Miwok Standoff for Tribal Rights

[BlackWolf]

Does anyone no whats the story with whats going on now with the Miwok people in California?  This story was recently brought to my attention.

Yesterday I spoke with Silvia Burley of the Miwok people in California. It seems that there are a group of greedy people that want to evict these people from their land to build a casino. Apparently a group of people (one a tribe/former tribe member) claimed that they were the ones in charge of the tribal business and signed papers in a casino deal where only the small group of people and their investors would profit, literally leaving the other members of this small tribe homeless. From what Tiger and Silvia told me they are barricading themselves in on the property. These are not rich people, but Chadd Everone and his cronies are and they have influence with the BIA and are actually trying to have this federally recognized tribe disbanded in order to further their claims to the land.

The Miwok Tribe is fighting a private developer and the Bureau of Indian Affairs from building a Casino that they say violates their tribal rights. Silvia Burley, Miwok tribal Chairperson, and others barricaded themselves in tribal offices in the face of an eviction notice several days ago.

http://www.opednews.com/populum/print_friendly.php?p=13549

http://grantlawrence.blogspot.com/2009/06/subject-any-body-live-in-stockton-ca.html

[BlackWolf]

This situation with the California Valley Miwok Tribe is really disturbing. I recently spoke with Tribal Chairperson Silvia Burley on the phone and she told me that their tribe needs grassroots support.  So I'm trying to spread the word for them.

The BIA is basically trying to dis-band and replace them with a new tribe so they can place a casino
there.  They are a very small Federally Recognized Tribe in California and needs as much support as they can get.  The person who signed the Casino deal was not in any way part of the Tribal Goverment.  The developer of the Casino wants to build the Casino for Capital Gains and is working with the Central California Agency BIA and is assiting him in trying to take over the Tribe. If this happens the Tribe will loose its heritage and cease to exist as a Tribe.  Please stand in Unity with the California Miwok Tribe.  This situation could happen to other Tribes here in the United States.  They have also recently lost their funding.  Everyone please spread the word with your Tribal leaders, and fellow Indians. 

If anyone has questions, they can email her directly here.
<s.burley@californiavalleymiwoktribe-nsn.gov>

[BlackWolf]

http://www.californiavalleymiwoktribe-nsn.gov/