Exposing Disenrollment to College Campuses: How Our Young People Can Help Spread The Word About Disenrollment and Corruption

I was proud to hear last week that  our cousin, Uvina Camacho, a descendant of Original Pechanga Paulina Hunter, brought the disenrollment story to her college speech class.

This is a perfect example of how our younger generation can help.  We talk about the fact that we must continue to shine the spotlight on the corruption.  We've seen what that can do, with the shutting down of the Chukchansi Gold Casino.

Here is another outlet, one that can be done for both college and high school classes.  This outline, from Uvina, can be used to tailor the story for any tribal disenrollment story.  Spreading the word, even if it's only 30 students and a teacher at a time.   At the end of the presentation, ask your classmates for their help in spreading the word.   Using social media as only they know how, can be our greatest asset.  

I'm optimistic that once people learn about the corruption, the abuse of civil rights, they will react with the same disgust that the students and teacher did in this class.  Politicians should take note that questions the students asked, included "WHY ISN'T the government doing anything?"

I'm also glad that the teacher still had questions after this presentation, as Uvina relayed them:   

My teacher said right away that he had a lot of questions. 
He couldn't believe that this was happening. He had no idea what disenrollment was. He didn't think it was fair for the enrollment committee to disenroll a family, the way they did to us without giving our family due process. 
At the end he said he knows the federal government will have to fix what the enrollment committee has done because this isn't right. 
He believes not all governments are corrupt. He believes that we will find are way back into the tribe & that someone will end up stepping in to help us.

Think he won't be talking about this to his counterparts?    That's how we use our own networks to help us.  This is what I've been asking for, this is what our young can do to honor their ancestors and family.   This is how all of us, who are  disenrolled, can win our battle.  Shame is a powerful tool, one we've let slip away.

I know it's nearly the end of the school year, but file this for next year.  And please, use social media to get this out. There are buttons on the bottom of the post that will help you. Have your young ones show you.....

Name: Uvina Camacho

Date: May 19, 2015

Course: Effective Speaking

Speech Title: "Corruption in American Indian Society"

Specific Purpose Statement:  “I’m going to inform my audience about my heritage, being Pechanga ‘Luiseno’ Indian and what my family had to go through almost 10 years ago.”

Thesis Statement: “Disenrollment is an abuse of sovereignty.”

Ask Question: What first pops in your head when you think about Indians? Do any of you know about tribal disenrollment and sovereignty?

I.  INTRODUCTION

A.    Gaining the Audience's Attention: I will talk about the corruption with Native American tribes and the disenrollment that has been going on for years now all over greed and power. In addition, I will explain how Native Americans are sovereign so that means only the federal government can do anything. However, sense tribes with casinos have lots of money that means they have power and can bribe and pay off congress.

A.    Preview of Main Points - (1) What was taken away from my family and many other natives; (2) how tribes are corrupt (3) how tribal disenrollment is happening all over the U.S.; and what people are doing to change it.

II. MAIN BODY

A.    First Point: What my family and I were stripped of from our own people.

1.      I am no longer federally recognized from a tribe which makes me ineligible for tribal benefits. So I can’t apply to a lot of Native American Scholarships and other stuff because they took away are papers to even say I am Pechanga Indian.

2.      Not being able to participate with tribal activities and meetings. Basically started treating us like second-class citizens. Like how African Americans were segregated from general society back in the day.

3.      Education rights and benefits. My little sister had to leave the school on the rez because we were not allowed to attend anymore. I had to leave the private school I had attended K-6^th grade because they stopped paying my tuition to attend.

4.      No longer receive medical benefits and per-cap, which is a huge change impact on our life.

5.      Allotted land give to eligible Indians by president of the U.S. They are starting to try and take away, and water. When my family has been on that rez before there was even a casino.

6.      Mail delivery has now stopped after almost 100 years of receiving mail, which now makes us unable to verify we live on Indian land. Which also takes away our tax benefits.

A.    Second Point: How they are corrupt.

1.      Since Pechanga is one of the most successful California Indian casino they pay off congress to ignore the fact they did not go through the right steps.

2.      Disenrollment is happening all over the nation due to rising casinos, large per capita checks, and sovereignty. Fewer tribe members means a bigger share for those remaining on the rolls, attorneys say.

3.      Sovereignty means a self-governing state.

4.      Their own hired expert researcher John Johnson called out Pechanga Tribe’s termination committee.

5.      They ignored the BIA “Bureau of Indian Affairs” when they did research back to my families’ ancestry to see if we are from there and they found several ties to how my family is one of the firsts Pechanga Indians and that we have more blood and lineage than other families. But still disenrolled my family.

6.      Didn’t follow their own bylaws. Skipped many steps in the disenrollment laws to kick us out as soon as possible. Which is against their own laws they set for a reason.

7.      There is no third-party intervention when it comes to tribes not following DUE PROCESS.

8.      Due Process is an order of steps which must be carried out in the exact order the bylaws were made.

A.    Third Point: How it’s happening all over the U.S. with other tribes and how we are fighting to make it right.

1.      Here are some tribes that have disenrollment issues in California; Pechanga, Pala, San Pasqual, Robinson Rancheria, The Grand Ronde, Chukchansi and many other Indian tribes across the country.

2.      Have went to the White House and Sacramento and have had meetings with people from the senate and congress.

3.      Had a News special a couple years back, shown two consecutive nights.

4.      My family and many other families from Indian tribes have protested in Sacramento, in front of Pechanga other casinos and reservations, and recently in front of the BIA office.

III. CONCLUSION

A.    Main points summarized. So I informed you guys about how my family got stripped away our rights as Native Americans, why Indian tribes have become so corrupt they choose money and power over their own family, also how Natives all over the U.S. are fighting for their rights to become federally recognized.

I feel like this topic is informative because most people don’t really know about Indian tribes and what really goes on with all the corruption. Also, people always assume we are fighting for our rights back just because of the money but its way more than that when that’s all your family knows from decades of living on the rez and being involved with the tribe and your family, until it all gets taken away. My family is continuing to fight for our rights as Native Americans and to bring awareness to the issue that needs more light shine upon. We do believe in time we will become reunited with are tribe