Interesting post from a FB page of a recently disenrolled HOPLAND POMO woman, on evidence presented, and how corrupt tribal politicians (not much of a leader) only use what they want to use.
It strikes a chord with me and my family, because in our disenrollment, the enrollment committee didn't use the expert's evidence they paid for, instead using some vague hearsay from ..dead people.
Here's the post:
Data and records were submitted with our disenrollment appeals letters proving our lineage to the tribe dating back to the 1800's. According to our appeals Letters from the interim secretary of the tribe, we were, in writing, assured that whatever evidence we submitted would be shared with the general council.
Since we are not human enough according to Iyesha, we were ineligible to view their evidence against us all. They used a grievance letter from a deceased member as evidence that got twisted into Iyesha's proof that we aren't allegedly Hopland Indians. Also, that some of ONLY my family members used "generically" Pomo as our race, rather than Hopland Pomo (I'm pretty sure more than just my own family used that "generic" term) that means we aren't Hopland Pomo's.
Iyesha was heard saying on record, that just because you're on every census records, born on the Hopland reservation, AND that you are listed down in their iron clad hard to get distribution plan of 1961 land allotment...that does NOT mean you are racially a Hopland Indian.
Uh- Ok-
Starting with the oral records of senior elders of the tribe, Alice Connor Elliott was an orphan from Yorkville and is listed on fewer documents than my family is listed on.
Using Iyesha Miller's "lead" I just now created an "Iyesha Miller court approved" document j. I can write shit down as bulletpoint powerpoint presentation
And call it proof.
We've only just been told unofficially that the tribal council did not release those records of our defense to the general council for inspection or during Iyesha's PowerPoint paint by numbers presentation in which she gave us no access.
Why would we think we would get access to PowerPoint OR evidence when we didn't even have access to water? They served breakfast and lunch to the general council but could not be bothered to give us access to water. But anyhoo.
181 voters but 199 votes? Mmhmm. Legit.
On audio recording, she allows voters to cast ballots without ever reviewing any evidence.
Tribal funds and vehicles used to bus their family in. Their white jesus only knows what else the tribe just spent money on for those votes.
In hindsight and food for thought for the next round of disenrollees of Hopland, don't trust Iyesha Miller's made up rules game. In one sentence alone, she twists shit up 3 fold like a riddle and no matter what, she will get what she wants because her bag of tricks are endless when she's got the purse strings of the tribe and armed flying monkeys- and sole access to all Hopland records and STILL couldn't provide proof!
Enrollment ordinance says clearly that the burden of proof is on the tribe. And according to Iyesha Miller aka Wanda, proof comes in a PowerPoint presentation that a 4 year old can create.
Cut another $7,500 check to Lester Marston for a job well done advising Iyesha Miller et al of this hard to find "proof".
On our disenrollment they used letters written by Raymond Basques,Gloria write and Vincent Ibenaz wile he was still in prison for child molestation. their letters were basically how there great grandmother tolled them we were not.. from there there was not documentation to back up there claim. We had documatation from past tribal elders like Antonio Ashmen.
ReplyDeleteI know this will probably not connect with the people who need to hear it, but I will say it anyway. Tribal members need to submit motions to their tribal councils to forbid disenrollments and make amendments to their enrollment ordinances or governing documents that limit the power of tribal leaders to enact disenrollments.
ReplyDeleteWe keep hearing these stories about people being disenrolled without evidence, by phony votes, or by leaders that don't conduct fair hearings. If you are a tribal member you should fear these actions. The disenrolling tribes are setting precedents for other tribes to follow. More people are going to be hurt unless tribal members prevent it before it happens. The way to do that is to become politically active and put provisions in tribal law that prevent disenrollments.
I know in Pechanga the tribal council voted against disenrollments and the tribal leaders disenrolled anyway. It could have been stopped if tribal law had been amended to prevent disenrollment. That means there has to be teeth in the law. So get those enrollment ordinances and governing documents amended with language that specifically forbids disenrollment without due process, that forbids mass disenrollment, that forbids tribal leaders from enacting disenrollments without the consensus of the general membership, that provides severe sanctions against any tribal leader that attempts to disenroll without due process, that provides for external adjudication if the tribal court is unable to provide due process, and that creates a fixed period after which an enrolled member cannot be disenrolled.
The idea is that if a member is enrolled for a fixed period, for example six years, then that member cannot be disenrolled for any reason whatsoever. It would operate like a statute of limitations on any disenrollment.
The end result of these changes to the enrollment procedures of a tribe would be to prevent the disenrollment of large groups, to require substantiating evidence that an enrolled member was enrolled due to an error or misstatement of facts, to provide for review of enrollment on a case by case basis, to provide for due process, to prevent the tribal leaders from disenrolling without a hearing or without a vote by the general membership, and to create a window where review of enrollment could occur if a dispute arose, but after which such review would be disallowed because the action was outside the window of limitations.
This seems to me the way to fix this problem in every tribe. Then tribes would have the option of verifying the enrollment of a disputed member, but would have rules that prevent disenrollment for reasons of eliminating political opposition or of decreasing the enrollment to limit revenue distribution.
Then personal vendettas, greed, and lust for power and control would be eliminated from enrollment decisions. All members would benefit from the assurance that their membership status could not be assaulted by corrupt leaders, and the beneficial governance of the tribe would not be disrupted by these horrific actions to terminate large groups of members.
I know this is off topic, but I wanted to say ♫ Happy ♪ Birthday ♪ to ♪ you ♫ Rick Cuevas's aka OP. Hope you and your family are well.
ReplyDeleteI second that birthday wish!
ReplyDeleteJust ask Mark Macarro if we are from the Tribe and he will say No!!!, Then ask Mark Why they can not settle the water rights with Congress, He will have to say “We Need The Hunters” to move forward. Lol What a Greedy Idiot.
ReplyDelete