Bill Bembenek Gets A New Job

Danville, Illinois Casino Team Includes Ex-Pala CEO, Former State Legislative Leader

Excerpt:

Another member of the Haven team will be Bill Bembenek. The University of Illinois graduate most recently served 10 years as the CEO of the Pala Casino Spa and Resort. His tenure at Pala, which is located about an hour north of San Diego, ended late last year.

The casino rendering Haven officials presented to Williams and other Danville officials looked very similar to the Pala casino.

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The Sacramento Bee - What is a ‘California Indian tribe’?

Interesting article in the Sacramento Bee:

What is a ‘California Indian tribe’? How a proposed law unearthed a decades-old wound

BY HANNAH WILEY
AUGUST 05, 2019

Excerpt:

Ramos used a legal definition for “tribe” outlined in the 2001 California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which states a “California Indian Tribe” must be federally recognized. If it’s not, the tribe must be in the petitioning process for recognition or be eligible to apply for the status.

That definition contradicts laws from 2004 and 2014 that define a California tribe as federally or non-federally recognized, as long as it’s on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission.

There are only 109 federally recognized tribes in California, with another 55 without the status, according to a 2016 commission report. Many of the unrecognized tribes either had their status terminated beginning in the 1950s under a handful of congressional acts, or were never federally recognized.

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Pala News

Thanks to folks in the comment section for pointing out some news coming out of Pala.

Here are the links:



July 5, 2019 Press Enterprise - Pala Casino, Spa & Resort cancels remainder of themed pool party events



July 9, 2019 Fox5 Man wounded in shooting at Pala Indian Reservation