Greg Sarris at Bioneers ???

I just got my Bioneers catalog for the Oct 19-21 event in San Rafael.

I was shocked to see Greg Sarris, Tribal Chairman of the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria and professor at Sonoma State University, listed as a speaker at the Oct 19 Plenary.

My comments are not a personal attack on Mr. Sarris. I'm sure as a University Professor, author, and Chairman of the Graton Rancheria, he is intelligent, has honor, and compassion, especially for those he represents.

However, in my opinion, he is screwing the rest of us, in his leadership of the hughly unfortunate and destructive casino and hotel in Rohnert Park. This monstrosity looks like it will be built, due to politics: the casino law passed by the State of CA, and the acquiescence of the legislature and Gov Brown. Screw the local building codes. Screw the water table. Screw the animals and people who live around here.

Does two wrongs make a right? Does the fact the the Indian tribes who landed here years ago, were screwed out of their land, justify the descendants of those Indian tribes to desecrate parts of the same land, and build a monstrous casino and hotel? Does the trickle down of money to Graton Rancheria descendants justify the financing from Las Vegas, and the social and environmental costs to all, for this desecration? What happened to the native regard and respect for the land, the critters on the land, and the natural life cycle?

That's all been documented. What I cannot understand is why Bioneers invited him to speak. Bioneers has not responded to my email asking for their reasoning in inviting him. Inviting Mr. Sarris is tantamount to inviting Monsanto or Waste Management to Bioneers, to tell us all the wonderful things they are doing for the environment, while you know they are speaking with two tongues.

Any comments?

Have you read any of Sarris' books or other writings? Highly recommended, especially if you have an interest in local history. (My favorite is Mabel McKay - Weaving the Dream. Watermelon Nights is finely crafted, as is Grand Avenue. I learned a lot from the paper Keeping Slug Woman Alive.) Once you have, maybe you'll understand why Bioneers might have invited him.

Further, if Sarris has any say in the design of the buildings, they have a good chance of being quite beautiful - perhaps enough to overcome the negatives. I hope so. (Does anyone know anything about the design? Who's the architect?) It might become a great venue for good shows too - again, I hope so.

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by tommy:

I just got my Bioneers catalog for the Oct 19-21 event in San Rafael.

I was shocked to see Greg Sarris, Tribal Chairman of the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria and professor at Sonoma State University, listed as a speaker at the Oct 19 Plenary.

My comments are not a personal attack on Mr. Sarris. I'm sure as a University Professor, author, and Chairman of the Graton Rancheria, he is intelligent, has honor, and compassion, especially for those he represents.

However, in my opinion, he is screwing the rest of us, in his leadership of the hughly unfortunate and destructive casino and hotel in Rohnert Park. This monstrosity looks like it will be built, due to politics: the casino law passed by the State of CA, and the acquiescence of the legislature and Gov Brown. Screw the local building codes. Screw the water table. Screw the animals and people who live around here.

Does two wrongs make a right? Does the fact the the Indian tribes who landed here years ago, were screwed out of their land, justify the descendants of those Indian tribes to desecrate parts of the same land, and build a monstrous casino and hotel? Does the trickle down of money to Graton Rancheria descendants justify the financing from Las Vegas, and the social and environmental costs to all, for this desecration? What happened to the native regard and respect for the land, the critters on the land, and the natural life cycle?

That's all been documented. What I cannot understand is why Bioneers invited him to speak. Bioneers has not responded to my email asking for their reasoning in inviting him. Inviting Mr. Sarris is tantamount to inviting Monsanto or Waste Management to Bioneers, to tell us all the wonderful things they are doing for the environment, while you know they are speaking with two tongues.

Any comments?

---

I just went on line & read Bioneers' description of Greg Sarris:

The Tribal Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and professor of Native American Studies at Sonoma State University will describe how his people (descendants of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo) are using their understanding that they have always been a part of the natural world to embark on a major commitment to position themselves as “keepers of the land” once again. Using ancient ethics and aesthetics of place, bolstered by casino revenues, the 1,300 member tribe has partnered with county and state officials to secure and restore large tracts of open space, as well as to convert local farms to the production of organic produce for the low-income and needy, thus creating a model of local restoration and sustainability.

That looks like sufficient reason to invite him, & good reason to listen to him.

The casino issue isn't as simple as environmentalists wish it were. One of the reason tribes in general & the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria in particular pursue casino projects is because they have no real alternative pathways to economic power. Greg Sarris explored organic farming & other entrepreneurial ideas before seeking the casino. As he explained to me, banks don't give development loans to poor Indian tribes. Casino backers do.

I'm in love with the Laguna. I'd rather not see one more blade of grass disturbed. But I abstain from opposing this project. I once told Greg Sarris that if they'd kick Wal-Mart out of their building & put their casino there, I'd support it. I don't favor casinos, in essence, but it disturbs me that I don't see comparably vehement, almost fanatical opposition to conversion of orchards & forests to vineyards. Whatever suffering casinos cause, alcohol abuse causes more. Whatever the environmental impact of the casino, deforestation is far worse.

What particularly irks me is that I have yet to hear any person or group opposed to the casino on environmental, family values, or other grounds offer to finance an alternative project. That would be a real solution, devoid of racism, supportive of an environmentally benign & socially progressive path. Without a willingness to seek another way for the tribe to prosper, I think opposition is unfair.

I'm personally horrified by dozens of detrimental changes in our county's environment, enacted lawfully to serve economic ends that seem trivial compared to the needs of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. Until we're ready to stop all of them, I suggest respectfully listening to what Greg Sarris has to say, at Bioneers & at any other opportunity.

I support your concern for the environment, Tommy, but telling the Indians what they can or cannot do on their own continent is not an appropriate response. You could have a much more positive effect on the environment by influencing the white majority to clean up their (our) act than by opposing Indians' rights to do what they want on their own land. As a whitey myself, I invite any white folks who are terribly bothered by Indians' activities to move "back" to Europe (even if you've never actually been there, LOL). As uninvited "guests" (invaders) on this continent, it's just not appropriate to presume that our comfort, our aesthetic sensibilities, or even our concern for the environment trumps Indians' self-determination. Love it or leave it.

