Re-Post: February 24, 2012 BIA Recommends That Pala Reverse Its Disenrollment Decision

On February 24, 2012 the BIA recommended to Pala's Executive Committee that it reverse its disenrollment decision.

24 Feb 2012 BIA Recommends Reversing Pala Disenrollments

Robert Smith Agrees That Margarita Brittain's Daughter is 1/2

This is a document signed by Robert Smith acknowledging that the Daughter of Margarita Brittain (Britten), Casilda Welmas, is 1/2 Indian.

  Robert Smith Acknowledges that the Daughter of Margarita Brittain is 1/2 Degree Indian Blood

1984 Pala General Council Meeting

1984 Pala General Council Votes To Correct Margarita Brittain's Blood Degree To Fullblood

February 24, 2012 BIA Recommends That Pala Reverse Its Disenrollment Decision

On February 24, 2012 the BIA recommended to Pala's Executive Committee that it reverse its disenrollment decision.

24 Feb 2012 BIA Recommends Reversing Pala Disenrollments

Cody Schalter Clarification

I am not sure where this is coming from all of a sudden but several commenters have made reference to a "packet" delivered to the Executive Committee by Cody Schalter.  This happened over two years ago.  The packet contained documents demonstrating Margarita Brittain to be 4/4.  I believe Cody dropped off a copy of the 1913 Pala Allotment Roll for Kilma at this time which shows Margarita Brittain to be 4/4.

Here are the Executive Committee meeting minutes from October 2011.

12 Oct 2011 EC Meeting Minutes

Margarita Brittain

1962 Feb 27 Letter from the Department of the Interior - Margarita Britten Full Blood Cupa Indian
1967 Jan 12 Letter to Pauline Pink Accompanying the 1913 Pala Allotment Roll
1913 Pala Enrollment Approved by Secretary of the Interior
1911 Margarita Britten Selection for Allotment (Brittain)
Robert Smith Acknowledges that the Daughter of Margarita Brittain is 1/2 Degree Indian Blood
September 11, 1989 Department of the Interior Lettter to Pala Chairperson Patricia Nelson On Margarita Brit...
Pala Enrollment Committee - 5 points to be considered for enrollment

Two Indian Workers Attract Attention RIverside County Fair 1916 October 10th to 14th

Pala's Chairman Robert Smith Writes A Letter

The Chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians wrote a letter to the San Diego Reader in response to an article written by Siobhan Braun titled Can you find the big secret in this casino? Reservation’s reservations.

You can read all of Chairman Smith's letter here under the heading Attention to Detail:

San Diego Reader Editorial Inbox - Attention to Detail by Robert Smith

Part of Chairman Smith's letter reads:

"Additionally, the blood requirement to receive a land allotment in 1913 for any Native American was 50 percent. This was determined by the federal government, not by the Pala tribe."

Margarita Brittain received an allotment in 1913 along with all her children which makes her children 1/2.

Here is the 1913 Allotment roll.  Margarita Brittain is listed as 4/4 and her children as 1/2.  Thus all the disenrolled members of Pala are eligible for enrollment under Pala's Constitution as they posses 1/16 Blood of the Band.

1913 Pala Enrollment Approved by Secretary of the Interior by kupa821

Willie Pink Certficate of Degree of Indian Blood

Here is a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) for my Father Willie Pink.  He is listed as 1/8 Pala (Kupa) and 3/8 total which makes me 1/16 Pala (Kupa) and 3/16 total.

Willie Pink is the great grandson of Margarita Brittain.  His Mother, Pauline Pink, is 1/4 Kupa.  Her Father, James Brittain, is Margarita Brittain's son and is 1/2 Kupa.  Margarita Brittain is 4/4 Kupa.

1999 Aug 9 Willie Pink Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood

Margarita Brittain - Fullblood Kupa

1962 Feb 27 Letter from the Department of the Interior - Margarita Britten Full Blood Cupa Indian

Robert Smith - Margarita Brittain's Daughter is 1/2 Degree Indian Blood

This is a letter signed by Robert Smith addressed to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians stating Margarita Brittain's daughter, Casilda Welmas possesses 1/2 Degree of Indian Blood.

