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speaking from the center 03/18/2011 4:28:00 AM
well its no surprise for those of us that attended the meeting to hear the first response to the critieria that anthony rivera and the tribel councel submitted to the goverment which fell well short according to anthony rivera and councel it was done intentionly it did not make any sence to many of us but then it started for those of us who would question his reasoning.the majority of the tribe were to approve every disicion made by tribel councel. the begining of our denile of recegntion and the attemted distruction of our people NOT our people have survived the spaniards,mexico,anglos, and who ever else inbetween or after . after all that then continued lying to to the tribel members that trusted him up to the last minute . we were told that 84-b were intristed partys when in fact 84-b would recieve comunications reregarding 84-a as an intristed party what a surprize but then showing his real colors durring this course of time nothing should surprize the juaneno people . as for uniting it is in motion blood quantoms,roll numbers,lienialcy letters of land distrubution should qualifie our people not bend over backwards to apease the goverment ware did it get you anthony and your dwendeling followers all are wellcome unite do whats right. all for one . united we stand devided we fall
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Tracylobo1 02/16/2011 5:42:00 PM
David and Cha Cha showed up my mon's house in the 80's, saying he needed info about our dad because he wanted to write a book about him, the ONLY Chief of that tribe C. LOBO, my whole family and I were there to witness this, what a mistake. Still waiting to see the BOOK !!!!
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Tracylobo1 02/16/2011 5:39:00 PM
David and Cha Cha showed up my mon's house in the 80's, saying he needed info about our dad because he wanted to write a book about him, the ONLY Chief of that tribe C. LOBO, my whole family and I were there to witness this, what a mistake. Still waiting to see the BOOK !!!!
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speaking from the center 02/12/2011 4:22:00 PM
The truth of the matter is Anthony Rivera only has a blood quantum of 1/16.
Therefore, he should have never been allowed to run for office. At that time, our constitution read that one had to have a blood quantum of 1/8, at the very least, to run for any office in the tribal counsel. In fact, even to vote, one had to have a blood quantum of at least 1/8. Our people, the tribe, believe that our election comittee knew that Anthony Rivera did not meet the requirements for this position, yet he was allowed to run anyway. Does it not seem odd that the election This is an injustice! At one of the last meetings, it was believed by many that Anthony Rivera's goal was to thin the tribe by kicking out members who did not reach certain requirements. He was exposed by his own blood Aunt, who was so disgusted by these antics, she revealed a chart to the tribal hall that proved, he himself, only has a 1/6 blood quantam. More, in order for one to win the election, one has to win the majority of the votes. How can one hold one's office position if one kicks out the majority of the people that voted one in that position? Is not one then HOLDING OFFICE ILLEGALLY? OUR PEPLE ARE UNITING! ALL JUANENOS BROTHERS AND SISTERS KNOW THIS... COME FORWARD, STEP UP! THIS FEDERAL RECOGNITION IS FOR OUR CHILDREN NOW. WE ARE AJACHEMEN, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS! WE WILL ALWAYS BE! DO WHAT YOUR HEART SAYS: WALK AND TALK LIKE WE USED TO, SHARE THE STORIES, LAUGH TIOGETHER LIKE WE USED TO BEFORE ANTHONY AND HIS HANDFULL OF CONSPIRATORS TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY COMMIT GENOCIDE! UNITE, UNITE, UNITE ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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WatchnU 05/07/2010 9:05:00 AM
Anthony Rivera is a snake, he slithers through the grass like a predator!!
Careful the Hawk is watching you!
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Elizabeth Arreguin 02/20/2010 4:44:00 AM
I'm one of the Dis-enrolled Juaneno Mission Indians. I'm very sadden by the person(s) who claim to be our Chief. I feel like our tribe is in limbo because of all this petty arguing about who is a true Juaneno Indian. My grandfather, Anise Bracamontes, told me stories of my great grandmother being a full blooded Juaneno and I felt such pride. Now my heart aches for all of us. I hope we can come together soon and become one tribe. For my grandchildrens sake.
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White Cloud 03/26/2009 4:14:00 AM
What is going on here is that you see these spinter groups,why because of inside culture differences,voting fraud,only certian members cousins are allowed to vote,how I know this..Hello my name is Dusty Otero I have live in san juan capistrano 56 years and I date back all the way to prior 1840.My great great grandfather p[lanted the first orange tree here in the 3 river valley we call sjc.I have been wanting all these groups to come together since I strated going to rivera's group back in 2005.I was told by wick lobo,who I seen at the Walnut Grove resturant ..get back to your group and dont get left out..well I have always been with this group,so I started going to my Indian meetings again..
