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.

Online Poker and Virtual Sports Betting News

Push For California Online Poker In 2017 May Be Doomed Before It Even Begins

Excerpt:

Prospects of passage in 2017 looking dim

Amaya/PokerStars, along with 888 and Caesars Entertainment, partners with the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, and Pala Interactive, an enterprise of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, will continue to lobby legislators, aware they each stand a chance of grabbing a major share of an online poker industry.

A number of tribes – Rincon, Pala, United Auburn and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, to name a few – may also be anxious to get into the online poker business, but are aware of the futility of lobbying the issue without tribal consensus.

“We’re not really going to try and carry any water on the issue unless the other tribal coalitions – the Morongo group and the Pechanga group – move something forward in some kind of compromise,” Stallings said.

Read more at link above

Also:

Virtual Sports Betting In Nevada Will Soon Be A Reality

Excerpt:

Leap Gaming in California

Inspired isn’t the only virtual sports provider trying to get a foot in the door in the US market.
Earlier this year, the Pala Band of Mission Indians in California partnered with Leap Gaming to add virtual sports to its social casino. Perhaps, further down the road, virtual sports will be added its real-money online gambling products, including the tribe’s NJ online casino.

“I’m very excited about this new collaboration with Leap Gaming which will allow us to be one of the first platforms to launch virtual sports as a social gaming product in North America,” said Pala Interactive’s Chief Social Gaming Officer Brett Calapp in a press release.

Calapp went on to hint about virtual sports expanding to other platforms.

“Leap’s virtual sports products are truly state of the art and provide a visually stunning player experience across all platforms,” he said. “We look forward to start offering this premium content to our customers.”

Read the full article at the link above.

Remember, the Executive Committee owns Pala Interactive, not the tribe.  However, they used tribal money to launch it.

Pala Mentioned In National Law Review

There is a long article out titled:

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community v. Jewell and Other Selected Cases: Indian Nations Law Update August natlawreview.com

Here is an excerpt.   Click the link above if you want to read the whole article.

"In Aguayo v. Jewell, 2016 WL 3648465 (9th Cir. 2016), the Pala Band of Mission Indians (Tribe) amended its constitution in 1997 to authorize its Executive Committee to replace its existing Enrollment Ordinance with an ordinance governing “adoption, loss of membership, disenrollment, and future membership.” The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) approved the constitution in 2000. In 2009, the Executive Committee adopted a new enrollment ordinance giving itself the power to “reevaluate” an applicant based on “misrepresented or omitted facts that might have made him/ her ineligible for enrollment,” and remove such members from the rolls. The ordinance permitted an aggrieved person to appeal to the BIA’s regional director but also provided that the regional director could merely make a recommendation and that the Executive Committee would have ultimate authority over enrollment decisions. The Executive Committee determined that the blood quantum of Margarita Britten, a Pala Indian born in 1856, had incorrectly been listed as “full blood” but should have been listed as half- blood. The committee subsequently disenrolled over 150 of her descendants who could not satisfy the Tribe’s 1/16 blood requirement. Many of them appealed to the BIA regional director, but the regional director, and later the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs (AS-IA), determined that BIA’s role was purely advisory under the Tribe’s constitution."

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”.

The Marruffo Family Continues Its Fight For Rightful Access to Their Own Land

Pala's Executive Committee continues to harass and trample on the rights of the Marruffo Family.  The Marruffo Family have allotted land at Pala and have a right to access their property.  Pala's Executive Committee has abused their land without their permission and continues to trample on the rights of the Marruffo Family.

See the following correspondence and video below:

Marruffo Family Correspondence

Tribe put sewer pump on family's property

$80 Million Dollars Stolen

It's been 4 years since Pala's Executive Committee committed mass disenrollments.  162 people had their lives turned upside down along with their families.  Over the 4 year period Pala's Executive committee has stolen $80 million dollars from the disenrolled.

Where did it go?  Did PBMI members enjoy nice per capita increases?

Millions of dollars were invested in Pala Interactive which engages in online gaming in New Jersey.  Are PBMI members getting nice per capita checks from this venture?

