Domingo Moro In His Own Words

The following excerpt is from the 2005 Edition of Mulu'Wetam page 55

Domingo Moro Mulu'Wetam by kupa7 on Scribd

Guest Post - So, who is Robert Smith?

*By Guest Blogger

*I was emailed the post below by a guest.  The views expressed in this post are the Guest Author's own.  Whether or not all the alleged activities can be proven with facts will be up to the reader to decide.  Those familiar with Pala will have knowledge of much of this.

Guest Post - So, who is Robert Smith?

The government and fools have chosen to refer to Robert Smith as Honorable. They do so even with the knowledge of his far-ranging criminal activities. They do this either because they are the beneficiaries of his ill-gotten gain or simply admirers of power without regard of it source.

Robert Smith is the grandson of Henry Smith, the son of a German Immigrant who homesteaded lands adjacent to the Mesa Grande Reservation. Henry Smith was a persistent German who pushed the BIA so hard that they finally gave him Indian status as being a quarter Indian from Mesa Grande. He married a Moro woman and had Robert Smith’s father, Victor Smith.

The Moro family was originally from Northern California. Adolpho Moro, who was half Wappo Indian and Spanish, moved to Warner Springs. Adolpho Moro’s real last name is unknown. The name Moro was confused by the census takers with the name Morio which was a prominent Cupeno family of the time. It is how the name Moro came to be in Warner Springs. Domingo Moro was Robert Smith’s other grandfather and who also was without any real ties to the Cupeno tribe.

There was a real confusion as to who the real Cupa people are. They were notably peace loving and sharing. They considered the hot spring, Cupanga, to be sacred and did not engage in its commercialization. They lived along the Agua Caliente Creek where they blended the hot water from the spring with the cool fresh waters of the creek for various purposes.  The adobe village was not part of the true Cupeno village.

Several interlopers settled at Warner Springs in hopes of taking possession of the spring itself and benefiting from the hot spring baths and other tourist trades. These families included the Moros of Northern California, the Garras of Yuma or San Luis, Mexico, the Nolasquez families also of Mexico and the Barkers. Alexander Barker was a white man who married a Cahuilla woman and laid claim to the hot springs.

Domingo Moro filed an Indian Homestead no. 25506 and perfected his homestead in 1908 and therefore becoming a citizen Indian and surrendered his right to any benefits as an Indian person. The homestead is adjacent to the hot springs at Cupa. Domingo later sold the homestead for $20,000. Because of this action none of the heirs of Domingo Moro should have been allowed to participate in any benefits granted Indians.

So, these are some of the historical facts that surround Robert Smith. Most notably is the fact that he has no Cupeno blood. His mother is of San Felipe, a village that was known as a traditional enemy of the Cupeno people.

Is it possible that this tribal enmity survives even to this day? Yes, it is.

It is easy to justify your own wrongdoings when you consider that the acts are intended to harm your adversaries. It was common knowledge that Robert Smith’s mother was a thief and dishonest. She was  a known drug dealer and used her sons to do the same. At one time, the people voted to ban the Smith brothers from ever participating in tribal government. This did not deter Robert Smith from seeking and gaining power within Pala.

He became the Fire Captain of Pala and used his office to intercept information vital to the people of Pala and this his how he began his political ascent. Cal-Mat often ignored the will of the people by making side deals with the Smith family so that they would favor some of the malfeasance at the sand and gravel operation. In exchange they were given money, televisions, VCR’s and other treasures of the day in exchange for their loyalty to Cal-Mat. The Smith family successfully blocked any raise in the royalties owed to the people for more than 10 years resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in loss to the people of Pala.

Robert Smith, after serving for a short period on the Executive Committee, was elected chairperson of Pala. Although being illiterate, Smith was and can masterfully manipulate people and resources to his complete advantage. He is willing to use any extreme necessary for his own personal benefit, including murder, and without any regard for the people. To him people are disposable and often in the way.

With the election of the Robert Smith as chair, began the criminalization of the Pala Executive Committee. He was often making side deals and if an Executive Committee member opposed him he just kept the deal secret. He stole thousands of dollars from acorn sand and the propane business. He gained complete control over the distribution of illicit drugs within the community, an enterprise which he continues to this day.

He has developed a solid following of loyalists who are dependent upon him for illegal drugs and jobs. This is bolstered even more by family loyalty and therefore giving him an invincible block of votes at meetings and elections. This has given Robert Smith free reign and even worse, complete sovereign power. His sovereign power is respected by the United States, the State of California, local governments, the Courts and without regard for the heinous crimes that he has committed.
So what crimes has Robert Smith committed. He is a known drug dealer. That career almost came to an end when an ATF sweep of known drug dealers resulted in the arrest of 66 people including Robert Smith. The drug ring was suspected in generating moneys for terrorist activities and providing support for terrorists overseas. It is said the Robert Smith avoided prosecution by turning state’s evidence and assisted in the locating of other suspected drug dealers in this operation.

