans taking over the Senate, she is about to relinquish her chairmanship of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

If she were to step aside, it would be the first big crack in the state’s upper political ranks in years. The last time the governorship was open was in 2010, when Jerry Brown, now 76, romped in a return to the job he first held more than three decades earlier. Boxer and California’s other senator, Democrat Dianne Feinstein, 81, were elected in 1992.

This would leave a void for tribes in California, who have spent a lot of money on Senator Boxer.  We were able to meet with her "people" last year on Capitol Hill and using the simple truth, we were able to get wording in a water bill that Pechanga was trying to get passed that changed the definition of allottees.     We were able to make sure it was going NOWHERE in the House Natural Resources Committee.

I know that AIM and Laura Wass were working to get a bill on tribal legacy sponsored by the Senator. This would be a perfect opportunity for her to go out protecting THOUSANDS of Native Americans from the harm corrupt tribal councils are perpetrating on their own people.

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

San Manuel & Poker Stars VS. LYING, CHEATING, THIEVING Bad Actor Tribes Inc. Pechanga/Pala

If TRIBES are worried about BAD ACTORS, LOOK IN THE MIRROR at Pechanga and Pala among others.  

PokerStars’ California-based coalition has publicly stated its opposition to the online poker legislation introduced this week by Assemblyman Mike Gatto. The coalition, which includes three card clubs and the Morongo and San Manuel Indian tribes, plans to partner on a California-facing online poker site. Problem is, a different coalition of the state’s other tribes are determined to keep Stars out and Gatto’s AB 9 legislation is basically a modified version of the bill these other tribes put forward earlier this year.

AB 9 contains the now standard prohibition on ‘bad actors’ i.e. any company that accepted US wagers after Dec. 31, 2006. Critics believe such prohibitions have less to do with law and order than with other operators not wishing to compete with the Stars juggernaut.

On Friday, Stars’ coalition released a statement calling the new bill “a rehash of previously unsuccessful proposals.” Stars’ statement says any bill that “seeks to establish artificial competitive advantages for some, while denying Californians the best online poker experiences, will only serve to divide the community and will be opposed by our coalition.” Stars says it is committed to working with legislators to pass a poker bill in 2015 that establishes a “vibrant, competitive marketplace.”

AB 9 bars not only bad actors but also their ‘covered assets’ i.e. software, brands, etc. Stars’ new owner Amaya Gaming maintains that its purchase of these assets has wiped clean their bad actor taint, but AB 9 includes language that upholds the prohibition even if ownership of the assets changes.

AB 9 does contain a clause that allows an online poker license applicant the chance to offer “clear and convincing evidence” that their use of the assets in California won’t “adversely affect the integrity of, or undermine public confidence in” the state’s online poker market.

Some industry observers are interpreting this as all the wiggle room Amaya needs in order to get its foot in the door. Amaya’s statement suggests it either doesn’t share this view or it doesn’t want to leave anything to chance, i.e. throwing its support behind AB 9 only to have the state’s gatekeepers arbitrarily decide Amaya’s evidence was neither clear nor convincing.

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has offered its own objections to AB 9, with executive director John Pappas saying the bill has “too many flaws right now to support it.” Pappas says the PPA believes California “should open it up to all possible participants” because “the more applicants, the greater the potential for a better product.”

PECHANGA TRIBE REFUSES to ALLOW FEDERAL Mail Carriers on the Pechanga Indian Reservation.

On Nov.17 we wrote that the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, well known for civil and human rights violations of tribal people has added additional abuse onto allottees living on the reservation, namely the tribe led by Mark Macarro has confiscated mailboxes from those who live on the reservation that have been stripped of their citizenship.

Now, word comes from the Postmaster of the Temecula area that the tribe has refused letter carriers the authority to enter the reservation to deliver mail to the homes of those who have had their mailboxes taken.

Isn't that great?  A federal reservation that refuses federal employees access to deliver mail?  It proves that the abuse is deliberate, that Pechanga cannot be trusted and that the House was correct in not passing the water bill they spent so much tribal money trying to get passed.

Chukchansi Casino Takeover Suspect David Dixon of Sparks NV Still WANTED

Northern Nevada’s US Marshals-led fugitive task force is asking for the public’s help in tracking a man accused of a violent takeover of a casino in Madera County, California.