Thank you for your piece on "the other side".

It is beyond me how Sarris could say he is a "keeper of the land" with this destructive and unpopular project. No doubt he is as talented as any spinmeiser in turning the tables to position the casino/hotel as a good thing, rather than the ugly thing that most people know it is.

As to what "irks" you that there is no "financing of an alternative project"... who can complete with developers from Las Vegas? It's not much different in Sebastopol, where Chase and CVS propose to build a drive thru bank and drug store on a sensitive corner that is supposed to be "pedestrial oriented". More popular and desirable is a project of small eclectic stores, cafes, and wine bars more typical of Sebastopol than a bank and drug store that represent the aesthetics and financial interests of a Hwy 80 Sacramento strip mall developer. Yet what local eclectic store owner can offer the financing, and capital improvements that Chase and CVS can offer? The answer is none, or hardly any. There is hardly any alternative to the mega millions that Sarris and his tribe have found to finance this turkey. It's just like there was hardly any alternative to Mubarak for years, or the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

The only alternative is referenced by Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has"

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by sandoak:

I just went on line & read Bioneers' description of Greg Sarris:

The Tribal Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and professor of Native American Studies at Sonoma State University will describe how his people (descendants of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo) are using their understanding that they have always been a part of the natural world to embark on a major commitment to position themselves as “keepers of the land” once again. Using ancient ethics and aesthetics of place, bolstered by casino revenues, the 1,300 member tribe has partnered with county and state officials to secure and restore large tracts of open space, as well as to convert local farms to the production of organic produce for the low-income and needy, thus creating a model of local restoration and sustainability.

That looks like sufficient reason to invite him, & good reason to listen to him.

The casino issue isn't as simple as environmentalists wish it were. One of the reason tribes in general & the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria in particular pursue casino projects is because they have no real alternative pathways to economic power. Greg Sarris explored organic farming & other entrepreneurial ideas before seeking the casino. As he explained to me, banks don't give development loans to poor Indian tribes. Casino backers do.

I'm in love with the Laguna. I'd rather not see one more blade of grass disturbed. But I abstain from opposing this project. I once told Greg Sarris that if they'd kick Wal-Mart out of their building & put their casino there, I'd support it. I don't favor casinos, in essence, but it disturbs me that I don't see comparably vehement, almost fanatical opposition to conversion of orchards & forests to vineyards. Whatever suffering casinos cause, alcohol abuse causes more. Whatever the environmental impact of the casino, deforestation is far worse.

What particularly irks me is that I have yet to hear any person or group opposed to the casino on environmental, family values, or other grounds offer to finance an alternative project. That would be a real solution, devoid of racism, supportive of an environmentally benign & socially progressive path. Without a willingness to seek another way for the tribe to prosper, I think opposition is unfair.

I'm personally horrified by dozens of detrimental changes in our county's environment, enacted lawfully to serve economic ends that seem trivial compared to the needs of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. Until we're ready to stop all of them, I suggest respectfully listening to what Greg Sarris has to say, at Bioneers & at any other opportunity.

---

When I read your post I thought what could possibly ruin the cityscape of Rohnert Park? :hmmm:
The area across from Sonoma State that used to be open space is door to door strip malls, the housing recalls "little boxes all in a row, all made of ticky tacky and they all look just the same" , the east side is big box heaven and there is no downtown!
I am pretty sure urban planning classes visit on field trips to use Rohnert Park as a cautionary tale.

And so well said...
I abstain from opposing this project. I once told Greg Sarris that if they'd kick Wal-Mart out of their building & put their casino there, I'd support it. I don't favor casinos, in essence, but it disturbs me that I don't see comparably vehement, almost fanatical opposition to conversion of orchards & forests to vineyards.

Thanks for your posts.

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by tommy:

...is beyond me how Sarris could say he is a "keeper of the land" with this destructive and unpopular project.
... More popular and desirable is a project of small eclectic stores, cafes, and wine bars more typical of Sebastopol than a bank and drug store that represent the aesthetics and financial interests of a Hwy 80 Sacramento strip mall develope

---

never forget how selective your judgement is (the generic you, nothing personal Tommy). There's no obvious line between the destructive casino and desirable eclectic wine bar compared to leaving the Laguna wetlands as they were. It's a personal and aesthetic judgement, not a universal truth, as to where desecration begins. I don't think it's as obvious as you seem to that Sarris is on the bad side, while casino opponents are on the good one.
There's the old joke: sleep with me for a million dollars? I guess... For ten? what do you think I am? We've established that, now we're haggling over the price.
Once we've accepted urbanization of this valley, it's tough to play holier-than-thou. The original inhabitants have a good claim to having a voice in where to stop.

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by tommy:

I just got my Bioneers catalog for the Oct 19-21 event in San Rafael.

I was shocked to see Greg Sarris, Tribal Chairman of the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria and professor at Sonoma State University, listed as a speaker at the Oct 19 Plenary.

My comments are not a personal attack on Mr. Sarris. I'm sure as a University Professor, author, and Chairman of the Graton Rancheria, he is intelligent, has honor, and compassion, especially for those he represents.

However, in my opinion, he is screwing the rest of us, in his leadership of the hughly unfortunate and destructive casino and hotel in Rohnert Park. This monstrosity looks like it will be built, due to politics: the casino law passed by the State of CA, and the acquiescence of the legislature and Gov Brown. Screw the local building codes. Screw the water table. Screw the animals and people who live around here.

Does two wrongs make a right? Does the fact the the Indian tribes who landed here years ago, were screwed out of their land, justify the descendants of those Indian tribes to desecrate parts of the same land, and build a monstrous casino and hotel? Does the trickle down of money to Graton Rancheria descendants justify the financing from Las Vegas, and the social and environmental costs to all, for this desecration? What happened to the native regard and respect for the land, the critters on the land, and the natural life cycle?