Once I got a belly full of the recognition process from our big leader Anthony rivera,I started asking question,hay dont we need money to get recognized,well after a year of him saying we had no money..no investers he was takeing money from investers and not telling us that there was thousands of $$$ being given to our group..The only signal of the group showing any money was comming in was this stupid pie chart that Lobo had at our monthly meetings..I got mad one day and got up and walked out,,now 1 1/2 years later I have studied all about this recognition proccess,and anyone from the group can call washington to find out what is going on.but there like lost sheep ba ba ba ba fallowing a lieing,2 faced leader Anthony rivera is hiding money and useing investers money saying he is going to get a casino,,as we speak,Now see why there are 4 factions,,everyone or almost every leader in charge is out for them selfs..I deep down in my heart know of one leader who wants and has been trying to bring all the groups together that is Sally wright,she once us all Acjachemen nation to be federally Recognized,and has been trying so hard to talk with rivers,but he wants to be the big shot,rolling the dice in Washington at a risk for all of the members in all the groups who could not be recognized if he fails,,thats not fair,,I ask him one time I hope you read this Anthony Why dont you sit down with all these groups and work things out for the members sake,he said no we are the one and only group,and I wouldnt give them the time of day even if they sent me flowers,wow how selfish is that..
I want this man,this redical leader stopped now,I hope the Spirit,the True Spirit hears me crying out to the Planet Mother Earth,Help us bring this all together for the whole Acjachemen Nation.
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White Cloud 03/26/2009 4:13:00 AM
What is going on here is that you see these spinter groups,why because of inside culture differences,voting fraud,only certian members cousins are allowed to vote,how I know this..Hello my name is Dusty Otero I have live in san juan capistrano 56 years and I date back all the way to prior 1840.My great great grandfather p[lanted the first orange tree here in the 3 river valley we call sjc.I have been wanting all these groups to come together since I strated going to rivera's group back in 2005.I was told by wick lobo,who I seen at the Walnut Grove resturant ..get back to your group and dont get left out..well I have always been with this group,so I started going to my Indian meetings again..
Once I got a belly full of the recognition process from our big leader Anthony rivera,I started asking question,hay dont we need money to get recognized,well after a year of him saying we had no money..no investers he was takeing money from investers and not telling us that there was thousands of $$$ being given to our group..The only signal of the group showing any money was comming in was this stupid pie chart that Lobo had at our monthly meetings..I got mad one day and got up and walked out,,now 1 1/2 years later I have studied all about this recognition proccess,and anyone from the group can call washington to find out what is going on.but there like lost sheep ba ba ba ba fallowing a lieing,2 faced leader Anthony rivera is hiding money and useing investers money saying he is going to get a casino,,as we speak,Now see why there are 4 factions,,everyone or almost every leader in charge is out for them selfs..I deep down in my heart know of one leader who wants and has been trying to bring all the groups together that is Sally wright,she once us all Acjachemen nation to be federally Recognized,and has been trying so hard to talk with rivers,but he wants to be the big shot,rolling the dice in Washington at a risk for all of the members in all the groups who could not be recognized if he fails,,thats not fair,,I ask him one time I hope you read this Anthony Why dont you sit down with all these groups and work things out for the members sake,he said no we are the one and only group,and I wouldnt give them the time of day even if they sent me flowers,wow how selfish is that..
I want this man,this redical leader stopped now,I hope the Spirit,the True Spirit hears me crying out to the Planet Mother Earth,Help us bring this all together for the whole Acjachemen Nation.
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White Cloud 03/26/2009 4:13:00 AM
What is going on here is that you see these spinter groups,why because of inside culture differences,voting fraud,only certian members cousins are allowed to vote,how I know this..Hello my name is Dusty Otero I have live in san juan capistrano 56 years and I date back all the way to prior 1840.My great great grandfather p[lanted the first orange tree here in the 3 river valley we call sjc.I have been wanting all these groups to come together since I strated going to rivera's group back in 2005.I was told by wick lobo,who I seen at the Walnut Grove resturant ..get back to your group and dont get left out..well I have always been with this group,so I started going to my Indian meetings again..