Robert Smith Acknowledges that the Daughter of Margarita Brittain is 1/2 Degree Indian Blood

BIA Enrollment Specialist Elsie Lucero - Affidavit

From time to time I find it helpful to re-read this

 Elsie Lucero Affidavit Filing May 30 2012

1986 BIA Letter Authorizing The Secretary to Record Margarita Brittain as 4/4

1986 BIA Letter Authorizing The Secretary to Record Margarita Brittain as 4/4

BIA Affirms Margarita Brittain is Fullblood In 1962

1962 Feb 27 Letter from the Department of the Interior - Margarita Britten Full Blood Cupa Indian

1989 BIA Final Decision - Margarita Brittain is Fullblood

September 11, 1989 Department of the Interior Lettter to Pala Chairperson Patricia Nelson On Margarita Brit...

Margarita Brittain

Margarita Brittain Booklet

Margarita Brittain - Fullblood Kupa Indian

This is an informational booklet on Margarita Brittain.  She was a fullblood Kupa (Cupa, Cupeno) Indian from Warner's Hot Springs.  Her and her children were removed from the village of Kupa at Warner's Hot Springs in 1903 during the Cupeno Trail of Tears.  Margarita and her children received allotments at Pala and became part of the Pala Band of Mission Indians.

162 of Margarita Brittain's descendents were wrongly disenrolled from their tribe by Pala's Executive Committee.  The preponderance of evidence demonstrates Margarita Brittain was a fullblood Kupa Indian and her descendents are entitled to be enrolled at Pala.   The BIA Agrees.


Margarita Brittain Booklet

Documents

Just reposting some of the key documents here.  The links will take you to the full document.

1962 Feb 27 Letter from the Department of the Interior Stating Margarita Britten Full Blood Cupa Indian

The Father of Margarita Brittain - Pelegrino Ortega

Robert Smith Acknowledges that the Daughter of Margarita Brittain is 1/2 Degree Indian Blood

11 Sept 1989 BIA Final Decision Margarita Brittain is Fullblood

1967 Jan 12 Letter to Pauline Pink Accompanying the 1913 Pala Allotment Roll

1913 Pala Enrollment Approved by Secretary of the Interior

BIA Enrollment Specialist Elsie Lucero Affidavit - Father of Margarita Brittain is Pelegrino Ortega

1921 July 22 Sworn Testimony Carolina Nolasquez at the Probate Hearing for Merced Nolasquez

Bureau of Indian Affairs Pacific Regional Director Recommends All 162 Disenfranchised Pala Members Be Enrolled

In 1984 Pala General Council Votes Margarita Brittain Is Fullblood

In the late 1950's and early 1960's Pala sought to organize its tribal government.  Part of this organization was laying down a frame work for how the tribe would determine its membership.  Pala decided to go by the 1913 Pala Allotment Rolls which were reconstructed from various BIA documents including notes made by Special Allotting Agent Mr. L. W. Green.

This reconstructed type writen 1913 Pala Allotment Roll became the base roll of the Pala Band of Mission Indians.  On this roll Margarita Brittain is listed as 4/4 blood degree.  Someone at some unknown time made pen and ink changes to the 1913 Pala Allotment Roll.  They circled 4/4 next to Margarita Brittain and wrote 1/2 next to the 4/4.  This pen and ink change was not noted in anyway.  On the BIA copy of the 1913 Roll Margarita Brittain was listed as 4/4.

In the late 1970's this error was discovered and descendents of Margarita Brittain began seeking to correct this mistake.  By 1983 the BIA was preliminarily agreeing that Margarita Brittain was 4/4.  This decision was later appealed and after over 6 years of investigation in 1989 the BIA issued its final determination that Margarita Brittain is fullblood.

5 years prior to the BIA ruling in 1984 Pala's General Council voted to correct Margarita Brittain's blood degree to 4/4.

Here are the minutes from that 1984 General Council meeting:


1984 Pala General Council Votes To Correct Margarita Brittain's Blood Degree To Fullblood


Pala also made an announcement in their newsletter to let Brittain Descendents know Margarita Brittain's blood degree was corrected.  Here is that announcement:


Pala Newsletter Announcement That Margarita Brittain Is Fullblood

1994 Letter to James Brittain Jr.

This is a 1994 letter from the Department of the Interior to James Brittain Jr., son of James and Flora Brittain, Grandson of Margarita Brittain, and my Great Uncle.


1994 Apr 19 Dept Interior to James Brittain Jr.

Margarita Brittain Selection For Allotment 1911

Here is Margarita Brittain's (Britten) 1911 Selection for Allotment.  It is interesting that it was signed by Mr. L. W. Green.  This is the same alloting agent that on December 5th, 1910 noted that Margarita Brittain was full blood Cupa Indian.
1911 Margarita Britten Selection for Allotment (Brittain)