Tuesday, September 12, 2017

The FACES of Disenrollment: 7 Years Since Lawrence Madariaga of Pechanga Walked On Without Justice

It's been a busy couple of weeks and I'm sad to say that I didn't get this posted when I wanted to. It's been SEVEN years since our elder, and long lived Pechanga Member Lawrence Madariaga, who was wrongfully stripped of his citizenship in the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians WALKED ON.  

Many of Lawrence's family still live on the reservation, now under an apartheid and segregation policy.  Over 50 years of peace, and then erased from Pechanga history.

We wrote this piece when Lawrence Madariaga walked on, without justice 
Lawrence and Sophie Madariaga
Sad news from the Pechanga Reservation tonight. Lawrence Madariaga, who has resided on the Pechanga Reservation for over 60 years, has died of cancer. Lawrence was the elder of the Hunter family, which was terminated from the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians by the Mark Macarro led tribal council.

The Hunter Family was profiled in the KNBC News Special, "Without A Tribe" which was so highly rated, they showed it in its entirety the very next day. In that news piece, presented by Colleen Williams, Pechanga Chairman Macarro was caught lying in the first 15 seconds of his presentation.

We'll embed a video of a similar story done on local news. The Hunters were the second family terminated en masse by the Pechanga Enrollment Committee. By removing tribal members, the tribal council could control votes and power.

Lawrence helped feed and clothe the very same people who would later terminate him from the tribe. He helped to bring the health clinic and electricity to the Pechanga Reservation. His family served on Pechanga Commissions and were an integral part of the tribal system. Sadly, Lawrence joins his wife Sophie, in death.  Sophie herself was received on final insult in death, as we reported:

As Sophia lived on the reservation, continually for over 40 years and her husband, Hunter family ELDER Lawrence Madariaga, still does. The family was looking to have their memorial at the Pechanga Senior Center. A deposit was placed but the family was turned down by the Silver Feathers, one final insult to the woman who fed, and diapered many of those people's children when they needed it.

See them both in this video


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I wonder if Robert and Theresa will ever do the right thing. They know Margarita Brittain is fullblood. I wonder what they're so afraid of? If I ever see Theresa at church I'm gonna walk up and call her and evil b---- in front of everybody. I hate them both with a passion for knowing the truth and still doing this to everybody. If Margarita Brittain really was half native I would be upset but I wouldn't be so hateful to them for doing this to everybody and lowering our blood. I mean you can't hate on the truth but you can hate on people who do evil and go against the truth for their own personal reasons and I hope they pay for it. I will never forget even when they are both out of office and everyone is reinstated I will still never forget and if they're gone I will take it out on their families like they took it out on ours. The only way I could start to forgive is if they make this right and reinstate the disenrolled. They don't have to admit they disenrolled on purpose just that there was a mistake made and Margarita is fullblood and they are reinstating everyone. Until that day my hate for both of them grow stronger and stronger.