Showing posts with label Kupa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kupa. Show all posts

Sunday, February 17, 2019

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.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

In Loving Memory of King Freeman




I will always respect and love King Freeman.   He treated everyone fairly.  All he wanted was to serve The People and all he wanted was what was best for The People.  He felt everyone should be treated equally regardless of what disagreements we may have.  He was a shining example to us all, a hard worker, and cared deeply for his family.

Friday, September 14, 2018

Tukumay

To quote a comenter:

"What are u mixed with white ? Mexican ? Obviously you don’t have enough blood. Bitch can you speak your language other than “Tukumay” haha Native is Native" - Anonymous







tomorrow....

One of these tomorrows will hold a brighter future for Pala.

Who's Ready?

Monday, August 27, 2018

Historical Friction Between Old Pala Indians and Warner Ranch Indians

The document below is a piece of history describing friction that exists even up to this day between the multiple groups and one tribe residing at Pala. It's not just Old Pala Luiseno (Band) and Warner Ranch (Agua Caliente) Cupeno (Tribe).  There are also Cahuilla (Band), Yaqui (Band), and Iipai (Band) living at Pala as well.
If you are confused about the difference between a Band and Tribe you are not alone.  The BIA  can't keep it straight either.
An example would be to consider Luiseno.  Luiseno itself is a tribe.  But there are many Bands of this tribe living all over Southern California on multiple reservations.  The Pala Luiseno are a Band of the Greater Luiseno Nation.
The Cupeno are a tribe historically residing at Agua Caliente aka Warner's Hot Springs (Ranch).
The Cupeno as a tribe were forced onto land purchased adjacent to Old Pala's land.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Attention True Agua Caliente Cupeno and Warner Ranch Evictees

Notice to all the True Agua Caliente Cupeno and Warner Ranch Evictees out there.  Robert Smith is trying to organize people at Pala to go to protest a hearing about Warner's Hot Springs development.



This is laughable since Robert Smith is Chairman of the Luisenos.  



Not only does Robert Smith claim to be the Chairman of the Luisenos but he also has a track record of harassing Agua Caliente Cupeno descendants.  He lead the charge on disenrolling 168 Agua Caliente Cupeno.  Later when Cupeno elders tried to hold a meeting they were punished and not allowed to ever vote or participate in meetings again.

Robert routinely orders Pala Security to harass Cupeno descendants.  Many family members who live off the reservation cannot visit their family members who live on the reservation without fear of reprisal.  Robert Smith takes action and fines Cupeno for just trying to visit their family and routinely threatens to take their per capita away.

Robert Smith destroys Cupeno land and refuses to pay what is rightfully owed.

Robert Smith has stolen the per cap of 168 Cupeno for the last 6 years.  Hundreds of millions of dollars stolen.  Robert Smith has altered the blood degrees of all the Cupeno trying to erase their memory.

Robert Smith now has the BIA changing Pala to Luiseno affiliation only.

Robert Smith and Theresa Nieto stole the Cupeno Children's Trust Funds.

Robert Smith and Leroy Miranda tried to play cute when they had opportunity to buy the Warner's Hot Springs Resort (Kupa).  Instead of just buying Kupa, the ancestral homeland of the Cupeno, he and Leroy tried to buy membership shares so they could drive the resort into bankruptcy which they did.  There they thought they would buy Kupa cheap but the judge refused to sell to them because of their actions.

It's a good thing the judge did that because Robert Smith hates the Cupenos.  This is because Robert Smith is from San Felipe while now claiming to be Luiseno.

This is a sick joke that Robert Smith is playing where he would dare to organize a group to "save Kupa" when he could have bought Warner's 4 times and each time he balked.  He routinely takes action to hurt Cupeno people with disenrollments, sanctions, fines, banishments, and evictions.

To all True Agua Caliente Cupeno and Warner Ranch Evictee Descedants please attend the meeting.  See the flyer below.  Do not let the Fake Cupeno Robert Smith continue to destroy our heritage!

And don't forget!  Robert Smith is the one who put that fence around the Cal Rossi Trust next to Kupa.  In the process he destroyed all sorts of Cupeno artifacts and violated the land.

Robert Smith is no friend of the Cupeno and should never be allowed to set foot at Kupa (aka Warner's Hot Springs/Agua Caliente) ever again let alone try to organize a protest?

What is Robert protesting?  There is nothing more that Robert Smith loves than seeing the destruction of Cupeno sacred sites.  Robert is probably secretly in favor of the developments and is just trying to shake the money tree of the owners.


Tuesday, January 23, 2018

HISTORY OF INDIANS IN THE PALA VALLEY

I was sent an article for consideration and asked if I would post it to the blog.  I decided I would.

The views, facts, and opinions expressed in the article below are strictly the views of  the [ANONYMOUS] author.  The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the [ANONYMOUS]  author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pala Watch.

