Print
Subscribe
Editorial: Supreme Court passes on sovereignty
Monday, May 29, 2006
"Tribes naturally guard their sovereignty jealously and resist any effort to slice away at it, yet the idea that they are completely sovereign is disproved at many turns
In deciding not to hear a case involving the Pechanga Indians last week, the U.S. Supreme Court missed a prime opportunity to help clarify the muddle that surrounds the complex issue of Indian sovereignty, to establish a policy roadmap that could have helped guide state, federal and even local governments deep into this century.
The question before the court was simple enough: Do California courts have jurisdiction over tribal enrollments? An extended family recently ousted from the tribe had sued to stop the process. A state trial court said yes, an appeals court said no and the state Supreme Court basically shrugged and said "Don't ask us.""
Get the Story:
A missed opportunity
(The Californian 5/28)
Case Documents:
Salinas
v. LaMere (Native American Rights Fund)
California Appeals Court Decision:
Lamere
v. Superior Court (August 8, 2005)
Relevant Links:
Pechanga Tribal Disenrollment -
http://www.pechanga.info
Bureau-of-Indian-Affairs.com, Disenrollment site -
http://www.bureau-of-indian-affairs.com
Related Stories:
Pechanga Band calls refusal of membership case a
win (5/24)
Tribal membership
case rejected by U.S. Supreme Court (5/23)
Billy Mills to address rights summit in California
(5/16)
California Indians protest
removal from tribes (05/01)
Campbell
amendment put to test in court case (4/21)
Another Pechanga family faces removal from
tribe (03/21)
Ousted Pechangas take case
to U.S. Supreme Court (3/17)
Identity
Theft: California Indians lose tribal rights (01/26)
BIA asked to rule on rancheria membership dispute
(1/20)
Disenrolled Indians to hold rally
in Palm Springs (1/10)
Disenrolled
Pechangas to take case to Supreme Court (12/15)
Per capita payments under tribal, federal
scrutiny (09/26)
Court won't take on
tribal enrollment dispute (9/14)
Pechanga Band says money not behind enrollment
(08/10)
Disenrollment suit dismissed in
California (8/9)
Ousted Pechangas plan
appeal of enrollment lawsuit (8/9)
Disenrolled Pechangas seek $38M in damages
(08/04)
Pechanga Band enrollment dispute
closely watched (07/11)
Court hears
Pechanga Band enrollment dispute (7/7)
McKosato: Greed behind ouster of tribal members
(05/23)
Opinion: Gaming has turned
tribes on other tribes (5/20)
Ousted
Redding Rancheria members head to forum (5/19)
Forum calls attention to tribal disenrollments
(5/18)
Family fights disenrollment from
Sauk-Suiattle Tribe (5/18)
California AIM
blames greed for mass disenrollments (5/16)
Editorial: Disenrollment becoming too common
(04/01)
Ousted Pechangas file another
lawsuit against tribe (03/28)
California
tribe changes status of some members (3/28)
Pechanga Band avoids dedication of city park
(03/09)
Woman ejected from Pechanga Band in
despair (01/27)
County investigates
shooting on Pechanga land (01/14)
State
judge won't dismiss lawsuit over tribal enrollment (07/27)
Pechanga Band votes to retain Macarro as chairman
(07/19)
Battle for top Pechanga post
heats up before vote (7/16)
Disenrolled
tribal members call for more oversight (07/15)
Ousted tribal members appeal to Pechanga
council (07/02)
Pechanga chairman faces
election challenge (07/02)
Judge
weighs ruling in Pechanga disenrollment (04/20)
2,000 California Indians face disenrollment
(04/14)
Pechanga descendants protest
against enrollment policy (04/06)
Opinion: Greed, spite, history behind
disenrollment (4/5)
Opinion: Calif.
tribes disenrolling more people (4/1)
Pechanga tribal committee disenrolls 130
people (03/22)
Calif. judge waits on
Pechanga enrollment dispute (02/18)
Calif. judge delays Pechanga Tribe's
disenrollment (02/05)
Judge won't
protect 130 from disenrollment (2/3)
Case tests Pechanga Tribe's right to disenroll
130 (02/02)
Adopted man protests
exclusion Pechanga Tribe (01/15)
Pechanga tribe threatens to cut off
newspaper (03/14)
Pechanga disenrollment campaign to
continue (02/25)
Pechanga
chairman surprised by his 'racist' statement (2/24)
Copyright © 2000-2006 Indianz.Com
