Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Curry: Human and civil rights abuses not acceptable
Rebecca Curry of Lake County News has an excellent Op-Ed piece on Civil Rights and the many California Tribes abuses of the Indian Civil Rights Act.In the summer of 2007, The Lake County Democratic Club and the Lake County Democratic Central Committee voted unanimously to endorse the California Native American Justice and Equal Economic Opportunity Legislative Initiative.The resolution to support this Legislative Initiative was introduced to Lake County Democrats by Mr. Robert Edwards, a disenrolled member of the Enterprise Rancheria No. 1, of Maidu Indians. Mr. Edwards was Vice Chair of the Tribal Council. He and 70 other members of Enterprise Rancheria No. 1 were disenrolled in the winter of 2003.We had hoped that our support, that a public endorsement and by notifying our legislators of the importance of this issue, that we would signal our belief that this action should result in enforcement of the legislation that allows American Indians the same civil rights, as well as the right to due process enjoyed by all Americans.That legislation is the Native American Civil Rights Act that was enacted by Congress in 1968.We support reform of the Indian Civil Rights Act in such a way that this would be possible. Our hope was to provide some of the 3000+ Indians in California who are being victimized by corrupt tribal governments the right to due process at the state and federal level.The state of California must move to enact legislation that will insert the enforcement of the Indian Civil Rights Act into the gaming compacts.The situation has now come to crisis in Lake County.I am concerned about the possible violation of Indian civil rights happening at Robinson Rancheria.When citizens voted for Indian gaming in California, they voted with the understanding that gaming revenues would improve the conditions of tribal people in the areas of jobs, health, education and general welfare on the Rancherias.IN what appears to be a “form of genocide” that is being committed by the tribal government at Robinson Rancheria, tribal people have lost jobs and health benefits, loss of elders assistance including a senior meal program, loss of education benefits, and the loss of tribal cultural identity as a member of one’s tribe.I have asked our state and federal legislators open an investigation on the growth of human and civil rights violations in Indian country, so that these civil rights issues can be addressed.I am urging citizens in Lake County to contact our state and federal legislators to follow suit.Read the rest at the link above. Thank you Rebecca for speaking out.
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Pechanga
The Drip "Source of Life"
2 comments:
Tribes determine their own membership in their own forum. The false accusations by the non-members against tribes and their leaderhip along with the attacks on the disenrollment process mislead others. The disenrolles lost their membership simply because they did not have the facts on their side. The disenrollments resolved longstanding questions about the membershsip qualifications of the disenrollees. Please note, Dear Reader, that the disenrollees always talk about money and seldom the plain facts leading to their ouster. The disenrollees try to cloak their plight and the cause of it by bringing up violations of human rights and civil rights. No violations happened. Instead, a tedious, thoughtful, serious internal process took place, resulting in the removal of individuals subject to disenrollment. This outcome corrected errors in the membership roll. For their own peace of mind, the non-members must endeavor to put the past behind, and go on with their lives as Americans.
Rebecca Curry is definitly on the ball. It is necessary to enact legislations that will enforce laws to protect the Civil Rights of all Citizens be it Native American or American. I dont agree with having the Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA)placed in the Tribal Compacts for a way to be inforced. What we need is new legislation or amendments to the ICRA for Federal Courts to hear our Civil Liberty Violations of banishment and disenrollment, instead of being stopped at tribal level. Our Civil Libertys which or granted by the ICRA, The United Stated Constitution, The Bill of Rights are being grossly violated. As stated by Jame's comment, "when it not enforced", what good is it? So where do we go. Now referring to Rapheal's question. "Do you think the United States goverment who attempted to TERMINATE many tribes will come to the rescue? I think not!! I personally im real proud to be related to a very courages women my aunt Tillie Hardwick who fought the goverment and had 17 tribes from California reinstated with the Tillie Hardwict Act. Im sure she would be rather sad and turning in her grave to see what these people are doing to their own people. If more people were like her, she not only fought for her tribe she fought for many tribes, this problem wouldnt exist. Money and Greed does change people and this definitly is an example. We all must stay alert to the out come of the Snoqualmi Tribe from Washington State federal case because this will set a president for all banishment and disenrollment cases. Perhaps the only action that may be affective would be to involve the United Nations Geneva Convention to shame the United States into recognizing our Civil Liberties and Rights. And enforced them, for the countries First American. Hooooo
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