Robert Smith is suspected of either committing or participating in the murder of eight people to include the murder of Rainey Williams and the campground murder. This does not include the murder of his constituent drug users that made the mistake of turning against him. Many would find them themselves victims of intended drug overdoses.

Robert Smith was caught red-handed taking bribes from the wake board project. It was also discovered that he and the treasurer were receiving $10,000 each per month for the race track deal with no benefit to the people.

Robert Smith engages in the daily management of the Pala Casino which is a violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The Casino maintains two sets of books. The Black Book contains the accurate record of the Casino earnings and the Green Book is the numbers reported to the people. The Black Book revenues are skimmed and distributed to Robert Smith, Howard Dickstein and others.
The Casino self-banks the atm machines and therefore creates a digital highway to move moneys outside the casino and making them free of the NIGC jurisdiction. These moneys are not reported in the Green Book and the actual location of these transfers is not known to the people.

There are a series of illegal loans taken under the signature of Robert Smith and therefore obligating the people to pay back these loans. No one knows where the moneys go. That is except for Robert Smith.

Rumors of Robert Smith’s illegal activities could fill a book. They are cleverly created and when challenged he simply screams sovereignty through his million-dollar attorneys. It is funny how attorneys are supposed to defend what is right but will often defend what is most money making. Oh yes, the attorneys are paid for by the people of Pala.

There are rumors of pay day type loan businesses which were established through a Montana Reservation contact. This was noted by several private jet flights to Montana. What business does the people of Pala have in Montana?

The Robert Smith “Black Credit Card” is a known commodity by vendors throughout the Temecula and San Diego County regions. The Black Card is the property of the people of Pala and whatever Robert charges on this card is obligated for payment by the people of Pala. If you don’t know what the status of a Black Card is it simply means that he charges any amount to the card without question. Yes, that means that he can charge a million dollars to the card and the people of Pala must pay the bill.

So why is it that the people of Pala remain loyal to Robert Smith? That is not entirely true. There have been wrinkles in Smith’s ascent to power. Former and well-respected chairman King Freeman often opposed Robert Smith. For this Robert Smith disenrolled many of King Freeman’s family and therefore rid himself of much of his opposition.

Robert Smith was openly opposed by the famous 11 who are now banned for life from participating in tribal government. The BIA refused to recognize the valid action by the people of Pala to remove Robert Smith from power. This was the final signal Robert Smith needed to fully realize that he can commit whatever crime he wants and not be punished.

Now his party of loyalists are governed by fear. Robert Smith can have you evicted from the Reservation just for looking at him wrong. He can have your  house bulldozed. He can punish your relatives as a message that you better keep quiet and not talk about him. He can take away your per capita. He can have you fined for entering your own Reservation lands. He can destroy or block your road to your property. If none of this works, he will have you murdered just as he did in the Joe Scott incident.

All these activities are sanctioned by the Secretary of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Indian Gaming Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Inspector General, members of Congress, State and Local Governments, the District Attorney of San Diego County, the Sheriff’s Department of San Diego County, and the Courts.

So what hope is there for the people of Pala? Absolutely none. All the people can do is hope and pray for the demise of Robert Smith. Even that is proving to be difficult because his criminal cohorts are determined to keep him alive. He has had his veins and arteries scraped to remove blockages. We do not know if he has a real or artificial heart, kidney transplants or a liver transplant. We do know that he has undergone several medical procedures to keep him alive and able to continue his criminal activity.

The people of Pala are suffering a long and slow death. It is nauseating, suffocating, drowning, a slow poisoning, a death by a thousand cuts, deprivation and disregard. If you want to feel completely helpless and hopeless then just come to Pala. Correction! Come to Robert Smith’s Pala.

The people of Pala used to be good and caring. They still are. It may be too late for the people of Pala if Robert Smith is allowed to continue with his criminal activities. Yes, this is a cry for help. It is very doubtful that the agencies with the power to thwart Robert Smith will come forward. What is their price. I hear some sell us out for a mere ride on Robert Smith’s private jet while others are rewarded with retirement benefits beyond imagination.

The one known fact here is that Robert Smith will eventually die. We all do. How much damage will he cause before his death? As much as he can and as much as his mind can conceive. The people of Pala will be left penniless and no one will care because we let it happen to ourselves. Why would any taxpayer want to bail us out after we allowed Robert Smith to squander away billions of dollars? They won’t. Realize that. They won’t, and we will be done as people. Good bye to Pala.

