"Tribes naturally guard their sovereignty jealously and resist any effort to slice away at it, yet the idea that they are completely sovereign is disproved at many turns
In deciding not to hear a case involving the Pechanga Indians last week, the U.S. Supreme Court missed a prime opportunity to help clarify the muddle that surrounds the complex issue of Indian sovereignty, to establish a policy roadmap that could have helped guide state, federal and even local governments deep into this century.
The question before the court was simple enough: Do California courts have jurisdiction over tribal enrollments? An extended family recently ousted from the tribe had sued to stop the process. A state trial court said yes, an appeals court said no and the state Supreme Court basically shrugged and said "Don't ask us.""
Get the Story:
A missed opportunity
(The Californian 5/28)
Case Documents:
Salinas
v. LaMere (Native American Rights Fund)
California Appeals Court Decision:
Lamere
v. Superior Court (August 8, 2005)
Relevant Links:
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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win (5/24)
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Ousted Pechangas take case
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BIA asked to rule on rancheria membership dispute
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Disenrolled Indians to hold rally
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Court won't take on
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Pechanga Band says money not behind enrollment
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Disenrollment suit dismissed in
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Opinion: Gaming has turned
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California AIM
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Editorial: Disenrollment becoming too common
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Ousted Pechangas file another
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California
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Woman ejected from Pechanga Band in
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County investigates
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State
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Pechanga Band votes to retain Macarro as chairman
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Pechanga chairman faces
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Judge
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2,000 California Indians face disenrollment
(04/14)
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against enrollment policy (04/06)
Opinion: Greed, spite, history behind
disenrollment (4/5)
Opinion: Calif.
tribes disenrolling more people (4/1)
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people (03/22)
Calif. judge waits on
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Calif. judge delays Pechanga Tribe's
disenrollment (02/05)
Judge won't
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Adopted man protests
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Pechanga disenrollment campaign to
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Pechanga
chairman surprised by his 'racist' statement (2/24)
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