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Disenrollments are nothing short of tribal terrorism

Rick Cuevas / Guest Commentary

(Updated: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 2:45 PM)

The Sierra Star has done an excellent job in bringing the shameful acts of dissenrollments of members of the Chukchansi Indians to the public. Congratulations to reporter Carmen George for her McClatchy President's Award for her story on Chukchansi tribal member dissenrollments.

Tribal membership is about heritage. It's the corrupt tribal council of Chukchansi, along with those from the Pechanga tribe of Temecula, and Redding that are tossing aside the history of their tribes with a dismissive attitude that should be alarming to the people of California. Pechanga ran ads for expanding gaming, claiming 10,000 years of history; yet quickly shed two families with more historical ties to the land, proven by the tribe's own expert, than one of their sitting council members who has no Pechanga blood.

Tribal governments are using sovereignty as a weapon to beat the weak and helpless, and terrorize them into submission. Our federal and state governments are happy to stay out of the issue by saying that membership is a tribal matter. Fair enough, but what about the government's trust responsibility to Indians to see that tribal constitutions are followed?

Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force. That simply is not what is happening on tribal reservations.

On reservations across our state tribes are using fear tactics and yes, terrorism, to keep members in line for fear of losing their land, homes, per capita shares and health benefits. More critical is that they also lose their rights to choose a representative government and to vote on issues that pertain to them. Imagine if the Republicans were able to eliminate 25% of the Democratic vote?

Currently at Pechanga, the tribal council is threatening allottees with fines, banishment and restricted access to their property. One family is taking it upon themselves to try to force another family who was given an allotment with the creation of the reservation, off their land. They're using their family members on the council to issue the threatening letter that is published on Original Pechanga's Blog.

This is not what we voted for when we approved gaming to tribes in our state. This was not what was meant by self-reliance. I urge the readers to stand up for civil and human rights. Bill Cosby stood up and refused to perform at Chukchansi because of these issues. By telling tribes you won't go to their casinos, you can nudge them into acting justly.

Don't let tribes get away with terrorizing their own people into silence. I would advise people to consider not supporting casinos owned by tribes that abuse their people.

-- Rick Cuevas is a terminated member of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians and writes for Original Pechanga -- originalpechanga.com The site shines light on civil and human rights abuses to American Indians by casino tribes. Original Pechanga's Blog is visited regularly the Bureau of Indian Affairs, House of Representatives, Senate and tribal officials.