From the “Unknown” to the “Known”

By Anonymous Guest Blogger (AGB)

"Margarita’s blood quantum depends upon the identity and lineage of her father. The evidence on this issue is somewhat conflicting. For instance, a reconstructed version of the original membership roll lists Margarita as a full-blooded Pala Indian, but a copy with pen-and-ink edits changed her designation to one-half Pala Indian. Likewise, some records indicate that Margarita’s father was “unknown,” but available probate testimony from a proceeding in the 1920s suggests that her father was known, and that he was a full-blooded Pala Indian."

This footnote is from the recent Aguayo decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Seems everyone wants to focus on the “UNKOWN” and completely ignore the knowns.

After being forced to research the various families of Pala, San Felipe, Agua Caliente, Puerta La Cruz, Mataguay, San Jose and Los Tules villages, many knowns are now truly known. Even though they are known they are completely ignored when dealing with the facts. 

We now know that Alejandro (Alexander) Barker was a “White” man. This is evidenced by the fact that he was able to vote and record deeds which Indians could not do this at that time. Maria Jesusa Hyde lists Barker as her father and that he was a White Man. This is a known. See Application 1194 of the California Indian Judgment Roll. 

Domingo Moro was a citizen Indian. That is a known. He homesteaded land adjacent to Warner Springs and gave up his rights as an Indian. This is further evidenced by the fact that he did not apply for nor did he receive a land allotment at Pala. Domingo Moro’s Homestead patent number is 25506 and can be viewed on the Bureau of Land Management website. Domingo Moro was not a Warner Ranch Evictee. He had 160 acres of land under his ownership and was either “Homeless”, “Landless” or a “Mission Indian without suitable lands elsewhere.”

We also learned that Nicholasa Lubo was not an Agua Caliente Indian and that she was from Cahuilla. See Application 1241* of the California Indian Judgment Roll. This is also a known fact. The fact that she was married to Domingo Moro made her a “Citizen Indian” as well and she and her children should have never been allotted lands at Pala. She was not a Warner Ranch Evictee because they had their own lands and there was no court order affecting them. The children of Domingo and Nicholasa Moro, Annie, Catherine, and Juan were not Warner Ranch Evictees either and therefore they were ineligible to receive land allotments at Pala. 

Sylverio Nolasquez is the long ignored “KNOWN”. He was a Mexican Indian. See Applications 1256, 1257, 1258, 1259, 1260, 1261 and 1263 of the California Indian Judgment Roll. He was not a Warner Ranch Evictee because he was not an Indian of California. He should have never been allotted land at Pala. 

Now for the big and I mean BIG surprise. Roscinda Nolasquez, see Application 1262 of the California Indian Judgment Roll, the great matriarch of truth and wisdom. The words of Roscinda are gospel and without deception. The words of Roscinda are golden and indisputable. That being said, please take a look at Application 1262 and you will see that she lists her father as Salvador Nolasquez, a Mexican Indian. The information is located on Page 3 at item 15. Now how about that for some real truth? 

It really does make sense since Salvador is listed as being born in 1861 and the next sibling is not born until 1872. It is not difficult to determine that Salvador himself was born in Mexico and that he came to Warner Springs with his father from Mexico. It has to be believable because the great one herself says that her father, Salvador Nolasquez, was a Mexican Indian.  

Another person of interest is Antonio Garra. No one seems to really know where he came from. He declared that he was from San Luis Rey and everyone assumed that he meant San Luis Rey Mission in San Diego County. It is more likely that he was from San Luis Rey, Mexico, and was a Yuma Indian and not Cupeño at all. His descendants always claimed that they were from Yuma. Antonio Garra was probably wrongfully accused, convicted and executed for what is known in history as the Garra Uprising. Yes he did complain about unjust taxes and the seizing of Indian cattle but the record shows that the persons involved in the uprising were from Mataguay and San Felipe. The record shows that there were no participants in the Garra Uprising from Agua Caliente. 

We cannot overlook Remijio Lugo. See Application 1211 of the California Indian Judgment Roll. He states that he was born at Sulphur Springs near Cahuilla. This of course is Cahuilla. He was married to Angelita Barker Lugo. See Application 1206 of the California Indian Judgment Roll. What is interesting is that her sister Mary Barker Calac states that she was from San Ysidro and Cahuilla. See Application 1140 of the California Indian Judgment Roll. Are you confused yet?

