Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Spokane Tribe Passes Referendum to PROHIBIT Disenrollment in Most Cases; Does the RIGHT THING

Proving that some tribes KNOW HOW to do the RIGHT THING, and that disenrollment for dollars is WRONG, as practiced by tribes like Pechanga and Chukchansi, the SPOKANE TRIBE gets it RIGHT.

On Saturday, the Spokane Tribe of Indians General Council passed a Referendum that amended the Tribe’s constitution to generally prohibit disenrollment.

The new Spokane constitutional provision provides: “Except in instances where a citizen transfers enrollment to another Tribe, no Spokane Tribal law shall operate to strip citizenship from any person who has previously been recognized to possess citizenship . . .”

Spokane joins a growing list of tribal governments who are amending IRA constitutions—which have been the primary vehicle for disenrollment in Indian Country—to discontinue the colonialist practice.

In 2013, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria revised their constitution to prohibit disenrollment.

Pechanga Tribe voted to halt ALL disenrollments, but Pechanga chairman Mark Macarro did not follow the will of the people.

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13 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 9, 2015 at 3:36 PM

    It's great to see bands who appreciate ALL. It's special when you see people who can honor ALL ancestors and live in custom and tradition.

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  2. AnonymousJune 9, 2015 at 4:43 PM

    Not everyone gets along, but they are appreciative of what their Ancestors went through and want to carry the recognition on. Compare those actions to what has happened with Pechanga and others shake their heads. No bands practice disenrollment except those who do not appreciate how they were really created. Pechanga our Ancestors deserve more respect, that's why they recorded their recognition in Federal records. they know what the band went through from outside settlers. They recorded depositions for a reason. Can you honor our ancestors?

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  3. White BuffaloJune 9, 2015 at 10:48 PM

    Pechanga has forgotten what it means to be Indian. There may be some left who know, but the youth of the tribe do not have a clue. If they do they would be wise to not mention to anyone who is in the tribe what they really feel or know about this subject. Good for you Spokane.

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  4. AnonymousJune 10, 2015 at 1:08 AM

    Absolutely agree WHITE BUFFALO. The youth of the tribe have no idea. Look at San Pasqual. The younger generation is trying to take over the reservation and disenroll all members besides their own.... This will never happen. Ancestors will roll in their graves. Sad to see it has happened at Pechanga and the horrible pain it has caused Members. Tribes are learning from these atrocities and Tribes are adjusting. Spokane is on the right track.

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  5. AnonymousJune 10, 2015 at 3:29 AM

    Wrong thing to do. The ability to determine who belongs and who does not is a fundamental power of a functioning tribal government/nation. How are you construing disenrollment as a "colonialist" practice, but yet support IRA Constitutions and blood quantum requirements. The reality of Indian Country is that tribal nations exist within a patchwork of legal - political structures forcibly imposed onto each nation by the federal government. That tribes exist speaks a lot to the perseverance and resilience attributed to how our forebears and ancestors decided how their communities would survive within the complicated legsl - political framework that we see today. Any change to that structure, by limiting tribal sovereignty, upsets the effectiveness and success of survivability into the future, especially now gaming tribes have so much to loose and so much to protect. I believe the solution to disenrollment is not by limiting tribal sovereignty, but a fundamental change on how belonging is to be represented and understood. That solution is not a universal solutiin, but needs to be determined by each tribal community. The only way to unravel colonialism and it's continual effects is to introduce Indigenous vslues, goals, and perspectives into how the future will ensure continuance. I think disenrollment sucks, but the solutions to how this needs to be resolved should be within and not derived or implemented from non-tribal sources. Spokane Tribe decided that they do not want disenrollment, and that is their right as a tribal nation and is a unique solution for their set of circumstances but to think that it's right for every tribe is wrong and frankly a colonialist way of thinking.

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  6. AnonymousJune 10, 2015 at 10:15 AM

    Not letting a BAND follow custom and tradition, not honoring ALL ancestors, not following constitutions and bylaws and taking others rights is colonialist also. All these actions have occurred within the Pechanga band. That's not Indian acts either.

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  7. White BuffaloJune 10, 2015 at 9:57 PM

    So let me ask the supporters of disenrollment this. Is it right for the tribe to break its own constitution and bylaws to disenroll an entire family. Another question that has never been addressed is it right to disenroll families because you do not agree with them. Still another question., why do you hide behind sovereignty, if you are so right then why not let the merits of the disenrolled be heard in a public forum. These are basic questions that have been asked for over 10 years now, and guess what the tribe refuses to acknowledge them. Believe this I believe in the right of self governance, but I do not believe in the corruption of the oligarchy that now rules Pechanga. Last to not allow disenrollment is a right to determine membership. This is funny, well not really, but what Spokane is doing is the antithesis of self serving governance.

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  8. AnonymousJune 11, 2015 at 1:09 AM

    Tribes should have the right to determine membership, but to illegally remove federally recognized tribal members that come from a long line of recognized ancestors, that helped establish and gain federal recognition of the tribe. Is WRONG. That is colonialism at it's finest.

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  9. AnonymousJune 11, 2015 at 1:12 AM

    The Pechanga tribe DID vote to end ALL disenrollment, however Macarros's kept the colonial tradition strong in their tribe. All their followers, followed.

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  10. AnonymousJune 11, 2015 at 1:12 AM

    The Pechanga tribe DID vote to end ALL disenrollment, however Macarros's kept the colonial tradition strong in their tribe. All their followers, followed.

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  11. AnonymousJune 11, 2015 at 1:14 AM

    Aho Spokane, many blessings to you and your tribe. Doing the right thing in Indian Country. Setting a fine example of the Indian way.

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  12. White BuffaloJune 11, 2015 at 1:52 PM

    It is the self-serving ileagal actas that give all Indans a bad name.

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  13. White BuffaloJune 11, 2015 at 1:52 PM

    Sorry about the spelling.

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