Rival factions of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians tried to come together as recently as August in hopes of gaining federal recognition. But the effort failed when the leaders of two factions said the leader of the third failed to respond. Now, a fourth group has emerged -- and the Bureau of Indian Affairs says none of them qualify for recognition. "I guess we've got too many chiefs and no Indians," Joe Ocampo, the 82-year-old leader of one faction, told The Los Angeles Times. Ocampo said assistant secretary Carl Artman told him the tribe's "lack of cohesiveness" contributed to the denial of recognition. The BIA said the factions failed to meet four of seven mandatory criteria for federal status. Get the Story:
Squabbles hamper O.C. Indian tribe (The Los Angeles Times 12/3)
pwday Federal Register Notices:
Proposed Finding Against Acknowledgment of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen (Petitioner 84A) | Proposed Finding Against Acknowledgment of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians (Petitioner 84B) Only on Indianz.Com:
Federal Recognition Database V2.0 (May 2005) Indian Country Today Series:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Analysis Relevant Links:
Juaneno Band of Mission Indians, Site 1 - http://www.juaneno.com
Juaneno Band of Mission Indians, Site 2 - http://www.juanenoindians.com Related Stories:
BIA denies recognition to Juaneno Band (11/27)
BIA delays decision on Juaneno Band recognition (10/3)
Lobbyists spar over unrecognized tribe (9/19)