What happened to the minor trust funds?

Everything just vanished into the black hole that is Theresa Nieto's accounting system.

Who benefited from the mass disenrollments at Pala?  It doesn't seem PBMI members enjoyed any benefit from it.  But it sure gave Pala's Executive Committee extra money to play with.

Meanwhile Private Jets, box seats, fancy dinners, new vehicles, and fancy golf carries on. Oh, and an RV Park.

1984 and 1989

It seems some people are either confused or trying to create confusion.

In 1984 the General Council voted to correct Margarita Brittain's blood degree.

In 1989 the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs made  final determination that Margarita Brittain is fullblood.

On June 1st, 2011 Pala's Executive Committee voted to disenroll 8 Margarita Brittain descendants.

In February of 2012 Pala's Executive Committee voted to disnenroll 162 more Margarita Brittian descendants.


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

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

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

William Pink Appeals Directly to the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs

William Pink - direct appeal to the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs by kupa821

William Pink Appeal Exhibits

Then and Now

He was Pala's website just last year.  It stated the same thing until earlier this year:

Here is Pala's website now:

Congratulations Pala on your new Constitution.

You can click on the images to enlarge them.  The right columns provide a date reference.

Pala's Enrollment Committee Violated Their Own Ordinance

Pala's Executive Committee is also Pala's Enrollment Committe.  Pala has an Enrollment Ordinance.  It's had one since the 1960's.  It was changed in 2005 and again in 2009.

What always bothered me is that Pala's Enrollment Committee violated their own ordinance.

The Ordinance States:

"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Executive Committee of the Pala Band, by adoption of this revised Ordinance, does not intend to alter or change the membership status of individuals whose membership has already been approved and who are currently listed on the membership roll of the Pala Band of Mission Indians..."

I think most tribal members read that in 2005 when the Ordinance was revised and took it to mean the rolls were locked in.  No one was getting disenrolled.  In the early 2000's the issue of Margarita Brittain's blood degree would boil to the surface during General Council meetings.  After many years of sitting in General Council meetings listening to people trash Margarita Brittain Robert Smith spoke up one meeting and said the issue was over and would never be brought up again.  A 10 year moratorium was put in place on changing the rolls at all except for new membership.

Thus when the disenrollments started happening it was a pretty big shock to me and I suspect to many.  We have had our political differences but I though we all agreed we were tribal members.  I guess I was wrong.
Pala Enrollment Ordinance No1 Rev 2009

A Vote For Robert Smith Is A Vote For More Disenrollments

Pala is facing its most important election in a long time.  The outcome of this election will determine Pala's future and fate as a tribe.  If Robert Smith and the rest of the Executive Committee are re-elected they will view it as tribal approval of the disenrollments.  They will feel emboldened and continue their plans to disenroll even more tribal members.

Right now Pala's Executive Committee is just sitting back and waiting.  They are waiting to see if the BIA will do anything.  It appears they won't.  They are waiting to see if NIGC will do anything.  It appears they won't.  They are waiting to see if the Federal Government will do anything.  So far it appears they won't.  The last hurdle really is this election and the General Council.  Once they secure another term they will be able to accelerate their plan.

I don't know if the People of Pala are aware (except the families of the disenrolled) but Pala's Executive Committee basically took the minor's trust funds.  Where the money went is not clear.  Some of the money from Vulcan was supposed to be in trust with the BIA.  It wasn't.  It was with the tribe.  The Per Capita money for the minors was in trust funds with Pala.  That was their money.  They were members over the years the money was put into trust.  Those trust funds should still be theirs.

The only way to reverse all this is to change the make up of the Executive Committee and return power to the General Council.  Word needs to get out.  All 162 disenrolled have fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins still enrolled.  They need to all be voting.  About half live off the reservation the rest live on.

It's no secret that in the past many Brittains living off the reservation voted for Robert Smith.  Not being able to go to General Council meetings they had to rely on meeting agendas and minutes to determine what was going on.  The consensus seemed to be that since the casino was doing ok Robert and the rest of the Executive Committee must be doing ok so they kept voting for them.