Once I got a belly full of the recognition process from our big leader Anthony rivera,I started asking question,hay dont we need money to get recognized,well after a year of him saying we had no money..no investers he was takeing money from investers and not telling us that there was thousands of $$$ being given to our group..The only signal of the group showing any money was comming in was this stupid pie chart that Lobo had at our monthly meetings..I got mad one day and got up and walked out,,now 1 1/2 years later I have studied all about this recognition proccess,and anyone from the group can call washington to find out what is going on.but there like lost sheep ba ba ba ba fallowing a lieing,2 faced leader Anthony rivera is hiding money and useing investers money saying he is going to get a casino,,as we speak,Now see why there are 4 factions,,everyone or almost every leader in charge is out for them selfs..I deep down in my heart know of one leader who wants and has been trying to bring all the groups together that is Sally wright,she once us all Acjachemen nation to be federally Recognized,and has been trying so hard to talk with rivers,but he wants to be the big shot,rolling the dice in Washington at a risk for all of the members in all the groups who could not be recognized if he fails,,thats not fair,,I ask him one time I hope you read this Anthony Why dont you sit down with all these groups and work things out for the members sake,he said no we are the one and only group,and I wouldnt give them the time of day even if they sent me flowers,wow how selfish is that..
I want this man,this redical leader stopped now,I hope the Spirit,the True Spirit hears me crying out to the Planet Mother Earth,Help us bring this all together for the whole Acjachemen Nation.
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Payala 02/27/2009 12:02:00 AM
The truth about the not so real "Casino Indian" David Belardes, read this article:
Sep. 18, 2007 - 7:10 PM EST updated
By: Ben Smith and Samuel Loewenberg Back To Story Page �
Promoting Indian gaming hasn�t typically been considered an altruistic venture � particularly on K Street, where greed and gambling met to produce a low point for the lobbying industry, the Jack Abramoff scandal.
But one of Washington�s most powerful lobbying firms has apparently taken up, for a relative pittance, the high-stakes cause of a one-time tribal leader whose bid for recognition, if successful, could permit him to open the first Indian casino in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
The lobbying by Barbour Griffith & Rogers is raising eyebrows on K Street and among American Indian groups in part because of the unusual client and payment arrangements.
Instead of listing the tribe, the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians, as its client, BGR lists a little-known Texas lobbying firm, Hard Count Inc. And disclosure forms, along with the client�s comments, show that BGR is working for a fraction of its usual fee.
The firm typically charges from $15,000 to $50,000 and more per month for its lobbying services.
And some of BGR�s heaviest hitters have registered to lobby on Juaneno recognition, including founder Edward M. Rogers, a former senior political aide to President George H.W. Bush; Daniel Murphy, a top Housing and Urban Development official under the first President Bush; and two former senior officials of the current administration: Eric Burgeson, who was chief of staff at the Department of Energy, and Robert Wood, who was chief of staff at the Department of Health and Human Services.
On the firm�s lobbying disclosure form for the first six months of 2007, BGR reported earning less than $10,000 for its work, which began some time around April. At issue is a 25-year battle by the Juaneno band to be recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The bureau is in the final stages of its decision-making process and is expected to make a ruling within weeks. If the Juanenos� claim of ancestral territory in Southern California is recognized, the tribe could open a casino in what is potentially one of the most lucrative gaming markets in the country.
The gap between BGR�s muscle and its price tag has raised allegations, from other tribal factions and from opponents of Juaneno recognition, that BGR stands to gain from what could be an enormously lucrative Los Angeles casino.
Suspicion is fueled by Hard Count�s contract. Its president, Billy Horton, is in line to receive 5 percent of the tribe�s business revenue for seven years if, at any point, the annual revenue exceeds $10 million.
Such contingency arrangements are not illegal, but they are unusual in the lobbying community. BGR officials say they are receiving only a small monthly retainer now.
But they demurred when asked if future payments could include percentages of tribal businesses. �Barbour Griffith & Rogers is not being paid by any gaming or casino interests for its work on behalf of Hard Count and the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians,� BGR�s Burgeson said in an e-mail.
Horton said BGR is doing the work because they were moved by the cause of his client.
�They basically felt compelled to help us [because] these guys are getting the shaft,� said Horton, who represents an ousted chairman of the tribe, David Belardes.
Horton said he and BGR are working both for the tribe�s recognition and to restore Belardes� leadership status. Rather than a casino, Horton said, Belardes� first priority would be to expand the tribe�s museum.
But Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.), who represents Orange County and opposes the idea of putting a casino in his district, scoffed at such good-hearted motivations. �There is nothing charitable about these Indian casino deals � this is all about very, very, very big money,� he said.
Horton said that he had met Belardes through a family connection and that he and BGR are both motivated by the alleged wrong done Belardes, whose �identity was stolen� by his rivals for the potentially lucrative tribal designation.
The tribe�s leaders say they and the thousand or more members are descendants of Indians who lived for thousands of years in the part of Southern California now known as Orange County, and whose downfall began with the arrival of Spanish missionaries in 1769.
The websites of various tribal factions agree that their troubles with the federal government extend from the 19th century to the present and that they deserve recognition as an autonomous nation, a status that would � they say incidentally � permit them to open and operate casinos.