HISTORY OF INDIANS IN THE PALA VALLEY

*** By Anonymous ***

     On January 5, 1852, the United States took over California from the Spaniards and the
Temecula Treaty was signed by Indians in Southern California creating a government to
government relationship.

     The Treaty was signed separately by Palino Coo-hac-ish (for Old Pala) and Jose Noca
Chan-gah-lang-ish (for Agua Caliente).

     On December 27, 1875, President Ulysses S. Grant created, by executive order, 320
acres, located on the south side of the San Luis Rey River, for a reservation for the Old Pala
Luiseno tribe. At the same time he also created 960 acres for a reservation in Warner Springs for
the Agua Caliente tribe. This would become their ancestral homeland. Both reservations were
intended for permanent use and occupancy.

PEOPLE FROM OLD PALA

     Between 1891 and 1895, Old Pala made/gave allotments to its 15 adult members. Their
children were never allotted land but were still considered members of Old Pala.

     Old Pala is referred to as the Luiseno Band of Mission Indians. The Luiseno Band is
NOT a tribe. This name only recognizes them as Indians in the San Luis Rey Mission District.
They may be a band from the Kumeyaay.

     Old Pala is a reservation that never had any form of government or a tribal committee.
Robert Ardilla would act as Captain or Spokesman.

     After the 1903 arrival of Agua Caliente (Cupa) to the Pala Valley, many problems arose
between them and Old Pala.

     Shortly after their (Agua Caliente) arrival there was a death within their tribe. Old Pala
would not allow Agua Caliente (Cupa) to bury the dead in the cemetery next to the Old Pala
Mission. This prompted the Agua Caliente (Cupa) tribe to create their own cemetery called the
Cupa Cemetery.

     Another problem arose when members from Old Pala would deliberately let their
livestock destroy the crops of the Agua Caliente (Cupa) tribe. There was also an irrigation
schedule which allowed a specified amount oftime and water to be given to each crop grower.
Members from Old Pala would open the water valves at any time. This would limit the water
given to next crop grower cutting their time/water short and created a domino effect down the
line.

     In 1934, a secretarial election was held in Pala Valley with the purpose of joining Old
Pala and Agua Caliente (Cupa). This was voted down by both sides, leaving each one
independent from the other.

     In a letter to the BIA, dated March 4, 1940, Marion Scott requested to become a member
of the Rincon Reservation. She was denied because of her membership to Old Pala.
Sometime in the late 1940's or early l 950's, she (Marion Scott) requested to be enrolled
in the Agua Caliente (Cupa) rolls. The Cupa members did not want to let her in. But, after the
third request she was voted in, along with her whole family which would include Robert Ardilla.

     This should have never taken place and it was wrong for the Chairman to allow it. There
was no way for Marion to show she was a direct descendant of Cupa (Agua Caliente) and
according to the Articles of Association (for Agua Caliente) this was a requirement to be enrolled.

     BIA records from March 7, 1940 show that Marion Scott is an enrolled from Old Pala.
Since members cannot be enrolled in two different places does this mean she and Robert Ardilla
must relinquish their allotments to the Agua Caliente (Cupa) tribe? And, if so, would Agua
Caliente (Cupa) then have complete control of their allotments?

PEOPLE FROM AGUA CALIENTE (CUPENO/CUPA)

     On January 5, 1852, Jose Noca Chan-gah-lang-ish signed the Temecula Treaty. This created a
government to government relationship between the Agua Caliente (Cupa) Tribe and the United States.

     On December 27, 1875, President Ulysses S. Grant created, by executive order, 960 acres for a
reservation for the Agua Caliente tribe to live on as their ancestral homeland.

     Long before their removal to Pala, the Agua Caliente (Cupa) people have existed since prehistory
as an historic tribe and are not Mission Indians. They occupied their traditional homeland at Warner
Springs since the time of their creation.

     Five years after President Grant set aside their reservation lands at Warner Springs, President
Rutherford B. Hayes revoked this. This land revocation lead to the removal from Warner's Ranch.

     There were many sites considered when deciding where to send the Agua Caliente (Cupa) tribe: Rancho Santa Margarita (Camp Pendleton), Panky Ranch and Pala. Because Pala had a mission and the Agua Caliente Tribe had a small chapel near Warner's, Pala Valley was chosen.

     Over 700 acres were purchased from ranchers in the Pala Valley for the removal and placement
of the Agua Caliente tribe.

     When the Agua Caliente (Cupa) tribe arrived in Pala in 1903 they were put in tents until the prefabricated homes would arrive. These homes came from New York, traveling around the Cape to San Diego and eventually make their way by wagon to Pala.

     Pala was set up like the village at Warner Springs. The head of each household was given an allotment for a home, 1.75-2 acres on the irrigation system, and 5-6 acres of land for dry farming.

