The Tribal Disenrollment Scandal: Unforgivable Betrayal of Native Heritage and Identity

 

Photo by Native News Online

Disenrollment, the systematic and brutal removal of Native Americans from tribal citizenship, has gutted Indigenous identity and community for thousands of individuals. This outrage has affected more than 11,000 Native Americans nationwide, yet leaders and organizations continue to ignore the wreckage left in its wake. In California, this movement of betrayal has a particularly notorious figure at its helm: Mark Macarro of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and current President of the National Congress of American Indians.

While the face of Macarro may be familiar to Californians from his appearances promoting tribal gaming, there is another, darker side to this leader. He is not only the public face of tribal gaming’s promise of prosperity, but also the face behind a brutal, calculated campaign to strip his own people of their birthright. The truth behind disenrollment within the Pechanga Band is one of greed, deception, and an unquenchable thirst for power—making it one of the most scandalous cases of disenfranchisement in Native American history.

Macarro's  Legacy of Corruption and Power

Mark Macarro’s consolidation of power came at a heavy price—one paid by his own tribal members. Under his leadership, the Pechanga tribe forcibly removed 25% of its membership. Thousands of individuals with deep roots, historical claims, and ancestral ties were unceremoniously stripped of their tribal citizenship. This was no mere bureaucratic exercise. It was an intentional and calculated move to consolidate power, to hoard the financial rewards of the Pechanga Resort & Casino, and to eliminate any voices of dissent. While tribal sovereignty allows tribes to determine enrollment, the reality is that the will of the people was undermined. When tribal members voted to end disenrollments, the Macarro-led council ignored their decision, choosing instead to perpetuate a process that would concentrate benefits into fewer hands.

Macarro and his allies on the council have not only disregarded the people’s voice but have also refused to address corruption within the Pechanga Enrollment Committee, which operates in blatant disregard for fairness and transparency. This committee shuffled critical documents to block rightful members from enrollment, revealing a shocking level of corruption and quid-pro-quo dealings within the tribal government. Instead of acting to protect the integrity of his people’s identity, Macarro allowed—and arguably encouraged—this manipulation, all to keep power centralized and unchallenged.

Personal Profit Above Tribal Welfare

The financial motives behind Macarro’s actions are undeniable. In one of the most glaring examples, he hired his second wife’s lobbying firm without the tribe’s General Council approval, funneling over $1.25 million of tribal funds to her company. This clear conflict of interest not only lines his own family’s pockets but speaks volumes about his regard for proper governance and tribal welfare. While the disenrolled suffer the loss of their heritage and community, Macarro ensures his inner circle reaps financial benefits.

Moreover, his failure to address a case of over 1,000 Class II slot machines (early 2000s)  disappearing under his watch raises serious questions. This is not an isolated incident; Macarro’s leadership has repeatedly tolerated, if not outright endorsed, corruption, as no charges were sought against those responsible, including a former tribal chairwoman. To claim ignorance or indifference is an insult to those who have lost everything under his rule.

DISENROLLMENT is Deception and Cultural Betrayal

One of the most offensive betrayals of all came when Macarro testified to Congress that the Pechanga tribe would preserve sacred cultural land, the Great Oak property. However, these promises were hollow; instead, a golf course was erected on that very land. Macarro’s disregard for the cultural heritage of his people extended not just to their membership rights but to their sacred spaces, a shocking contradiction that cannot be overlooked.

Adding to this legacy of deception, Macarro has twice attempted to appropriate water rights from Pechanga allotment holders, again misrepresenting facts to serve his agenda. These attempts to undermine the property rights of Native allotees—who have lived on and maintained these lands for generations—illustrate his willingness to distort reality to achieve his aims.  He was ultimately successful, due to his lobbyist wife writing the bill, but with modifications due to our meetings with the House Natural Resources Committee. 

The Apartheid Reservation

The creation of what can only be described as an apartheid-style reservation within Pechanga is perhaps the most heartbreaking of Macarro’s actions. Disenrolled children were forcibly removed from the tribal school, and Pechanga now resembles a divided society, with former members pushed to the margins, stripped of their cultural and political rights. The reservation has become a microcosm of exclusion and division, one that echoes some of the darkest chapters in history.

The fact that agencies like the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), and Native American Rights Fund (NARF) have turned a blind eye to this tragedy is equally appalling. By ignoring these egregious human rights abuses, they perpetuate the very betrayal of Native American communities they claim to protect. How long will they continue to support leaders like Macarro, who violate the very fabric of Indigenous identity?

Mark Macarro and those who support disenrollment are guilty of a betrayal that cuts to the core of what it means to be Native American. This isn’t merely about casino profits or political influence; it is about severing thousands of Native Americans from their heritage, their identity, and their community. The Pechanga Band may be the most prominent face of disenrollment, but its horrors reverberate across tribal lands throughout the nation.

Disenrollment is nothing less than a modern-day form of cultural genocide, erasing the identities of Native Americans with callousness and greed. It is long past time for those in positions of power to condemn disenrollment for what it is: an unforgivable betrayal.