USA Today is running a front-page story on the removal of thousands of people from tribal rolls.
The story mainly looks at California tribes that have disenrolled about 2,000 people. The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians are among the tribes whose disenrollments are tied to gaming disputes.
The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma will vote on an initiative to deny citizenship to thousands of African descendants. The Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island has been taking people off the rolls for the past decade.
Daniel Littlefield, the director of the Sequoyah Research Center at the University of Arkansas, says money is behind the trend. But Kevin Gover, the former head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, believes feuding families lead to disenrollments.
Get the Story:Native American? The tribe says no (USA TODAY 11/29) Relevant Links:
Tribal Corruption - http://www.tribalcorruption.com
Bureau-of-Indian-Affairs.com, Disenrollment site - http://www.bureau-of-indian-affairs.com Related Stories:
Chukchansi Tribe latest to disenroll members (11/27)
Disenrolled Indians tie ouster to tribal greed (11/24)
California Indians cite growing disenrollments (11/08)
Former members protest Enterprise Rancheria (10/05)
Expert disputes Pechanga Band on disenrollment (09/25)
Opinion: Pechanga Band purges family of heritage (09/05)
Column: Tribal nations evict their own people (8/25)
Column: Pechanga family and Pluto demoted (8/25)
Column: Pechanga Band decimating Indians (8/22)
Pechanga Band removes another family from roll (8/21)
Disenrolled Indians seek accountability (08/07)
Disenrollment an issue in Pechanga Band election (07/13)
Greed, politics behind tribal enrollment spats (07/06)
Ex-Table Mountain members protest at powwow (06/12)
Editorial: Supreme Court passes on sovereignty (05/29)
Pechanga Band calls refusal of membership case a win (5/24)
Tribal membership case rejected by U.S. Supreme Court (5/23)
California Indians protest removal from tribes (05/01)
Campbell amendment put to test in court case (4/21)
Another Pechanga family faces removal from tribe (03/21)
Ousted Pechangas take case to U.S. Supreme Court (3/17)
Identity Theft: California Indians lose tribal rights (01/26)
BIA asked to rule on rancheria membership dispute (1/20)
Disenrolled Indians to hold rally in Palm Springs (1/10)
Disenrolled Pechangas to take case to Supreme Court (12/15)
Per capita payments under tribal, federal scrutiny (09/26)
Court won't take on tribal enrollment dispute (9/14)
Pechanga Band says money not behind enrollment (08/10)
Disenrollment suit dismissed in California (8/9)
Ousted Pechangas plan appeal of enrollment lawsuit (8/9)
Disenrolled Pechangas seek $38M in damages (08/04)
Pechanga Band enrollment dispute closely watched (07/11)
Court hears Pechanga Band enrollment dispute (7/7)
McKosato: Greed behind ouster of tribal members (05/23)
Opinion: Gaming has turned tribes on other tribes (5/20)
Ousted Redding Rancheria members head to forum (5/19)
Forum calls attention to tribal disenrollments (5/18)
Family fights disenrollment from Sauk-Suiattle Tribe (5/18)
California AIM blames greed for mass disenrollments (5/16)
Editorial: Disenrollment becoming too common (04/01)
Ousted Pechangas file another lawsuit against tribe (03/28)
California tribe changes status of some members (3/28)
Pechanga Band avoids dedication of city park (03/09)
Woman ejected from Pechanga Band in despair (01/27)
County investigates shooting on Pechanga land (01/14)
State judge won't dismiss lawsuit over tribal enrollment (07/27)
Pechanga Band votes to retain Macarro as chairman (07/19)
Battle for top Pechanga post heats up before vote (7/16)
Disenrolled tribal members call for more oversight (07/15)
Ousted tribal members appeal to Pechanga council (07/02)
Pechanga chairman faces election challenge (07/02)
Judge weighs ruling in Pechanga disenrollment (04/20)
2,000 California Indians face disenrollment (04/14)
Pechanga descendants protest against enrollment policy (04/06)
Opinion: Greed, spite, history behind disenrollment (4/5)
Opinion: Calif. tribes disenrolling more people (4/1)
Pechanga tribal committee disenrolls 130 people (03/22)
Calif. judge waits on Pechanga enrollment dispute (02/18)
Calif. judge delays Pechanga Tribe's disenrollment (02/05)
Judge won't protect 130 from disenrollment (2/3)
Case tests Pechanga Tribe's right to disenroll 130 (02/02)
Adopted man protests exclusion Pechanga Tribe (01/15)
Pechanga tribe threatens to cut off newspaper (03/14)
Pechanga disenrollment campaign to continue (02/25)
Pechanga chairman surprised by his 'racist' statement (2/24)