     One question arises: Why did their (Agua Caliente) tribal name not come with them? They
became referred to as Pala Band, Pala Band of Mission Indians or Pala Band of Luiseno Indians.

     Why are we referred to as Pala Band of Mission Indians (PBMI)? If Robert Smith can make this
change, why not change it to Agua Caliente Indian Reservation like it was when they were moved from Warners? And furthermore, why is Robert being referred to as Chairman of the Luiseno Band of Mission Indians? He has no authority to be their spokesman.

     Remember, Agua Caliente was a recognized tribe, not a band. How do they lose their tribal name
simply from moving from one location to another? If it's that simple to rename the tribe PBMI it should be just as simple to give them their correct name back. Pala Band of Mission Indians is not a tribe.

     About two weeks after Agua Caliente's arrival, the people from Puerta la Cruz and San Felipe,
who had originally refused to leave the Warner Springs area, were moved to Pala by way of horse and
wagon owned by Remijio Lugo.

     Remijio Lugo was also put on the Cupa rolls. This would also be a mistake. He claims he was
born in Sulfer Springs, Cahuilla and is a member of Morongo. He would also not be able to show his
direct descent from Agua Caliente (Cupa), which is a requirement for enrollment with them.

     This brief history explains why we all hear that this family or that family do not belong on the
rolls.

     There are many members that serve the tribe that need to understand their history. It may upset a
lot of people but it is something that should be known.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

The Cupeno Removal - Part 3

Part 3 of a 4 part series by Jeff Smith at the San Diego Reader is out.  It is titled:

Against the Inevitable - This land is mine: The Cupeño removal of 1903, part three of four

Here is an excerpt:

#
On April 19, Cecilio Blacktooth and three other tribesmen rode to San Bernardino to buy horses. “We will never give in,” he told the Los Angeles Herald, “but will perish gladly if the last sight we see is our Agua Caliente.

“Some will scatter to other tribes, but the old men and women would not leave and have begged to be taken above Warner’s Ranch in the mountains…to look down upon the graves of their ancestors.” Pala is “so barren,” he added, “not even rabbits will live there.”

Blacktooth didn’t mention that at least 15 Luiseño Indian families already did. They lived on allotments assigned by the government ten years prior. The relocation would force them to share a reservation with another tribe.
#

Read the full article at this link:

Against the Inevitable - This land is mine: The Cupeño removal of 1903, part three of four

Thursday, April 7, 2016

The Cupeno Removal Part 2

Jeff Smith at the San Diego Reader continues with his 4 part series on the Cupeno Removal.

Here is a link to part 2:

In search of the unwanted, This land is mine: The Cupeño removal of 1903, part two of four

Here is an excerpt:

#
On April 5 the San Diego Union ran a headline: “WARNER’S RANCH INDIANS SAY THEY WILL NOT MOVE TO THE NEW RESERVATION; THINK THEY WOULD STARVE.” The Cupeños are almost all united against the move, the story said, and will “scatter to the hills rather than go to Pala to starve.”

Lummis told officials in the Department of the Interior that Pala was the tribe’s second choice for a home.

“Not true!” said Josephine Babbitt, schoolteacher at Kupa for 12 years. “They had no second choice.” Babbitt told the Cupeños that Lummis was a liar. She also pointed out that, while he said the Cupeños would have “a valley all their own,” they must share the reservation with another tribe: 76 Pala Indians already lived there.


Read the full article here-->   In search of the unwanted, This land is mine: The Cupeño removal of 1903, part two of four

Thursday, March 31, 2016

The Cupeno Removal

There is an article in the San Diego Reader about the Cupeno Removal of 1903.

Here is a link and an excerpt:

This land is mine: The Cupeño removal of 1903 The blackest of crimes committed against Warner Ranch Indians.

By Jeff Smith, March 30, 2016

Visitors to the Indian village at Kupa were often struck by the silence. No loud voices, no sudden shouts. Even children played quietly. A stillness spread from the bowl-shaped Valle de San Jose below, past Warner’s Ranch, and up to where Cupeños busied themselves with the tasks of the moment — tasks their people had performed since time for them began.

#

On May 13, 1901, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the California Supreme Court’s decision: J. Harvey Downey and his stockholders legally owned Agua Caliente — aka Kupa. It did not matter that the Cupeños lived there centuries before the Spanish came. In the original case, Barker vs. Harvey, attorneys for John Downey, J. Harvey’s uncle, argued that no natives were on the site in 1844, when John J. Warner obtained the land grant. And they never filed a claim to the Board of Land Commissioners in 1851.

#

Courts from San Diego to Washington DC read “vacant and abandoned” to mean no Indians were on the property. But in 1893, Warner said that wasn’t true. Eighty-five years old and gravely ill, Warner gave a deposition at his home in Los Angeles. The southern half of the valley was abandoned, he said, not the northern, which included Agua Caliente/Kupa. He “never heard of them being displaced.” The original grant even stipulated that he could not interfere with roads and other usages,” meaning the native village.
#

Read the full article at the link below.

