Chukchansi Gold Casino Hit with Protests Against Disenrollment
On Saturday, outside the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, near Fresno, Calif., approximately 100 individuals were observed protesting against the establishment's owner, the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians.
According to YourCentralValley.com, the protesters gathered in large numbers to resist the Chukchansi's method of disenrollment. They assert that the policy is an assault by the tribe against its own members, driven by the desire for casino profits.
Approximately 80 of the 567 federally recognized tribes in America are reported to have disenrolled members, with the Chukchansi Tribe being among the most severe violators.
Since its opening in 2003, the casino has barred over half of its members, including individuals with documented heritage, families descended from the tribal founders, and some of the remaining fluent speakers of the tribal language.
What does Disenrollment mean?
The practice removes the citizenship of members and their descendants from a tribal nation, as well as the related benefits like housing, healthcare, and their portion of casino profits.
Disenrollment is seemingly utilized to amend tribal rolls and maintain the tribe's integrity, yet critics argue that some tribes exploit it as a means of political or economic leverage.
Demonstrators who talked to YourCentralValley.com on Saturday asserted that this situation applies to the Chukchansi Tribe, which informed 49 members in mid-March of their impending expulsion.
"We lost our home because of this,” one man, who preferred to remain anonymous, said. “My kids had to move schools and most importantly my kids are losing their heritage.”
In 2019, Casino.org reported that 60 members had been removed from the list. In numerous instances, the disenrollments took place amid competing factions vying for dominance over the tribal council and its casino riches.
According to a 2022 estimation, the casino brings in approximately $43.7 million in annual revenue. Since its inception in 2003, the tribe has removed over half of its members from enrollment.
“We have provided paper documentation – proving our identity with Chukchansi. Yet they turn a blind eye because they’re trying to increase their per capita payments,” former tribal board member Claudia Gonzales told YourCentralValley.com.
Casino.org reached out to the tribe for a response but had not received any feedback by the time of publication.
2014 Armed Seizure
In October 2014, this conflict escalated into violence when roughly 20 armed individuals from an opposing faction invaded the casino following a contested election.
While casino visitors sought refuge, the attackers forced security guards at gunpoint into a secure part of the building where they were handcuffed and allegedly beaten.
The men stated they had invaded the casino seeking accounts that were past due for submission to the National Indian Gaming Commission in order to prevent incurring a penalty for late filing.
A federal judge mandated the casino to shut down, which it did for more than a year, resulting in significant losses for the tribe.
The coup leader, Tex McDonald, received a sentence of 485 days for false imprisonment.
