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Tribes have the power to determine their own membership. But with great power comes a great controversy in the form of disenrollment. A new group is speaking out against the practice of eliminating members. They say it is literally tearing tribes apart. One California tribe, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, amended their own constitution to outlaw the practice. Tribes that are disenrolling members say it is a matter of correcting tribal records. How is it that some tribes reject the idea while others see it as the path to their future?
Guests:
Russell Wilkinson (Chinook Cascade) -general contractor for the Portland Metro area provisionally disenrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Greg Sarris (Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria) – Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria
Phillip Narte (Nooksack) – one the 306 Nooksack members slated for disenrollment
Break Music: The Road (feat. Black Bear) (song) A Tribe Called Red (artist) Nation II Nation (album)
Lookin’ forward to this show….what guests are scheduled? I would suggest Professor David Wilkins and attorney Gabe Galanda….also pursuing discussion from representatives of those disenrolled in various tribes–Picayune (Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians), Redding Rancheria, Pechanga, Nooksack, and Hopland (most recently disenrolling). Very much needed, as tribal disenrollment is the most destructive force in Indian Country today, and must be addressed and remedied!
It’s all a political issue as in the Hopland tribe, a Council Member made a statement after the general council voted to uphold the Tribal Council’s decision to disenroll, stating, “yeah We know the 74+ are from Hopland, but we just don’t like them so we got rid of them.” How unjust is this taking action against a group of tribal members whose family was born and raised on the reservation! So unjust!
Strongly agree, I am one of the 306 members that the Nooksack tribe is trying to Disenroll. We are hosting a Rally here in Seattle with Idle No More .
Oh by the Way my brother Phillip Narte will be one of the guests on the show.
Over 10,000 Native Americans have been harmed through disenrollment, banishment and moratoriums. At Original Pechanga Blog, we’ve detailed many of the stories.
It about power, it’s about greed.
The control of votes, keep corrupt tribal officials in power.
The theft of per capita is over $1,000,000,000 that’s a BILLION….with a B…
It’s SO easy to say, ‘well …..sovereignty”. South Africa was a SOVEREIGN nation too…
Agree
It is a horrible thing to be disenrolled. Something happens to the tribal leaders once they taste money and power and the more money they have the more they attract vermin. Eventually they become that vermin and tear apart and destroy the lives of the people they were first elected to protect and help. Then the more they get away with the more they need to stay in power and then the meaner they get. Getting outsiders to understand is so hard, because, yes they love the Idea of Native Americans,, but they have no clue about enrollment or disenrollment and tribal rights. Then of course the governmental entities that are in charge of handling Native American Affairs think that only the leaders are in the right because after all the tribe voted them in. These areas are the ones we need to work on, getting outsiders to understand the pain. Native Americans are very tough people and do not cry or whine about life, so when they are interviewed they do not show their pain and so there is no sympathy. There are some video clips out there that do show the cruelty of some leaders, we need to get these ones out more. One is in Florida, and their Chairman literally destroys these tribal members’ homes on front of them, it is so sad. Maybe disenrollees could start sending in their personal stories or video clips to somewhere like Originalpechanga.com, One of our cousin’s husband left her the second the notice came and she ended her life leaving her 5 children behind, (she knew no other way of life), One of our cousins was just murdered, he was a homeless Indian on his Reservation, staying at someones house where his life was taken. Most of my family have lost their homes. My father was married to my mother for over 59 years until her passing and now he does not want to be buried with her because of the lack of God on the Reservation and the fact that it is pretty impossible for us to visit our own mother’s and sister’s graves now, Even though we are still living, our lives, our outlook , our ideals, our faith in our leaders, our trust in our governmental relations, and our love for our fellow tribesmen have completely changed. Our hearts are heavy, our depression is real, but we will fight what is not right. How many elders have passed away early because of lack of health care? How many people have become homeless, despaired, broke, depressed, or just plain hopeless? So many sad stories, and maybe if we can get enough people to understand this genocide it will force the hand of Government to step up and enact the laws they have, like protecting Individual Indians from rogue leaders.
Berry Creek Rancheria owners of gold country casino in oroville ca , disenrolled 2 large families of which I am one of the last family members disenrolled. The tribe hired a genealogist to prove we didn’t belong, he report findings were “this family belongs and any further research will only prove more so”. That tribe still disenrolled my family. Greed and corruption.
The Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria disenrolled 33% percent of their tribe in 1995 after the casino opened. According to court documents members were paid $10.00 each by the non-Indian general manager of the casino to vote for the disenrollment after my husband found money missing from the casino. They used the ruse of being part of their Yurok father’s inherited rights to participate in the Hoopa Yurok Settlement Act (a Congressional Act) which started in 1948. My husband had been a member of the Cahto Tribe since his birth in 1942. He had been on every Indian census the US Government did just as his ancestors before him. He and his brother had been Chairpersons, just like his Grandfather and Great Grandfathers have been. We fought the disenrollment from the tribal council level all the way thru the 9th Circuit. Even the BIA supported my family against the atrocity.
I feel that our ansestors had us all together for a reason ..we are all Indians. Can’t we just stay like it used to be ..very sad to destroy our families over disenrollment ..go back to how it used to be …there is plenty of money