With all this disenrollment going on my Rez in Pechanga I've had many of my people from the tribe and surrounding tribes come and talk and give their support from one Native heart to another. It's amazing you know to see your own people that you were sure you knew through new eyes.
I think the worst part of what I've come to realize from my disenrollment is how few Native people can really see what has been taken from me. It's a shame so many of our people are being blinded by money.But what keeps me going are those of you feel my heartache like your own without me having to say a word.
Thats what I mean when I say Native heart, I've found I can see it in the eyes. Eyes that express emotions shared by Native hearts from a shared pain that runs so deep in our souls we've come to recognize one another by the fire it feeds. I must thank everyone of you who come to me no different then you ever have, and those who come right out and bring it up, or ask how my family is, and most of all, all of you who say "FUCK UM!!" before I ever have too.
In fact I ran into an old friend in the casino last night (hey, it's still mine & where my friends are) I have not seen since it happened and I got to thank him because its people like him who keep me going like nothings changed and remind me of why I love my people so. He comes up to me and the one of the first things he says is " Hey they disenrolled you huh? So how'd that feel?" I was suprised because that was the first time I was ever asked that. To make it even better all I got to say in response was "Man, guy it still..." then he cut me off and said how he couldn't believe they did that to me and how its so fu**** up and not to worry because they will pay for it in the end.
How now all we do is watch them ruin it for all Pechanga cause they can't even see it happening. And therein lies my strength my friends are what holds me up. All of you who say this money ain't worth it and you'd give it up and be poor again just to go back to the days when we all watched over and took care of each other. The ones who love "Rez Life" because it was our life. Something these ones will never know nothing about probably wouldn't want to might disgust them the way we live. But to us it just looks like HOME,baby.Thats what we love not this casino shit.
Keep the $ just give me back my people!! I am grateful for all of you who bother to care for even a moment.
All my Love & all my Life for you, My People.
Shameful that those other tribal people are NOW doing the same to their own tribe.
right on..the more attention everyone brings to disgraceful disenrollment acts the sooner it will be addressed and fixed. Tribes do a right to determine their own membership but that's not what this is. It is tribal councils getting rid of opposition and balancing the books so they and their families can get more money when that's not what the Rez is about. We were all here before the casino were all of them? Once a tribe accepts you as a member they shouldn't be able to go back 20,30 years later and say not anymore.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you have the same chief (rhymes with thief) and felons like Basquez on the Council, NOTHING is going to change. Your tribe is so afraid to rock the boat just in case these losers on council find out and disenroll them, they allow criminals to run the Tribe. I'm hoping that huge expansion bites them right in the ass. I hope they do the same as Foxwoods and go broke. BTW, is felon Basquez really Pechanga?
ReplyDeleteYes disenrollment is an eye opener in more than one way. I get relatives who are still enrolled and they talk about what crap it is and how evil the Chairman is, and then they don't vote, or go to the meetings, because they are not personally affected. I get it, but it bugs me. Other people who are not native are supportive to a point, sometimes I feel like they get upset with me for being so "butt hurt" by it. They don't get it, because they are not Native and did not grow up Native. Some of them get it when I explain it in terms that would matter to them. It sucks really because if our own friends and relatives do not get it, then the Government for sure is not going to get it. So here we are, destroyed by our leaders, stabbed in the back by our relatives, disenchanted by our friends, unheard by our Government, untouchable to judges, cast out by sovereignty, and completely misunderstood by society. The disenrolled across the country have each other, and we have our dignity and our Native Pride, that cannot be taken from us. We know the truth and that cannot be taken from us. Until our truth is seen and our tribes our rid of their evil, we will fight the good fight and stand as Warriors.
ReplyDeleteRather call yourself?
ReplyDeleteFeel free to make the call yourself too. Sen. Barbara Boxer’s phone number is 202-224-3553. Or visit http://www.boxer.senate.gov and fill out the contact