It is not that complicated. Remijio Lugo and Angelita Barker were living at Morongo/Malki and were not Warner Ranch Evictees. They should have not been allotted lands at Pala. The Lugos were originally from Puki and Pui and considered Cahuilla. The Lugos were the main participants in the Temecula Massacre. The Lugos were heir to more than 37,000 acres of land which was originally part of the Lugo Ranch near Yucaipa. Juan Antonio squandered away the land and left the Lugos “Homeless”. Even as Homeless Indians, this did not qualify them for re-settlement at Pala. The Lugos went to any Reservation they wanted with the blessing of the United States for a job well done. There is a strong record of favoritism towards the Lugos for their participation in the Temecula Massacre by the United States. 

So how do you sum this entire mess up?

1)  It is not that complicated. The descendants of Domingo Moro have no rights to Pala. 

2)  The descendants of Alejandro Barker need to decrease their Indian blood to match the fact that he was white man. 

3)  Sylverio Nolasquez was a Mexican Indian and his descendants need to decrease their Indian blood accordingly. 

4)  Roscinda Nolasquez, by her own sworn testimony, declares that her father, Salvador Nolasquez was a Mexican Indian. The descendants of Roscinda Nolasquez need to decrease their Indian blood accordingly. Roscinda Nolasquez’s descendants get the double whammy because her grandfather was also a Mexican Indian. That would make Roscinda Nolasquez ¼ Indian of California. Remember that this calculation is based on her testimony and acknowledgement. (Or do her descendants want it both ways now? What do you mean the California Indian Judgment Roll is inaccurate? Really!!!)

5)  Antonio Garra was from Yuma. His descendants should also decrease their degree of Indian blood accordingly.

6)  The Lugos were from Cahuilla and Yucaipa. They were never evicted from Warner Springs. They were living at Morongo/Malki and they should have never been allotted at Pala. 

After we examined all of the California Indian Judgment Roll it was learned that more than half of the applicants from Pala did not list who their parents were or the parents of their parents, in other words, “UNKNOWN”.

All of this means that almost no one from Pala would pass the Robert Smith smell test. He chose to use the 1928 California Indian Judgment Roll to determine the blood degree of Margarita Britten. He did this in violation of the PBMI Constitution which states that lineal descent is determined from heirs of original allottees of Pala. This simple constitutional section forbids Robert Smith from utilizing the 1928 California Indian Judgment Roll in determining eligibility for enrollment in PBMI. 

If you don’t understand what is being said here then here it is in a nutshell. Everything said here does not matter if the PBMI Constitution is followed. It does not matter who Alejandro Barker was or who a Lugo was or who a Nolasquez was. That is the reason the elders adopted those standards so as to protect everyone. 

Can the Genie be put back in the bottle? Yes it can but it is up to the people to do that. If the Genie is not put back in the bottle then future generations will rely upon the records of Robert Smith to disenfranchise, disenroll, humiliate and discredit your future if not present descendants. Robert Smith’s reign of terror will be coming to an end. It will end. Do you feel comfortable with the new standard he created? Is your family safe? No. Your family is not safe. No one knows what power shifts in leadership will occur. It is a gamble for everyone unless we go back to the rules and the intention of the elders to recognize everyone based on the 1895 and 1903 allotment rolls. Anything else is a violation of tribal law. Now that is a real “KNOWN”.

The Robert Smith Enrollment Ordinance must comply with the Constitution. That is tribal law. Tribal law requires that membership shall be determined from the 1895 and 1903 Allotment Rolls. You can look it up. His blatant disregard for the Constitution is grounds for removal from office and he should be. He had several opportunities to make changes to the constitution in cooperation with the people and with the advice of the BIA. He chose to reject “all of the above” and moved forward with his version of the constitution. His version included in his mind the right to determine membership. He is wrong but the people need to tell him he is wrong. It is time to do your homework and understand your own government and its powers. The power belongs to you the people. 

There has to be some humor in all this work. Is this Robert Smith at a Tanty party dressed in drag and just finishing off his personal stash? Is this photo from the vast collection of misdeeds of Robert Smith?

This woman is a Wappo Indian from Northern California. The Wappos were from Sonoma County. Remember that Adolpho Moro was from Sonoma County. Coincidence? I doubt it. There is just too much resemblance. No Warner Ranch Indian here. Indian blood degree should be adjusted accordingly.

“The BIA’s participation in the abuse of the membership at Pala should be investigated and the culpable parties should be prosecuted. They know who they are. We will get the evidence necessary to have them prosecuted. Yes we will. This is not over yet. This will be settled Indian Way and no court or lying BIA agent can protect Robert Smith forever.” Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez you dumb asses. You will learn what it really means. You will become “KNOWN”.