My cousin, Kent Appel, who contributes greatly to the comment section here, as 'AAMOKAT' is also a songwriter and poet. His song on Disenrollment NAILS IT
A PAPER GENOCIDE (LAMENT OF THE DISENROLLED INDIAN)
BY KENT APPEL (‘AAMOKAT)
WE WERE ONE INDIAN NATION
WHEN THEY PUT US ON OUR RESERVATION
WE WERE AT ONE WITH THE LAND
BUILT OUR HOMES WHEN THERE WAS ONLY SAND
WE WERE ONE LAND WE WERE ONE TRIBE
NO CASINO JUST NATIVE PRIDE
BUT SOME OF THE FRIENDS WE HAD FOR YEARS
CAUSED A PAPER TRAIL OF TEARS
CASINO PEOPLE
SHAMEFUL TRIBE
BETRAYED YOUR OWN
A PAPER GENOCIDE
JUST A FEW YEARS AGO
WE WERE ALL UNITED IN A COMMON GOAL
TO PAVE A WAY TO A BETTER LIFE
BUT OUR SUCCESS IT BROUGHT STRIFE
CASINO PEOPLE
SHAMEFUL TRIBE
DESTROYED YOUR OWN
A PAPER GENOCIDE
I KNOW THAT SOMEDAY WHEN THEY’VE LEARNED
THEN THE PEOPLE WILL RETURN
WE WILL RETURN
WE WILL RETURN
WE WILL RETURN
WE WERE ONE INDIAN NATION
WHEN THEY PUT US ON OUR RESERVATION
WE WERE AT ONE WITH THE LAND
BUILT OUR HOMES WHEN THERE WAS ONLY SAND
WE WERE ONE LAND WE WERE ONE TRIBE
NO CASINO JUST NATIVE PRIDE
BUT SOME OF THE FRIENDS WE HAD FOR YEARS
CAUSED A PAPER TRAIL OF TEARS
CASINO PEOPLE
SHAMEFUL TRIBE
BETRAYED YOUR OWN
A PAPER GENOCIDE
JUST A FEW YEARS AGO
WE WERE ALL UNITED IN A COMMON GOAL
TO PAVE A WAY TO A BETTER LIFE
BUT OUR SUCCESS IT BROUGHT STRIFE
CASINO PEOPLE
SHAMEFUL TRIBE
DESTROYED YOUR OWN
A PAPER GENOCIDE
I KNOW THAT SOMEDAY WHEN THEY’VE LEARNED
THEN THE PEOPLE WILL RETURN
WE WILL RETURN
WE WILL RETURN
WE WILL RETURN
With the Robinson Rancheria restoring their disenrolled last month and Enterprise last year, and Grand Ronde disenrolled triumphant in court...there is HOPE that tribal nations who disenroll, will do the right thing.
But even our friends in the tribe who are on our side don't like it when we call the tribe a shameful tribe and refer to the tribe as casino people.
ReplyDeleteThey act like it is over but it is never over until all get their rightful place in our tribe again and when the moratorium is also lifted and their own blood is let in, in their rightful place.
Regarding my family, the Hunters, we need tribal members with the guts to insist that the duly passed law by the people in 2005 outlawing disnerollment be abided by that made in illegal to disenroll us in 2006.
So why was it illegal? Well, just two days before we got our Record of Decision kicking us out of the Pechanga tribe we got a letter from the tribal council that said we were not included in the new law outlawing disernollment.
ReplyDeleteOne of the arguments was that the enrollment committee, not the people, was the final authority in enrollment matters according to, the tribal council claimed, tribal legal precedent.
But go back 20 years previous in 1986 when the heirs of Rose Murphy, including sitting Pechanga councilman Russell "Butch" Murphy," who had been turned down for tribal membership were voted into the tribe. So the very fact that Mr. Murphy is a member of the tribe is proof that the people are in fact the final authority on enrollment matters.