That's over now.  The mask is off.  The Brittains know they were betrayed by the Executive Committee.

It will be herculean task to defeat the current Executive Committee in the upcoming election.  But for the sake of the tribe it needs to be done.  If the Executive Committee is re-elected more disenrollments will happen.  Will your family be next?

Speak out at a General Council meeting against the Executive Committee's plans and your family could be targeted for disenrollments.  Do you want to continue living under that fear?  Vote in new people and move the tribe forward.  Reverse these shameful disenrollments and put Pala on a path to future prosperity.  If a change in leadership does not happen then the tribe will continue to be torn apart by the Executive Committee.

What Are The New Membership Requirements For Pala?

For over 50 years the membership requirements for the Pala Band of Mission Indians was that one had to be a lineal descendent of someone on the 1913 rolls and be at least 1/16 blood of the band.

All 162 disenrolled members of Pala meet the membership requirement.  The BIA agrees that all 162 members should be enrolled.

Margarita Brittain is listed as 4/4 on the 1913 Pala Allotment Rolls. Her children are listed as 1/2.

Over 50 years of Custom and Tradition, the Articles of Association, and even the Pala Constitution list membership requirements as being a descendent of someone on the 1913 rolls and possessing at least 1/16 blood of the band.

So what has changed?  Are there new membership requirements?  People of Pala should be concerned since it seems the membership requirements have changed.  The Pala Executive Committee is going against over 50 years of Custom and Tradition, the Articles of Association, and the Pala Constitution by disenrolling 162 of its members.

It now appears anyone can be disenrolled or enrolled based on a vote by the Executive Committee.  Is this really what the tribe wants?

June 7th, 1989 BIA Letter to the Pala Executive Committee

Here is a letter from the BIA to the Pala Executive Committee dated June 7th, 1989


1989 Jun 7 Tom Dowell BIA Letter to the Pala Executive Committee

Pala Disenrollment Letters

The Pala Executive Committee which is also the Pala Enrollment Committee has issued another disenrollment letter to re-finalize their final decision they made final.  Did I mention they made yet another final decision?

Here is the first letter they sent to 154 tribal members dated February 3rd, 2012.  Notice that no specific reason was given for the disenrollments.  They make mention of reviewing enrollment information but if they truly reviewed all the information we submitted they would have determined we should remain enrolled.

I alone submitted over 50 pages of documentation which they didn't even look at.  I know many other family members also submitted all sorts of documentation.


3 Feb 2012 Pala Disenrollment Letter



This next letter dated June 7th, 2012 attempts to imply that since the BIA did not offer a recommendation within 30 days of our disenrollment the disenrollments are therefore finalized.

However anyone with common sense knows this isn't how the appeals process works.  Yes, we had 30 days from the date of disenrollment to appeal that decision to the BIA.  We did appeal within 30 days to the BIA.  However, the BIA took 4 months to respond to the appeal.  We have no control over how long the BIA will take to respond to an appeal.  It could have taken longer.


7 June 2012 Pala Disenrollment Letter


On June 7th, 2012 the BIA recommended that all 154 disenrolled tribal members should remain on Pala's rolls.


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


The Pala Enrollment Committee issued a 3rd disenrollment letter on July 2nd, 2012.  This one states they received the BIA recommendation but they claim since we submitted "no new evidence" the disenrollments are final.  We submitted all sorts of documentation.  They chose to ignore it.


2 July 2012 Pala Disenrollment Letter


We know the Pala Executive Committee's purpose was to disenroll Margarita Brittain descendents.  No written reason was ever given as to why we were disenrolled.  Verbally it has been stated that we have no proof of who Mararita's father was. 

We actually do have proof including but not limited to the Individual Family History Card for Merced Nolasquez that shows the father of Margarita to be Pelegrino Ortega.

None of our documentation mattered.  We remain the only family group that I know of being asked to prove who the parents are of a 1913 Roll allottee.  No one is asking who the father of Sylvario Nolasquez was.