An appellate court in California held a hearing on Wednesday in the disenrollment of 135 people from the Pechanga Band of Luise�o Indians.

The 4th District State Court of Appeal is debating whether to allow the state courts to hear the lawsuit. Judges asked if they would be intruding on tribal sovereignty, The Riverside Press-Enterprise reported.

The suit was filed by 135 former members of the tribe who were kicked out because the tribe's enrollment committee said their ancestor was not a legitimate Pechanga. They want the state courts to force the committee to apply tribal law.

The tribe counters that it can't be sued as a sovereign. Enrollment is an internal matter, the tribe's lawyers argued.

Get the Story:
Tribal ouster case gets hearing (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 7/7)
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Relevant Links:
Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians - http://www.pechanga.com
Pechanga Tribal Disenrollment - http://www.pechanga.info
Bureau-of-Indian-Affairs.com, Disenrollment site - http://www.bureau-of-indian-affairs.com

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