The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians in California is entering the six month of life without gaming.
A dispute among rival factions led to the closure of the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino on October 10, 2014. More than 1,000 people were put out of work amid a squabble that appears to be linked to a long-running disenrollment effort.
After being restored to federal recognition in the 1980s, the tribe's membership was around 1,800, Valley Public Radio reported last month. But in the years following the opening of the casino, the rolls have been cut in half.
"My uncle was honored as an elder at the powwow and a week later got a letter saying he was no longer a member," Chris Ballew, whose family was disenrolled in 2012, told National Public Radio.
Critics point the finger at leaders like Nancy Ayala, who serves as co-chair of one of the councils on the reservation. They believe she wants to reduce the membership even further, a charge she does not outright appear to be denying.
"If we could tackle that and figure out how people fit in, where they fit in, do you belong - if we could figure that out, we would be a power to be reckoned with," Ayala told NPR.
Tribal members receive a monthly per capita check of about $900, according to NPR. Further disenrollments could increase the payment to around $17,000, NPR said.
6 comments:
Nancy and Reggie are probably eating stake and lobster with all their money put away while everyone else is eating beans rice & acorns?
A lot of members spoke about the hardships so many are going through. Many are homeless, hungry, can't pay bills...ect. Our per cap never got over $400 per month. It was our jobs at the casino and at the tribal office that was our bread and butter. 6 people in my family alone lost jobs. Nancy is still blood thirsty for our membership (same as usual.)
It is the new norm with the casino Indian. The mindset is what can I get for myself at the expense of others. Look at Marcy he and those like him got together and threw away tradition and culture for power and money. This behavior is the furthest a person can get away from the true meaning and practice of honoring the spirit of the creator. His spirit is that of the trickster some see this spirit as a snake or coyote.
that last statement needs to be corrected. If anyone is getting that amount, it would have to be 3 or 4 members and they're probably on tribal council.
Just implode this casino already.
Then....3 months. What's the real hold up? Timely is not a real answer to my question. I could care less about opening the casino for Dustin Graham to carry out another bag of money for Nancy Ayala to take another pallet of money, for Chance to spend the Chuk inc money like a drunk rock star, for Reggie to hire thugs to send to members homes. I'm sure there are members who can turn a blind eye to this kind of corruption.... but I'm different, and that's not a bad thing, it's not negativity.
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