That's all been documented. What I cannot understand is why Bioneers invited him to speak. Bioneers has not responded to my email asking for their reasoning in inviting him. Inviting Mr. Sarris is tantamount to inviting Monsanto or Waste Management to Bioneers, to tell us all the wonderful things they are doing for the environment, while you know they are speaking with two tongues.

Any comments?

---

Tommy,

Why don’t you come to the lecture or inquire within the Tribe about the facts of what we are doing with our profits for the environment? Why don’t you look into the huge amount of money my Tribe has given to environmental restoration and education and our goal to use our financial resources to position ourselves to buy back all of the open space in Sonoma County to restore natural environments and to create organic farms that will feed the citizens of Roseland and other poor communities who cannot shop at Whole Foods like a lot of the rich folks do who complain about the casino? Why don’t you come and listen to some of the facts and then maybe you will see that it’s not you or others who will have financial resources to protect the land it takes to stop further development, not to mention the proliferation of non-organic grape growing to the tune of 70,000 non-organic grapes in Sonoma County that have lowered the water table and still have unregulated water usage unlike anything the casino resort will ever have or ever use? Why don’t you talk to us, why don’t you get to know us before you speak?

Thanks for joining the conversation,

Why not take this a step further and use the tribe's land for renewable power production, more organic food farms, etc.? Why is gaming and alcohol the primary use of so many tribal properties? Surely there is so much more possible, with even just a little imagination.

I'm related to President Polk (for those who don't know, he extended the US borders to the Pacific and Mexico). I deeply care about restoring land to those it was so harshly taken from. What the land needs, is to be loved and nourished, so it can nourish the caretakers.

Casinos do the opposite. You can do more than just try to mitigate these problems; you can create wealth while enhancing the environment by finding a better purpose for tribal land and jobs.

With this one in RP; I have big concerns about our region's water being over-drafted with just the current demands. With your proposed use; even more water will be siphoned and shipped away, now to the geysers, then up into the air as waste water steam clouds. Even water vapor is a heat trapping gas which contributes to climate change; and semi-treated waste water has many toxic elements not removed before being dispersed.

On site, done right would have been a better solution. But RP so wants your hook-up fees and costly monthly sewer payments; to keep them from going broke. I'd bet Jake was one of your best lobbyist, along with some retired Board of Supervisors & Water Agency fellow or 2, along with a soon to be retired Congresswoman and perhaps her replacement.

Is Station Casinos a client of Willie Brown? :snake: This would explain maybe more than a few things.

Can you find a more noble way of Native Americans reclaiming and embracing their land? Our state has enough casinos, but not enough truly Green energy systems, to boost local, clean power production; and revenue from selling these systems here and abroad.

A Rohnert Park with a Hooter's and mega-casino makes me think of the "Back to the Future" second movie...
only without the happy ending. :havinabeer: :copcar: :rip:

Who really benefits from the current plans? The Tribe? The locals? Or the morally bankrupt casino backers & city officials?

Of course it's late in the game to change your plans; (BTW, since 2006, I've spent time with Tribal reps at CA Democratic conventions, sharing the idea of better land uses and business plans).

For the record, not everyone who shops at Whole Foods is rich; some of us prefer quality to quantity for our food budget.

We certainly do NOT need more grapes, even if they are organic. Yes our county officials are in a permitting frenzy, without a groundwater assessment or management plan for most of our region. This does not mean it's OK to do more of the same.

Who will be responsible for the costs of numerous well owners who have to drill deeper, or new ones as the water table drops? Who will pay for the damage to the structures from the land subsiding as the water is removed, and not replenished? And what's to become of the native fish; so important to all tribes? There's already not enough clean water in the rivers and streams for: them, us, the vineyards, and recreation sector, etc.:fishy:

Our concerns are more than just complaints; the benefits of this kind of operation do not outweigh the drawbacks for the majority. You and your Tribe could create all the benefits you've offered, with a more useful business to plop down on your land.

I bet you & the Tribe can do better. It's not too late to show us. :owl:

:waccosun: I appreciate a sincere consideration of these points.

Thank you,

Colleen Fernald

Sebastopol

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by Greg Sarris:

Tommy,

Why don’t you come to the lecture or inquire within the Tribe about the facts of what we are doing with our profits for the environment? Why don’t you look into the huge amount of money my Tribe has given to environmental restoration and education and our goal to use our financial resources to position ourselves to buy back all of the open space in Sonoma County to restore natural environments and to create organic farms that will feed the citizens of Roseland and other poor communities who cannot shop at Whole Foods like a lot of the rich folks do who complain about the casino? Why don’t you come and listen to some of the facts and then maybe you will see that it’s not you or others who will have financial resources to protect the land it takes to stop further development, not to mention the proliferation of non-organic grape growing to the tune of 70,000 non-organic grapes in Sonoma County that have lowered the water table and still have unregulated water usage unlike anything the casino resort will ever have or ever use? Why don’t you talk to us, why don’t you get to know us before you speak?

---

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by sandoak:

The casino issue isn't as simple as environmentalists wish it were. One of the reason tribes in general & the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria in particular pursue casino projects is because they have no real alternative pathways to economic power.

---

Not true.

Quote:

---

Greg Sarris explored organic farming & other entrepreneurial ideas before seeking the casino. As he explained to me, banks don't give development loans to poor Indian tribes. Casino backers do.

---

This is a problem. There are solutions.

Quote:

---

I'm in love with the Laguna. I'd rather not see one more blade of grass disturbed..., but it disturbs me that I don't see comparably vehement, almost fanatical opposition to conversion of orchards & forests to vineyards. Whatever suffering casinos cause, alcohol abuse causes more. Whatever the environmental impact of the casino, deforestation is far worse.

---

Maybe you've not tuned it. Losing wild land and food crops for production of wine has been a hot topic many times here.