But the tribe has been plagued by internal divisions. Belardes was ejected from the tribe in 1997 after losing a leadership battle, and the tribe subsequently split into at least three feuding groups.
The federal government currently recognizes a group labeled 84(a) and led by Anthony Rivera as its primary interlocutor, though Belardes claims that the group he leads deserves that designation. Belardes is also in talks with at least one other faction, known as 84(b), about reunification, said Sonja Johnson, an official of that faction.
Belardes did not respond to several messages left for him at his home and office in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Rivera, who � like Belardes and at least one other tribal leader � claims the title of chairman of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians, dismissed Belardes� complaints as sour grapes and called Belardes� arrangement to share revenues with Horton �outrageous� and �desperate.�
Horton, in turn, accused Rivera of being on the payroll of gambling investors and demanded to know how he was paying his own Washington lobbyists.
Rivera�s lobbyist, Paul Moorehead, a former chief counsel to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, reported being paid $20,000 in his 2007 midyear disclosure form. Rivera denied having any connection to gaming but said he would not disclose the identity of donors to the tribe.
Rivera also condemned the choice of BGR, which is controversial in Indian country for its work on behalf of a successful drive to revoke the sovereignty of two Indian tribes in Connecticut in 2005.
�If he can�t get his way, he�s going to find a way to oppose our petition, and the best way to do that is to turn to BGR,� Rivera said of Belardes.
Horton denied the charge. �[The lobbyists�] commitment is to assist in any way they can with the Belardes petition,� he said, referring to the original 1982 petition. �You either, as a tribe, win or lose together.�
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Payala 02/26/2009 11:27:00 PM
Prior to the 1928 Ca Indian Census the ancestors of Teodosio Belardes and Ramona Yorba claimed to be from either MX or Spain. That is a fact. The so called "Casino Indians" Belardes refers to know the history that is David Belardes, that he is not Juaneno. He claims Rivera's group are trying to drive out their opponents for monetary gain, the truth is that Belardes, Perry, and O'Campo are not Juaneno so why should they remain? As the article states David opened the door to Casino's now he is bitter because they no longer deal with him because they know whom he is not. He is right, no one can take his ancestry from him, his family know who they are. They are of mexcian/spanish ancestry and no one wants to take that from them but how dare they try to steal an ancestry that is not theirs! Perry claims that old families that have been disenrolled are Juaneno's yet a certified genealogist has the documentation that proves they aren't or they would not have been disenrolled. It is not a question, it is fact. Perry also states that she and her group are adamant about not allowing the BIA to define "their" tribe and this is because she knows that she nor Belardes do not have any blood link back to a Juaneno ancestor. In regards to O'Campo, his genealogy was also completed and the ancestor's he claimed were of Juaneno descent were not, they were of mexican/spanish ancestry as was Belardes and O'Campo has admitted this to his Tribal Council and several members of his group. O'Campo should be disappointed in himself and should have stepped aside a long time ago when this news was brought to the forefront, instead he tried to join forces with Belardes and they both sought out investor's to help them retain control. The Sepulveda/Johnston group split off from O'Campo when Johnston lost an election. The truth about the Sepulveda/Johnston group is that the only descendant's of "real" Juaneno's on their Tribal Council are Johnston and the Member at Large, Alfred Cruz. The rest are also proven to be of mexican/spanish ancestry as well as both faction's followers. I doubt either O'Campo's or Johnston/Sepulveda's groups have 20 documented Juaneno's in their group. Rivera's group is the "legal" governing group that has proven their enrolled members are descended from the historical Juaneno Indians and perhaps what Rivera should do is what O'Campo suggested with a twist: Have all of his members sign a petition demanding Belardes. Perry, and O'Campo provide real documented valid proof of the Juaneno Ancestor they link to, either put up or shut up and go away and allow those that are descendant's to attain recognition that THEY deserve!!!!!!
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kat 02/26/2009 9:41:00 PM
this is unbelievable!! Joe O'Campo knows he is not Juaneno, and has said he will step aside because he knew it and now he is saying something else. He has known for almost 2 years now, and he still sits there like he is. And as for the Belardes tribe accusing Anthony of being casino driven, is unreal. It is well known Belardes even as recent as a year ago had people paying him, for promises of percent of profit from a casino, hmm hard count i think. they ditched him to!!
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Elizabeth Arreguin 02/25/2009 1:42:00 AM
To whom it may concern; I've been fighting for my heritage since I was a young girl. I don't know who is the true leader of the Juaneno Indian's but what I do know is this need's to be resolved soon for our children. How many more years do we have to wait to be recognized? This name calling is for children... I'm really angry and embarrassed at those who call themselves our leaders. The time is now, to face reality!
