"CPP" AKA "Splinter Group"

The Splinter Group

This group is an offshoot of the 1980’s Splinter Group, led by Russell Murphy and assisted by Frances Miranda and Ihrene Scearse (later on the enrollment committee and committed to removing tribal members). Non-enrolled members of Pechanga, they started attending meetings and disrupted the regular goings on of the business. They announced that they were separating from the band and forming their own Tribe. They petitioned the BIA to recognize them, but the BIA refused.With few exceptions, no member of the splinter group applied for membership because they knew they could not meet the constitutional requirements established by the Pechanga Band.The actions of the splinter group raise legitimate questions: Are they really Pechanga? Are they able to document their lineal descent from an Original Pechanga Temecula Person as the Pechanga Bands Constitution and Bylaws require? Did they figure that disruption of tribal matters was the way to go?

At Pechanga, those involved in the disenrollment of tribal members include:Ihrene Scearce, Frances Miranda, Ruth Masiel, Bobbi LeMere, Jennie Miranda, Andy Masiel, Russell "Butch" Murphy, Raymond Basquez, Vincent Ibanez, Gary DuBois, Yolie McCarter and Mark Macarro. They are responsible for the dead of those who have been disenrolled from Pechanga.

Chronology of Events


1. In December 2001, Yolanda McCarter (niece of Irene Scearce and Ruth Masiel)
OP: and she is the one on the Pechanga infomercial saying she could die happy if she didn't have the casino money.) submitted a letter to Enrollment Committee demanding the Committee research several families including ours. The request stated that "this (be) straightened up before the next election in July." (So that there would be less votes, a clear sign that they wanted to disenfranchise "several families")

2. In June 2002, Enrollment Committee Chairperson Mary Magee is removed from the Committee for divulging confidential information. (She was caught talking about other families. Her sister is Gloria Wright, who is CPP) A petition is justified to amend the Disenrollment Procedures. A vote to approve or deny the petition is set for July 2002. (Petition is not brought forth until February 2003.) The newly built Pechanga Resort and Casino is opened. This is a permanent structure which replaced the original Casino structures which were in modular and sprung structure. In October 2002, 2 new members are elected to Enrollment Committee to bring membership up to required 10 members. (A member retired from Committee in September 2002). Olivia Walls is elected Committee Chair, and we request an audit of Enrollment Committee activities for the previous years and advice from our legal counsel at California Indian Legal Services on how to address wrong-doings by Committee and Committee members. Our legal counsel is told by John Macarro not to take any action to assist the Committee or answer our questions regarding the wrong-doings. (Wrong doings include enrollment of adult family members of 'certain' enrollment committee members.)

3. November 12, 2002, members of the Enrollment Committee, acting without a quorum and outside the Committee's procedures, serve several other Committee members with disenrollment summonses. The Committee members who took the action were- Irene Scearce, Ruth Masiel, Frances Miranda, Margaret Duncan, and Bobbi Lamere. Those served include John Gomez, Theresa Spears, Olivia Walls, and Sandra Garbani. (Lamere later gets her family members enrolled in the tribe, during the "moratorium"

4. On December 10, 2002, Concerned Pechanga People (These were part of the splinter group, many who were not on the original 1979 membership roll, as the Hunters were) submit documents to the Enrollment Committee questioning the lineal descent of several families including the Manuela Miranda descendents, Paulina Hunter descendents, and Garbani descendents. This action was taken a month after the above action. The Concerned Pechanga people are immediate family and friends of Committee members who initiated the November 12, 2002 action. (See list of Pechanga Enrollment Committee members, Splinter Group and Concerned Pechanga people).

Amend or repeal public law 280?

While some tribes are calling for an amendment or repeal of P.L. 280, what are the protections for members who have had their rights violated by corrupt factions of a tribal government? What are the protections for Indians who have allotted land on Reserves from retaliation from corrupt tribal governments?

P.L. 280 is a maze of complexity that pits state jurisdiction against tribal sovereignty, criminal laws against regulatory issues, and has caused discontent, confusion, and, in some cases, tragedy in Indian country and among some state and local law enforcement and criminal justice officials. When P.L. 280 was passed in 1953, it was an expression of the federal government’s intention to terminate its relationship with Indian tribes and force their members into mainstream society by subjecting them to state law. The law gave criminal justice jurisdiction to six states – without tribal consent. The empowered states got to enforce their statewide criminal laws against Indians and non-Indians who committed offences in Indian country on reservations. Between 1953 and 1968 when the Indian Civil Rights Act passed, states could opt in to P.L. 280 without tribes’ consent. After 1968, states needed a positive vote from tribes in order to adopt P.L. 280. But to this day, states can opt out – or retrocede – from P.L. 280, handing criminal jurisdiction on tribal lands back to the federal government, while tribes have no such option.Over the years, P.L. 280 has generated huge conflicts on borderline issues between criminal laws and regulatory laws conflicts, Goldberg said. For example, are speeding laws driving regulations or criminal prohibitions against driving too fast? The answer would determine whether a tribe or state has jurisdiction over such a traffic violation.