Casinos have a dual impact for people addicted to gambling and alcohol; this one will draw more of these addicts here as well. How will they mitigate this?

Quote:

---

What particularly irks me is that I have yet to hear any person or group opposed to the casino on environmental, family values, or other grounds offer to finance an alternative project. That would be a real solution, devoid of racism, supportive of an environmentally benign & socially progressive path. Without a willingness to seek another way for the tribe to prosper, I think opposition is unfair.

---

Who has that kind of capital here?

Our schools benefit from the lottery; what if the tribes used that model for income and saved their land for more life enhancing uses?

Have you seen any of the movies about the Wall Street scandals. The banks can be pressured into modifying their practices, IF there is political and public pressure. This is another reason to press for a state, or county owned bank.

Quote:

---

I'm personally horrified by dozens of detrimental changes in our county's environment, enacted lawfully to serve economic ends that seem trivial compared to the needs of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria...

---

I think both issues have equal importance.

If we were to focus on compelling our Federal government and presidential candidates, to end: the unconstitutional occupation of other countries' sovereign land and rights, murder of innocent people, assassinations of leaders they don't like, and CIA's covertly organized coups; we would have the resources needed to restore our quality of life; and level of City/County/State services; while we also support our country's native inhabitants in preserving their cultural heritage, and increasing their prosperity.

Are there any Tribal members on Wacco? I'd like to hear their POV. Are you proud of your land being used for casinos? What else would you substitute the gaming and alcohol with?

For instance, how about a hemp farm, or retreats which teach us how to live off the land? Personal security may become more valuable than financial security someday soon. Knowledge of survival methods will outweigh the worth of paper money.

What about an art and handcraft store and studio? Would you trade less income for options to use your acreage, which result in a thriving natural environment with abundant wildlife, through engaging in the activities of your ancestors?

The ways of the American culture here now seem to be eroding. Wouldn't it be great to develop what is needed to transition to sustainable, prepared communities; honoring this earth, each other; with the best all our cultures have to offer?

I can't see getting there by investing in casinos.

I guess I have a problem with the entire notion of granting one group of people rights that the rest of society does not have. We all are Americans, like it or not, all created equal, but because Native Americans were screwed in the (now) distant past, they are entitled to special treatment, an unfair advantage, not available to anyone else. Because in this case there is no equal protection under the law, the whole idea just seems unconstitutional. I feel sorry for what the dominant culture did to the native people, but I don't feel guilty. Now this region has to endure an unwanted gambling mecca, yuck! How will this casino affect the one near Geyserville? Will that tribe declare war on Sarris' tribe? The possibilities are endless, and to me endlessly distasteful.

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by jbox:

I guess I have a problem with the entire notion of granting one group of people rights that the rest of society does not have. We all are Americans, like it or not, all created equal, but because Native Americans were screwed in the (now) distant past, they are entitled to special treatment, an unfair advantage, not available to anyone else.

---

Lots of people have rights that others don't have. The question is whether those rights or privileges are seen as deserved or not. In our purportedly meritocratic society, we don't begrudge rights that are considered earned.

A doctor can cut into people legally, when you and I can't, because of his license certifying that he's spent time learning his trade. People buy their rights with money all the time, buying the right to develop land or open a business. There's nothing sacred about the concept of 'rights'. They've been turned into a commodity, necessitated by the fact we don't live in isolation but instead are part of a community that must allocate its assets.

If someone's rights were stolen earlier, why should just the passage of time prevent them from recovering them? Like it or not, you're part of the society that allowed or even perpetrated the problems. So you get to pay a tiny share of the cost.
If the issue was that the area had been used as a toxic dump in the past, you'd be paying a share of cleanup for that. Why is this different?

For those concerned about "special rights" that Indians have. What part of, Sovereign Nation, do you not understand?

The legal status of Indians (American / U.S., Native American, Aboriginal American, whatever one prefers) is the result of a long, tangled, tragic and very complex history. A history mostly made up of betrayal, lies, theft, murder, broken promises, legal trickery, fraud and more, and that's just the invading, mostly European, American side of things.

Acting as if federally recognized Indians are just the same as other Americans, shows at least two things on the part of those who hold that view. Rank ignorance of history, and tacit, if not explicit Racism. Neither of which have any excuse or justification.

You may not like what Federally registered tribes do on and with their own sovereign territory, but unless you're a member of that tribe, you don't have any say in the matter. That's a legal fact. Acting as if you should, just betrays your lack of education with regard to the law, and the horrific history that led to today.

And saying that what happened to Indians was a long time ago? More rank ignorance. Oppressed peoples from many backgrounds, still face the consequences of history in their daily lives, day in, day out. Anyone unaware of how and why and what the consequences are, have simply not done their homework. Or are in denial. Or worse. Read some books!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_Deloria,_Jr.

I particularly appreciate your rebuttal of the idea that this all happened "a long time ago." Among Native Americans, Pomo people are among those who suffered the most recent atrocities. Of the survivors living today, many are alive only because their grandparents hid. Were good at hiding. Succeeded in being invisible.

That's not very long ago. One of the reasons most people don't know any Pomo people personally is that they're still good at being invisible. How can we estimate the impact of recent survival through hiding on the psyches of surviving descendants?

I highly recommend the film, available on dvd from the Sonoma County Library system,

Hinth'el Gaahnula (Talking Indian) [videorecording] : a narrative history of Lake County Pomo history through 1900 / Big Valley Rancheria; directed by David Jolliffe; written and produced by James BlueWolf.

I think everyone who stays in California longer than 3 weeks should be required to see this film.

And of course, everything by Vine DeLoria, Jr, is wonderful.

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by "Mad" Miles:

For those concerned about "special rights" that Indians have. What part of, Sovereign Nation, do you not understand?

The legal status of Indians (American / U.S., Native American, Aboriginal American, whatever one prefers) is the result of a long, tangled, tragic and very complex history. A history mostly made up of betrayal, lies, theft, murder, broken promises, legal trickery, fraud and more, and that's just the invading, mostly European, American side of things.

