"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?"

Get the Story:
Rick Cuevas: Disenrollments are nothing short of tribal terrorism (The Sierra Star 2/17)

Related Stories:
BIA won't get involved in Chukchansi disenrollment dispute (2/10)
Opinion: BIA intervention required for Chukchansi dispute (02/02)
Opinion: Tribe heads in wrong direction with disenrollment (12/15)
Turtle Talk: Intolerance can lead to a weak tribal sovereign (12/14)
Chukchansi Tribe takes one of last fluent speakers off rolls (12/13)
Picayune Rancheria removes dozens of people from the rolls (11/21)
Rande Payne: Disenrollment threatens tribal sovereignty (10/28)
Some tribes turn to DNA tests to help determine membership (10/13)
Picayune Rancheria to vote on DNA tests for new members (6/17)