Free Republic

More than 200 California Indians, claiming they've been banished from their tribes by greedy or power-mad tribal leaders, on Wednesday asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to halt compact negotiations with gambling tribes until they establish independent tribal courts to deal with membership disputes. California Indians For Justice, a coalition of 14 tribes, converged on the north steps of the Capitol to protest a wave of disenrollments they say is cutting the hearts out of Indian people. In recent years, several thousand California Indians have been kicked out of their tribes or denied official membership, often because they challenged the ruling faction,...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - The split between the haves and the have-nots among California tribes widened Wednesday, when disenfranchised Indians formed a new organization and asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to halt casino negotiations until tribes create courts to resolve membership disputes. Several hundred Indians gathered on the Capitol steps to begin collecting signatures for an appeal to Schwarzenegger, and for a petition asking Congress to hold a hearing on current law that gives tribal councils nearly unfettered freedom to decide who belongs to a tribe. "As soon as they get casinos, they start looking to kick people out," said Eddie Vedolla...

TallBear: Can DNA determine who is American Indian? Posted: December 03, 2003 - 8:07am EST by: Kim TallBear / Associate / Red Nation Consulting There is talk in Indian country about how DNA can decide tribal enrollment and prove American Indian ancestry. Some of this is coming from DNA testing companies anxious to sell costly services to tribes. Self-determined tribes struggling to control identities and resources must make decisions about the risks and benefits of DNA testing. Some tribal decision-makers display healthy skepticism as they talk about the complicated nature of identity, family, and community. Biological connection is not...