Acting as if federally recognized Indians are just the same as other Americans, shows at least two things on the part of those who hold that view. Rank ignorance of history, and tacit, if not explicit Racism. Neither of which have any excuse or justification.

You may not like what Federally registered tribes do on and with their own sovereign territory, but unless you're a member of that tribe, you don't have any say in the matter. That's a legal fact. Acting as if you should, just betrays your lack of education with regard to the law, and the horrific history that led to today.

And saying that what happened to Indians was a long time ago? More rank ignorance. Oppressed peoples from many backgrounds, still face the consequences of history in their daily lives, day in, day out. Anyone unaware of how and why and what the consequences are, have simply not done their homework. Or are in denial. Or worse. Read some books!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_Deloria,_Jr.

---

Greg,

I'd like to see the numbers: the projected casino profits, the portion of those profits devoted to restoration, education, and open space, as you state. The Casino has been estimated to cost $700 million by the developer Station Casinos (Press Democrat 6/13/12). Who is funding this disaster? It's obviously the 1%, and it's minions on Wall Street. I doubt any Native person in Sonoma County has that kind of money. That's who this project is serving: development and financial interests. This project is an example of development and financial interests, in partnership with Federal and State governments, in sticking it to the people, and running counter to the sacredness for the land that Native peoples once held.

Your statement that proceeds from the Casino will help the tribe buy open space, and that it will "stop further development" is a fallacious argument. You're screwing the environment, and you're saying it's going to help preserve the environment. That's a total spin on the facts.

This project is opposed by County Supervisors (PD 6/13/12) because of issues of air quality, traffic, roads, social services, land use, building codes, and alcohol use. My understanding is that the right of the Federal government to stick it to Sonoma County, and give the casino a green light, is still being litigated, due to a recent Supreme Court decision to shut down a casino in Michigan built and managed by the same company, Station Casinos of Las Vegas.

There is controversy regarding your Native ancestry "claims we've found are not backed up by the record. Greg Sarris is not a Native American, Coast Miwok, Pomo or otherwise." ref: https://www.stopthecasino101.com/

What brought my post to Wacco was my observation that you are a speaker at the upcoming Bioneers in San Rafael. The theme is "Breakdown to Breakthru...to reimagine a civilization in the Age of Nature that honors the web of life..." That land in Rohnert Park is a laguna, a wetlands. Any massive development does not honor the web of life of that land. Fortunately, many big development projects in Northern California have been stopped, such as the proposal to put a freeway through southern Marin County, to Muir Beach and the coast, so that housing developments could be built. Your being a speaker at Bioneers, would be akin to those developers being honored for donations that they made to local charities, which were needed because of the environmental and social harm that the developments caused. It's a travesty. I'm sure you're a nice guy, Greg, but when you sponsor a project that the majority of people oppose, how can you expect anything other than disharmony, litigation, and animosity?

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by Greg Sarris:

Tommy,

Why don’t you come to the lecture or inquire within the Tribe about the facts of what we are doing with our profits for the environment? Why don’t you look into the huge amount of money my Tribe has given to environmental restoration and education and our goal to use our financial resources to position ourselves to buy back all of the open space in Sonoma County to restore natural environments and to create organic farms that will feed the citizens of Roseland and other poor communities who cannot shop at Whole Foods like a lot of the rich folks do who complain about the casino? Why don’t you come and listen to some of the facts and then maybe you will see that it’s not you or others who will have financial resources to protect the land it takes to stop further development, not to mention the proliferation of non-organic grape growing to the tune of 70,000 non-organic grapes in Sonoma County that have lowered the water table and still have unregulated water usage unlike anything the casino resort will ever have or ever use? Why don’t you talk to us, why don’t you get to know us before you speak?

---

Just an addendum to my post about the reality of Indian life today. (From an interested outsiders perspective.) I referred to federally recognized Indians. Of which the Graton Rancheria Pomo were only recently re-certified. There was a concerted effort in the 1950's to decertify Indian tribes, A woeful history that Deloria and others describe in detail.

Many Indians, are not recognized legally as such, and do not have the legal rights that the Graton Rancheria Pomo regained. This, is a huge and hidden problem. Stuff's complicated.

Thanks for the gratitudes, by the by. I tried to be measured and keep it relatively impersonal. If I were to fully and honestly express myself here, I would have to violate the bounds of civility in this "Conscious" community. Ignorance, when it serves to deny, dismiss and subsume others, is tantamount to Evil.

Aho!

And the assault on First Nation Peoples and their land continues today in the west:
Alaska for drilling and clear cutting
Arizona & New Mexico for Uraniun, mineral mining and water rights......

n - Please Circulate and Sign!

I have to weigh in on this issue. In addition to our common knowledge of how the westward movement devastated the native cultures and communities. I have done some personal research on the local issue for a history project. Although I cannot state the reference, in the 1930s the youth from Forestville used to, on Friday nights, ride their horses up into Mendocino County to shoot Indians for sport. As recently as the 1980s a gay bartender at the Rusty Nail on River Road in Forestville was beaten with a baseball bat by youth from our county. The Rusty Nail was a gay bar. This kind of racism still sleeps in our genes, and we have to consciously retrain ourselves to overcome it.

Presently I am reading a book about California Indian stewardship of native plants and lands. They carefully set small fires (an acre or two at a time) to control the duff and underbrush (usually in Sept/Oct) These small fires provided nutrients to their food and basketmaking materials as well as keeping fire danger (massive forest fires) under control. The new growth in native plants provided long straight shoots for basket making. For thousands of years they tended these lands migrating with the different crops and game. Our local tribe hunted deer and gathered hazel nuts at the North end of Green Valley Road and Pocket Canyon (Patriarch of the Valley) a book about Sullivan who settled Green VAlley. Our local tribe lit grassland fires to drive deer for a hunting party probably in the very location on the controversial Casino site.

These are only a few instances of native local native history that help us to understand these as people and neighbors and not as demons.