Still sought is 35-year-old David Dixon of Sparks. 46-year-old Timothy Tofaute of Sparks surrendered Monday, December 1, 2014 and was released on $800,000 bail; 38-year-old Brian Auchenbach of Gardnerville had already surrendered and was released on bail.

Brian Auchenbach Surrendered

The US Marshals Office says all three are accused of numerous felonies including kidnapping, false imprisonment, and assault with a deadly weapon. Investigators believe they executed an armed takeover of the Chukchansi Indian Resort and Casino in Coarsegold, CA October 9, 2014.

An arrest warrant with $800,000 bail was issued for each man October 31, 2014, by the Madera County Superior Court. The Madera County Sheriff’s Department is investigating.

Berry Creek Rancheria Disenrolled in Court Today. DA Mike Ramsey Forcing Felony Counts As Favor to Chairman James Edwards?

In what is becoming an ever increasing horror story, we are reminded that our local governments are more in the bag with corrupt tribal governments.

20 defendants are in court today facing FELONY charges for putting nail holes in a door at the offices of the Berry Creek Rancheria.   The cost of wood putty and paint have risen dramatically in Oroville, apparently.

Protesters say they were being threatened with disenrollments when they barricaded themselves inside Berry Creek Rancheria headquarters.  Actually STANDING UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS is not looked at favorably either by Berry Creek Tribal Council, nor the district attorney.

From an earlier news report:

The standoff was reportedly over a disenrollment vote for four individuals. During the event, 19 people locked and barricaded themselves inside the tribe's offices. The prosecution alleges the other defendants provided support to the group.

After the event, investigators found lumber, wire, tarps and straps drilled into walls, windows and doors through the tribal office's two buildings. Officials also found baseball bats, slingshots, bear pepper spray and sleeping bags.

Tribal Disenrollments and the Beginning of the End of Sovereignty

On Tribal Disenrollments and the Beginning of the End of Sovereignty

This is a repost of my 2008 article:

In the 21st .Century, who would have thought that the Indian Wars would begin anew? This is not the war of racist whites who wanted to move west no matter who was hurt. This time, it's greedy Indians who want more money, no matter which tribal members they hurt. The 21st century Indian War is now Indian vs. Indian. Tribes such as Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indiansof Temecula, Redding Rancheria, Jamul of San Diego, Enterprise Rancheriaare violating their members civil rights, eliminating them from tribal rolls and denying them their part of the tribe. And because of California Tribe's use of sovereignty, it can be "we just don't like you" or "we don't believe the evidence" (are you going to believe me or your lying eyes?), In California's Indian Country, wealthy casino tribes are gorging themselves with cash, the fruits of their casino, thanks to laws passed by the citizens of California. Prop 1A and Prop. 5 were passed overwhelmingly, thanks to ads that promised not to expand gaming and to help tribes with self reliance.


To the California populace, this meant that tribes would be able to take care of their own membership. Those living in poverty would be brought forth; non gaming tribes would benefit from a fund that gaming tribes would contribute to. A 'lifting of all boats' if you will. What has happened in that time has in fact helped some tribes. San Manuel of San Bernardino has developed their reservation from dirt poor to one of the wealthiest in the state and tribal members are definitely in the top 1/10th of income earners in California. And they are taking care of their people. Their population is limited, with fewer than 200 members. Morongo of Cabazon is another example of good governing. Sadly, some tribes could not stand to share their good fortune. Visions of more money, or living at San Manuel standards blinded some with greed and envy. The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians is one such tribe. Blessed with an excellent location near a freeway and with easy access and a growing population, the Pechanga Resort and Casino was successful and thriving.

With just over 1,000 adult members, the tribe was, by 2004 able to provide their members with a monthly per capita check of $15,000 and quarterly bonuses. Additionally, the tribe provided health care via Blue Shield, Dental, Eye and extra benefits for elders. Also included was educational assistance including college scholarships for which all was needed was a C average. Even John Kerry and G. W. Bush could have kept a scholarship.

Mashantucket Pequots Face Eroding Fortunes

Tribal gaming has helped some reach higher economic levels, but it never should have been the end all plan.  With all the money going out of state coffers, most states will approve gaming throughout the states.   Here's the story about one tribe, the Mashantucket Pequot which we had on our radar two years ago.  As usual, the New York Times is LATE to the story. Mismanagement, overpayments, lack of control or oversight on tribal leaders...sound familiar?