Carol what happens to corrupt tribal governments when they trample on their members Civil Rights, who is leaning on tribes to follow their constitutions and bylaws?

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our family and relations.



Paper Genocide (Lament of the Disenrolled Indian)
I'd like to present a song, written by my cousin, that expresses the sad situation of paper genocide practiced by Pechanga and other tribes in California.

A PAPER GENOCIDE (LAMENT OF THE DISENROLLED INDIAN) WORDS BY 'AMMOKAT: To the tune of Indian Reservation, originally by Paul Revere and the Raiders

WE WERE ONE INDIAN NATION
WHEN THEY PUT US ON OUR RESERVATION
WE WERE AT ONE WITH THE LAND
MADE OUR HOMES WHEN THERE WAS ONLY SAND

WE WERE ONE LAND WE WERE ONE TRIBE
NO CASINO JUST NATIVE PRIDE
BUT SOME OF OUR FRIENDS WE HAD FOR YEARS
CAUSED A PAPER TRAIL OF TEARS

CASINO PEOPLE
SHAMEFUL TRIBE
BETRAYED YOUR OWN
A PAPER GENOCIDE

JUST A FEW YEARS AGO
WE WERE ALL UNITED IN A COMMON GOAL
TO PAVE A WAY TO A BETTER LIFE
BUT OUR SUCCESS IT BROUGHT STRIFE

CASINO PEOPLE
SHAMEFUL TRIBE
DESTROYED YOUR OWN
A PAPER GENOCIDE

MAYBE SOMEDAY WHEN THEY'VE LEARNED
THEN THEIR PEOPLE WILL RETURN
WILL RETURN
WILL RETURN
WILL RETURN
WILL RETURN

Original Pechanga

Our family has a great thread on OP BLOG!

Original Pechanga's Blog: Can Tribes Absolve The Federal Govt. of its Legal Agreements with Tribal Members by Disenrolling Them?

Munoa clan steps in on enrollment committee!!

December 13th. Temecula Band of Mission Indians holds General Meeting. Munoa clan adds family member to enrollment committee "by two votes?"

Be careful Becky, do not ask to many questions, your family has been targeted by the CPP for disenrollment. The evil CPP has masterminded the coup of Pechanga government, and will not be content until their plan is completed.

We wish you luck, and hope your heart leads you in the right direction.

Journey at Pechanga

Journey at Pechanga the new flag ship for a destination resort? The eighteen hole golf course sits atop historically cultural sensitive land of the Temecula Indians. Each hole attempts to tell the story of the Temecula Luiseno people and their journey in the Temecula valley. One point they fail to touch upon is their most recent story. The elimination of 25% of the tribe. Not at the hands of outsiders, but a corrupt faction of the tribe, "the concerned Pechanga people." This faction has many ties to a group who attempted to gain control of the tribe in the late 70's and early 80's.



The Temecula reservation was set aside in the late 1882 and was desolate, no running water, and very little wood. Families were strapped and had to move to other reserves or urban areas just to survive. One thing is for sure, tribal identity was never misplaced. Through the probate process on allotted land, tribal elders would be interviewed to maintain correct records of tribal lands. This recorded oral tradition was adopted by the Temecula band for recognition of lineal descendants of original Temecula Pechanga People. However some people could not prove lineal descent through probate records or recorded depositions of elders so they decided to pick and choose what criteria would allow a person enrollment status. This criteria would change from person to person and has never been consistent as some people would leave you to believe.

Journey to Pechanga is awaiting it's review in hopes it will receive its spot in the top 100.
I say until the course reflects the true acts of a corrupt group, it should not be reviewed by anyone.

Sycuan received San Diego's number one golf course for 2008.

Journey at Pechanga deserves no rating at all.

San Pasqual Valley Kumeyaay

Congratulations BIA, looks like an outside, unbiased decision was made on the San Pasquel Split. I wonder how things would turn out at Pechanga if the disenrolled and moratorium victims had similar chance as the San Pasquel. You know Paulina Hunter was 100% Luiseno, Pechanga, Temecula Indian. All your records prove it.



The BIA has been looking into this because the San Pasquel Band has a constitution that allows a third party to investigate tribal qualms. This feature will hopefully keep one faction from gaining control of the tribe , as the CPP has taken over Pechanga.

Whats happening at San Pasquel