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by sandoak:

I just went on line & read Bioneers' description of Greg Sarris:

The Tribal Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and professor of Native American Studies at Sonoma State University will describe how his people (descendants of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo) are using their understanding that they have always been a part of the natural world to embark on a major commitment to position themselves as “keepers of the land” once again. Using ancient ethics and aesthetics of place, bolstered by casino revenues, the 1,300 member tribe has partnered with county and state officials to secure and restore large tracts of open space, as well as to convert local farms to the production of organic produce for the low-income and needy, thus creating a model of local restoration and sustainability.

That looks like sufficient reason to invite him, & good reason to listen to him.

The casino issue isn't as simple as environmentalists wish it were. One of the reason tribes in general & the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria in particular pursue casino projects is because they have no real alternative pathways to economic power. Greg Sarris explored organic farming & other entrepreneurial ideas before seeking the casino. As he explained to me, banks don't give development loans to poor Indian tribes. Casino backers do.

I'm in love with the Laguna. I'd rather not see one more blade of grass disturbed. But I abstain from opposing this project. I once told Greg Sarris that if they'd kick Wal-Mart out of their building & put their casino there, I'd support it. I don't favor casinos, in essence, but it disturbs me that I don't see comparably vehement, almost fanatical opposition to conversion of orchards & forests to vineyards. Whatever suffering casinos cause, alcohol abuse causes more. Whatever the environmental impact of the casino, deforestation is far worse.

What particularly irks me is that I have yet to hear any person or group opposed to the casino on environmental, family values, or other grounds offer to finance an alternative project. That would be a real solution, devoid of racism, supportive of an environmentally benign & socially progressive path. Without a willingness to seek another way for the tribe to prosper, I think opposition is unfair.

I'm personally horrified by dozens of detrimental changes in our county's environment, enacted lawfully to serve economic ends that seem trivial compared to the needs of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. Until we're ready to stop all of them, I suggest respectfully listening to what Greg Sarris has to say, at Bioneers & at any other opportunity.

---

Friends--

Could some knowledgeable person describe for me, or point me to an objective website, the exact nature of sovereignty of lands federally recognized as Indian tribal property? To what extent is "sovereignty" absolute — i.e. can they have casinos but not meth labs? Are they entirely exempt from state or federal laws? Can they have an independent foreign policy? etc. Does all property acquired by the tribe fall under tribal sovereignty? Does property owned by individuals within the tribe count as "tribal" property? Does each tribe individually determine the criteria for tribal membership, or is this defined by federal law? What federal, state or local laws do apply to tribal lands?

I'm asking for information, not as arguing one side or other of the political issues.

Thanks—
Conrad

Conrad,

Google is your friend. Plenty more where this came from, but it is as advertised, A Primer:

https://rtc.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/t...nty_Primer.pdf

>>>Conrad,
Google is your friend. Plenty more where this came from, but it is as advertised, A Primer:
https://rtc.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/t...nty_Primer.pdf

Miles, thanks for the reference. I know Google's my friend, but sometimes it gives one about 3 million times more suggestions than you really want -- that's why I ask here.

Yes, good primer, as you say. What strikes me from this first reading, though, is that it's an extraordinarily complicated subject, with Congress potentially over-riding Indian sovereignty but limited by courts, and varying by state and issues involved (cf. casinos, child wefare, law enforcement). You asked another poster, "What is it about 'sovereignty' you don't understand?" But after 200+ years of laws, court decisions & treaties, there seems to be a huge tangle that's yet to be unraveled, if it ever will be. As I read the primer, the 1988 Gaming Act requires the state to "negotiate in good faith" regarding the parameters of casino operation — but what that means seems to be very much open to interpretation.

I look forward to reading more, as I'm able.

Cheers--
Conrad

My question wasn't solely a legalistic response. It was also a reference to history, and the need for justice, in spite of the history and the legal complications. As for the role of Congress, it already spoke when the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria were granted recognition as a federally recognized tribe.

Something taken from them unjustly. And something denied to many other Indians as I mentioned earlier in this thread.

Of course the juridical status of Indians is complex, a passing knowledge of the history tells us that. But that doesn't mean that those who were the victims of European expansion, murder (although the vast majority of Indians died from contagious diseases long before they saw any European) and expropriation shouldn't be given some modicum of protection and an opportunity to reverse generations of poverty and marginalization. The fact that a little is done to try and make up for those unforgivable crimes, is why recognizing their Sovereignty was the right thing to do. No matter how tangled the lawyers and politicians have made it.

For those questioning their right to do what they want with their legally purchased land, and their other legal rights as a recognized tribe, I just wanted to point out that the processes that give them their rights, have already been adhered to.

Read the PD coverage. It seems a lot of people don't seem to understand that the County Supervisors do not have any say in what happens with the Casino. Their role was years ago when Congress was considering recognition.

That people want reality to be something other than what it is, is no surprise. That they weigh in on matters of public record, which they are apparently ignorant of, that's not a surprise. Happens all the time. But it doesn't serve their cause very well, whether their concerns are environmental or social.

And I find it interesting that those who complain about double standards, weren't complaining about them when the double standards were to the disadvantage of the marginalized, impoverished and traumatized original inhabitants of this land. Maybe they were criticizing those double standards, and I just don't know it. But from what I've read here and elsewhere, I see no indication of that.

I've followed the public debate around this for years. I think it's evident, that some of what is presented as environmental concern, or concerns about social consequences, is in some cases based on resentment, and hatred, toward Indians. Usually expressed as a complaint about them getting, "special treatment". I call that Racism.

When I drove through South Dakota in the spring of '99, I heard the same narrative on the radio and in the diners and restaurants. Although there, it was even more pointedly expressed.

I've been an Anti-Racist, actively, since High School. Lived in Alabama, Southern California, Chicago, now here. Also briefly in Western Europe and Taiwan. I've never heard more overt and angry racist utterances, than I heard on that road trip.