So if the people could and did vote to take the in the heirs of Rose Murphy in 1986 after the enrollment committee had denied them membership, then the people could and did vote to stop us, the Hunter family, from being disenrolled in 2006. So the decision of the enrollment committee to disenroll us is null and void.
The people by custom and tradition are the final authority and this is backed up by the Pechanga Band's constitution and bylaws that states that the people are the final authority in all matters unless the constitution and bylaws states otherwise. The constitution and bylaws says nothing about the enrollment committee being the final authority on enrollment matters.
Sharing the TRUTH
ReplyDeleteAccording to Pechanga current council, the Band votes on all issues, and their voices are honored as long as the council agrees. Right "Butch"?
ReplyDeleteThe people's voices are honored as long as the council agrees? Who cares if the council agrees or not?! They are not the final authority while the people are the final authority!
ReplyDeleteBy custom and tradition the people are the final authority and this is backed up by the band's constitution and bylaws!
To bad the current council ignores the bands voice except if they get what they want. Its ok if the band votes to enroll a new member who does not meet the enrollment bylaws , but the band can be over ridden buy the enrollment committee if they want to ignore the band?
ReplyDeleteThe people in the Tribe will not do anything because of the fear of loosing there money flow, There is no tradition just greed, Right Mark and John?
ReplyDeleteWhen all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted, when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover you cannot eat money.
Cree Prophecy
Why do you think I call them "Casino People" in my song? I remember talking to Hunter family elder Lawrence Madariaga right after we, the Hunters, were disenrolled and that is what he called them. He said money changed people and that is where the line, "some of the friends we had for years caused a paper trail of tears." My mother said this after we were disenrolled regarding some of those who suddenly were against us, "I thought they were my friends." And I have to agree, some of the biggest back stabbers were those with smiling faces.
ReplyDeleteI remember when the first extended family, the descendants of Manuela Miranda, were disenrolled and they were having a garage sale to raise money for their legal defense and I went there and a car with some tribal members drove by to check on who was helping the M. Mirandas. I didn't know their names but I just waved at them and said, "I guys." They probably took my photo but I didn't care then and I don't care now as regardless if I bought something at the garage sale or not, my family were targets for disenrollment already anyway. We. the Hunters and M. Mirandas, were part of a voting block that the regime was concerned about who were starting to wield some power by effecting elections.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that the Feds including the FBI allow these crimes to happen by the corrupt councils.
ReplyDeleteThese Councils are killing our people and are not being held to answer for there crimes.
But if we turn the tables on the Councils and do the same to them we will get arrested and lock up in Prison.
This issue of being sovereign does not apply to just a single person it is supposed to as a Tribe or a Band.
So these Corrupt Councils steal the power from the General Membership
and use it to beat the powerless members that once had the power.
And they kill our Elders and abuse our Children and no one will stop them not even the Enrolled Members that know it wrong.
What does the Federal Government except us to do.
Many Native American people that have been harmed are at the end of their rope and will take whatever action that is needed to survive
this ordeal.
Is this what the FEDS are waiting for?, so then they can look like the good guys and arrest a person for defending his/her rights that have been violated by taking out the source of the problem.
Whatever happened to our Civil Rights or is that only something that a person has if he/she is enrolled in a Tribe/Band.
Who can we count on to help in a issue like this, NO ONE.
So we sit a struggle our way through life not knowing what future holds one way or another until someone snaps and takes things into his/her own hands and does the unthinkable to the ones that have hurt us or our loved ones because no one else would help.
Then and only then will you see the Feds including the FBI be on your ass before the barrel of the gun even cools off and arresting you for protecting your rights not only as a Native American but as a US CITIZEN as well.
This is looking like the only way that is going to get the attention of the Federal Government and have them put a stop to the corruption that is like a Cancer among the Native American people caused by there so called Leaders.
INVESTIGATE AND FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL AND HELP SAVE OUR RESERVATIONS AND OUR COUNTRY, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.