Encased in glass, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center rises, improbably and on a grand scale, from the wooded swamplands of eastern Connecticut.

The museum, which cost $225 million to build and covers seven acres, is bigger than the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington. It has a massive diorama of a 17th-century Pequot village, a restaurant, an auditorium, a museum shop, libraries and archives for archaeological and documentary research and a 185-foot-tall tower with a viewing platform that looks out onto the reservation and the Foxwoods Resort and Casino less than a mile away.

When the museum opened in 1998, the outlook for the tribe was bright. The tribe reported revenues of $694 million, after payouts from the thousands of slot machines at Foxwoods that year. That figure didn’t include what it earned from table games, hotels, and concerts and other events.

In 1995, casino revenues amounted to close to $750,000 per adult tribe member; at that time there were about 315, according to “Hitting the Jackpot” a book by Brett D. Fromson. And for years afterward, adult members, who now number close to 1,000, could expect annual payments reported to be about $100,000, an amount the tribe has not refuted.

But those heady days are long gone.

The casino, which currently is $1.7 billion in debt, recently missed another payment. The annual payouts to tribal members have ceased, and some, in search of work, have moved.

New York and Massachusetts, which supply Foxwoods with a stream of customers, are preparing to open non-Indian casinos in the next few years, increasing competition in the region.

The newest sign that the tribe’s fortunes are slipping came on Sunday, when the museum, the Pequots’ message to the world that they are more than casino entrepreneurs, closed for several months, for the first time in its history.

The tribe is by no means destitute. But it is clear that as casino gambling, a staple for many Indian tribes, has steadily been legalized around the country, the Mashantucket Pequot have been left to navigate a future that looks different from its recent past.

“We’ve been on this land for thousands of years and we’ll be here,” said Rodney A. Butler, the tribal chairman. “Economic success is different from tribal success.”

The casino is in debt in part because of competition — including competition with Mohegan Sun, a casino run by the Mohegan tribe eight miles away — and in part because of mismanagement and overexpansion. Several years ago, the tribe, along with MGM Grand, spent $700 million to build a new tower at the casino, with hotel rooms and a gambling floor. MGM Grand is no longer part of the partnership, and now has a license to build its own casino in Springfield, Mass., about 75 miles away.

The tribe is trying to adjust, diversifying some of its industries by building a $120 million strip mall outside the casino and potentially selling some off-reservation properties, according to a presentation given to bondholders in 2012. The tribe has also talked of teaming with the Mohegans to open a third Connecticut casino, which some public officials support as a way to keep gambling dollars in the state.

Tribal leaders declined to give details about their plans, and, consistent with past practice, would authorize only a small number of officials and tribal members to speak about their circumstances.

Pequot officials said the museum is closing for repairs, and also so they can find an executive director and fill a position that has been vacant for several months. But 45 of the 55 employees are being laid off, at least temporarily, suggesting that closing the museum is an attempt to adapt to a new financial reality.

So was ending the annual stipends, which the tribe called “incentive payments,” in 2010.

“There was a lot of frustration, anger and fear when the payments stopped, especially if you’ve built your life with that kind of freedom,” said a member of the Pequot tribe, Dale Merrill.

Ms. Merrill was a part-time student raising three children as a single mother when the payments stopped. The end of the incentive payments, to her, signaled a loss of the opportunity to go to school and raise her children without worry. She also said that there were some positive elements: “Money can be a distraction. The kids and our youth seem to be much more focused on staying connected as a tribe and living up to what we’re supposed to be.”

Ms. Merrill, like many other tribal members, went to work for the tribal government and is now vice president of human resources and administration. Some members were able to find jobs at the casino, the museum, or in the tribal government or tribal health services.

Other changes were subtle. Mark Bancroft, assistant to the mayor of Ledyard, said that five or six houses on tribal housing property outside the reservation have been torn down, and that some who had lived on the reservation had moved to Providence, R.I., and New York City, where they had lived before.

Lifestyles have changed, too. Several Pequots spoke about having ended their habit of buying expensive cars. Read the rest of the story of the Mashantucket Pequot