I knew the history, the situation. I've read many novels set in that area from an Indian perspective (Erdrich, Alexie) it was still shocking, to hear it from living human mouths. Not surprising, but quite nauseating.

People don't write like that here. But the parallels in the narrative, are clear to me.

Any, "special treatment", that Indians receive, has been paid for, over and above, by what was done to their ancestors. Failure to acknowledge that, is the grossest form of blinkered thinking. And if what was taken from them, is compared to what they get from, "us", there is no comparison that makes any reasonable sense. How do you weigh cultures, languages, generations of suffering, an entire continent, against casinos and local environmental "damage". Somebody made out like bandits, and it wasn't the Indians.

Past is prologue. The same arguments from the past, are with us today. Thankfully, in spite of the reality, lawyers will work for anyone who pays them. And we have a system of laws, flawed as it is, that allows for a modicum of redress, on rare occasions.

Stuff's complicated. Casinos aren't perfect. I have an online friend who organizes Casino Workers on Rez's in Wisconsin. He tells horror stories. Most of the workers are Indians. Poorly paid, working in smoke filled rooms for long hours. Some Tribal Councils, the Casino Owners, are in bed with organized crime. At least in California, it may be different. Let's hope it is. But whatever it is, it's under the purview of the tribe, and nobody else. For good, or ill.

To Greg Sarris and the members of the Graton Rancheria,

Please consider including an IMAX theater in your casino, that would be such a hugely welcome addition to the entire North Bay community. Many thousands of local movie fans would be extremely grateful.

sincerely,

Clancy

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by "Mad" Miles:

...

Any, "special treatment", that Indians receive, has been paid for, over and above, by what was done to their ancestors. Failure to acknowledge that, is the grossest form of blinkered thinking. And if what was taken from them, is compared to what they get from, "us", there is no comparison that makes any reasonable sense. How do you weigh cultures, languages, generations of suffering, an entire continent, against casinos and local environmental "damage". Somebody made out like bandits, and it wasn't the Indians....

---

Miles, you're right, stuff's complicated. In my original post I said I didn't like one group of people receiving special; treatment over the rest of society. It's my own humble opinion and I will stand by it. I don't expect to be labeled ignorant, racist, and evil for expressing my opinion. You also said what about a sovereign nation do I not understand. Well, I don't understand the part of it that is so patently fake. I also object to the notion of doing something wrong now to redress wrongs done in the past. I don't see this as taking the high road but rather sending a message that the system is rigged, sort of like campaign finance, you get special treatment if you give money to a candidate, here you get special treatment since you were wronged in the past. You see this as justice, I do not. I believe the right thing is to treat everyone equally. To say one group needs some advantage only available to that group implies they need that to survive, it is condescending and patronizing. You can apologize all you want, I'm not buying it in 2012. I still think casinos are not a good thing. Mostly they take the working man's paycheck away for the benefit of an entitled few and their Mafia buddies, thus further institutionalizing the poverty and class system in place. Think about it before you give us a politically correct knee jerk response. Really, you are starting to sound like the Limbaugh of the left, a Green Hannity.

JBox,

You clearly do not understand, since the Sovereignty of Indian Tribes is based on Treaty Rights. Treaties that were signed by American invaders, mostly violated, but occasionally honored. Those were legal commitments from which the current legal status of recognized tribes derives.

As for what I say being a version of P.C.... Cracker!? Please!!

I'll not belabor the tarnished history of the term, from its officious but serious first use in the Old Orthodox Left, to its ironic use in the New Left, to its deployment by the New Right as an attack on the Left and Liberals, to its adoption by Eighties Left/Liberal Identity Politics activists in reaction to the slam by the Reactionary Conservatives.

It's pretty much an empty term. Only used to slime those who criticize one for being ignorant, insensitive and obtuse. We used to laugh at it, in the Post New Left of the late seventies (before Dinesh D'Souza et al deployed their distorted criticism of "P.C" against Liberals. Essentially claiming that, "P.C. wasn't P.C."!? Guess who taught them how to do that? Old School Trotskyists who for opportunistic careerist reasons, turned Reactionary Conservative in the seventies. David Horowitz, et al.) We would say, as a joke, "We're not Politically Correct! We're Ideologically Sound!!"

Indians have special rights, to the extent some do, because they are special. They are not the same as everybody else. Denying that, saying, "Get over it. The past is the past." Marks you as a Racist. Whether you like reading it or not. It is the quintessential part of contemporary Racism. New School, not Old School.

Demanding the Other, stop being different and become the Same, The Self, in order to "earn" proper recognition. That you either don't even understand this, or deny it, is typical. Do some homework.

Racism isn't just a phenomenon of overt hatred and fear, expressed through direct violent language and actions. It is also institutional, and unconscious. The institutional and unconscious versions often manifested by attitudes which refuse to recognize relevant differences between groups of people.

Insisting that, "everybody should be treated the same", when we're not the same... That's not hate speech, granted. But it is Racist, when asserted about Racial groups.

Deny it all you want. Protest your innocence to the heavens. Unless and until you've demonstrated you understand the dynamics, operating today, with regard to the status and rights of Indians, or any other marginalized and repressed group, holding forth about who has the same "rights", well....

Duck, Behavior, Characteristic of Ducks.

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by "Mad" Miles:

JBox,

You clearly do not understand, since the Sovereignty of Indian Tribes is based on Treaty Rights. Treaties that were signed by American invaders, mostly violated, but occasionally honored. Those were legal commitments from which the current legal status of recognized tribes derives.

As for what I say being a version of P.C.... Cracker!? Please!!

I'll not belabor the tarnished history of the term, from its officious but serious first use in the Old Orthodox Left, to its ironic use in the New Left, to its deployment by the New Right as an attack on the Left and Liberals, to its adoption by Eighties Left/Liberal Identity Politics activists in reaction to the slam by the Reactionary Conservatives.