This land is mine: The Cupeño removal of 1903 The blackest of crimes committed against Warner Ranch Indians.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

From Where to From There

How many generations need to pass before someone can claim to be instead of from where but to from there?

I wonder about the 3rd generation Englishman living in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1690 making the claim that he is "from there" while standing next to a member of the Wampanoag Nation.  Was he really from there or was he from England?

Picture the Pala Valley prior to European Contact.  Who livered there?  There were indigenous people living all along what is now called the San Luis Rey River.  These people are now referred to as the Luiseño.  But that's not what they called themselves until the Spanish came.

The Spanish put all the Indians living along what they called the San Luis Rey River and into the Temecula Valley under the jurisdiction of the San Luis Rey Mission.  They called them Luiseño.  But that's not what they called themselves.

Today the Luiseño Nation is spread among several bands throughout Southern California.  There are 6 Federally Recognized Bands:  The La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, The Pala Band of Luiseño Indians, The Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians, The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, and The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians.

The territories we refer to today as California, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico were under Spanish control until Mexican Independence in 1820.  After which the territories came under Mexican Rule.  The United States fought a war against Mexico and acquired the territories under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed in 1848.

The United States all of a sudden found themselves having to administer to all the various tribes in California.  In Northern California this was not so bad for the U.S. Government as many of the tribes were simply slaughtered.  The people living there at the time did not need pesky Indians standing between them and their gold.  Southern California was a bit more complicated.

In Southern California many of the various tribes played an integral part of the economy.  They often worked as farm hands and helped raise cattle.  The owners of the large Ranchos around California often employed the Natives in one fashion or another and relied heavily on their labor.  No doubt they were overworked and underpaid which lead to them being integral to the economy.

In 1851 the U.S. Government signed treaties with the various tribes in Southern California.  In 1875 a reservation was established at Pala for the Luiseño living there.  About 40 miles east of Pala the Cupeno were living at their village of Kupa also known as Warner's Hot Springs aka Agua Caliente in Rancho Valle de San Jose (Warner's Ranch).  The Cupeno should have obtained title to their land under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo but the U.S. Government never informed them they only had one year to make this claim.

Instead The Cupeno had to fight for their inherent right to live on their ancestral homeland.  Juan Jose Warner was given title to the land in 1844.  After the Mexican American War Juan Jose had to refile his claim to the land as all land owners had to do at the time.  Eventually former California Governor Downey ended up with title to the land and started eviction procedures against the Cupeno in 1892.  Downey died and the new owners continued on with the eviction procedures.

The case went all the way to the Supreme Court where it was ordered that the Cupeno be removed from Warner's Hot Springs.  Suitable land was to be bought for the Cupeno to live on.  But the Cupeno at the time felt no land could compare to their home.  The original plan was to force the Cupeno on to land purchased at Monserrate Ranch near Fallbrook.  The Sequoya League told Congress there was no water at Monserrate.  So the search began for more suitable land.

Eventually the U.S. Government settled on land adjacent to the existing Pala Luiseño Reservation.  In 1903 the forced removal of the indigenous populations living at and around Warner's Hot Springs began.  There were several Indian villages in the Rancho Valle de San Jose besides the Cupeno.  These other villages were Luiseño at Puerta la Cruz and Puerta Chiquita, and the Iipai (Digueno) villages of Mataguay, San José, and San Felipe.  The Cupeno resided at their main village at Kupa.

In May of 1903 the Cupeno were forced off their ancestral land and on to land at Pala along with the other villages except San Felipe.  In September of 1903 the San Felipe who had their own separate court case to retain title to their land, lost their battle, and were also forced on to Pala.  At the same time other Mission Indians showed up, namely Cahuilla, as the land at Pala was also purchased for landless or homeless Indians.

So who lives at Pala?  A mix of various tribes including the Cupeno, Luiseño, Iipai, Cahuilla, and Yaqui.  Who is from there?  Old Pala Luiseño are from there.  Everyone else was forced there.  How many generations need to pass before everyone else becomes from there?  Some people apparently think they are more from there than others even though none of them are really from there to begin with.  How do we get to from where to from there?

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Evictions

Seems all Pala's EC does anymore is evict people.  Warner Ranch Indians got evicted from Kupa.  They got disenrolled by mostly non-Cupeno.  And now they are being evicted again.

Kenny Johnson and Gina Howard are both Margarita Brittain descendants.  Must be just a coincidence they are being targeted for eviction.

I cannot speak for the other people named on the agenda because I do not know them.  But I can say there is no reason to evict Kenny and Gina other than pure spite on the part of Robert Smith.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

1925 Pala Census




***WARNING***
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