It's pretty much an empty term. Only used to slime those who criticize one for being ignorant, insensitive and obtuse. We used to laugh at it, in the Post New Left of the late seventies (before Dinesh D'Souza et al deployed their distorted criticism of "P.C" against Liberals. Essentially claiming that, "P.C. wasn't P.C."!? Guess who taught them how to do that? Old School Trotskyists who for opportunistic careerist reasons, turned Reactionary Conservative in the seventies. David Horowitz, et al.) We would say, as a joke, "We're not Politically Correct! We're Ideologically Sound!!"

Indians have special rights, to the extent some do, because they are special. They are not the same as everybody else. Denying that, saying, "Get over it. The past is the past." Marks you as a Racist. Whether you like reading it or not. It is the quintessential part of contemporary Racism. New School, not Old School.

Demanding the Other, stop being different and become the Same, The Self, in order to "earn" proper recognition. That you either don't even understand this, or deny it, is typical. Do some homework.

Racism isn't just a phenomenon of overt hatred and fear, expressed through direct violent language and actions. It is also institutional, and unconscious. The institutional and unconscious versions often manifested by attitudes which refuse to recognize relevant differences between groups of people.

Insisting that, "everybody should be treated the same", when we're not the same... That's not hate speech, granted. But it is Racist, when asserted about Racial groups.

Deny it all you want. Protest your innocence to the heavens. Unless and until you've demonstrated you understand the dynamics, operating today, with regard to the status and rights of Indians, or any other marginalized and repressed group, holding forth about who has the same "rights", well....

Duck, Behavior, Characteristic of Ducks.

---

Well, Miles, I truly feel sorry for you. When you look in the mirror all you see is an oppressor white male that represents all you fear and loathe. You over analyze everything, sometimes stuff is much simpler than you may think. How do you sleep at night? I sleep fine. You need to take a breath once in a while, but I've already told you that... Meanwhile come down off your hobby horse.

I think there is documentation that points to Mr. Sarris using one small piece of land at 10091 Occidental Road, a very small group of descendants of Native people, Las Vegas financial interests and developers, white guilt, and a few complicit government officials to desecrate the laguna in Rohnert Park with a casino/hotel, and the well-being of vast majorities of the current residents of Sonoma County. It's the story of how one man manipulated vast numbers of people. Follow the money.

The following is from the website: https://www.stopthecasino101.com/

In December, 2000, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR) was restored by an Act of Congress. The Graton Restoration Act was based on one small piece of Sonoma County real estate: the Graton or Sebastopol Rancheria, at 10091 Occidental Road in West Sonoma County.
.
For the past decade, all we've known about the Graton Rancheria is what we've been told by FIGR Chairman Greg Sarris. But recently, STC101 has begun to acquire an ever-growing body of evidence from a variety of sources, including the BIA and the National Archives in San Bruno. These documents form a comprehensive history of the Graton Rancheria that is very much different from what we've been told in the media and other sources.

The PDF files below contain our preliminary report of March, 2006, an update as of April, 2007 and over 50 pages of documents from the National Archives - a fraction of those in our possession. Every week, we receive more documents, and to date, we have found that the record simply does not support the statements made by the FIGR on the subject of the Graton Rancheria.

You are urged to print the report and supporting documents so that you can easily review them.

The facts speak for themselves, and you can make up your own mind.

If you have any questions about this material, please email us at [email protected]. If you have trouble opening the PDF files, email us, and we will send you a free DVD containing the report and all supporting documents.

Dear Fellow Bioneers:

Several of you have written to us to express your passionate objections to Greg Sarris’ plenary at Bioneers 2012, and we would like to respond. “We” are Melissa Nelson, a Native American Board Member, Cara Romero, Native American Director of our Indigeneity Program, and Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons, Co-CEOs and Founders.

First, we deeply appreciate and welcome your feedback. Thank you. We embrace the opportunity to take the issue head-on.

As you know, Bioneers is a diverse forum as well as a big tent. We feature a wide range of participants from diverse backgrounds who don't always see eye-to-eye on many issues. In truth, there are serious fault lines and open disagreements among presenters as well as among our conference participants. We have vegan activists and organic cattle ranchers, anti- and pro- nuclear environmentalists, green entrepreneurs and anti-capitalists, secular rationalists and spiritual leaders, technology mavens and neo-Luddites, and so on. Despite these differences, we seek to create a space of inquiry, respect and solidarity around what we do share common ground.

We often invite people to speak when a specific project they’re engaged in seems innovative and important to us. We ourselves don't take formal positions on political issues and often entertain divergent viewpoints that we believe are legitimate, even when we ourselves may not specifically agree on certain points. What we do require is a high degree of integrity. We believe there that in this impossibly complex world, we need to make space for the differences and to do so with respect even when we may not agree. And even though most of us Bioneers do share a broadly progressive and eco-conscious worldview, we aren't an advocacy group.

We invited Greg Sarris to speak – and he has spoken before, opening the conference a few years ago (he received standing ovations) – because several of our Native Board members and staff wholeheartedly recommended him - and because we greatly respect him as a leader and for the work the Graton Rancheria nation is doing in revitalizing the culture and livelihood of his people, who were so decimated during the westward march of Europeans on this continent. We also see ourselves as guests on their homeland. Greg Sarris is the elected chairman of the only federally recognized Indian nation in the San Francisco Bay Area. He leads the tribe on numerous social, cultural, environmental, and economic initiatives and we recognize him as an elected leader as well as a prominent scholar. We respect his integrity greatly.

Bioneers has been deeply shaped by Indigenous worldviews since our inception, and our relationships with Indigenous leaders have been and continue to be essential to our mission. It is traditional to honor the First Peoples of a place when engaging in any activity on their ancestral lands, and we have always tried to respect that tradition by asking members of the remaining Native Californians from the regions whose lands the conference takes place on for their blessing.

The issue of casinos has long been highly controversial both in Indian country and in mainstream society. We do not believe it is our place to judge it, and we do not. We have close Native and non-Native allies with strong positions on both sides of the question. We don't take a position about the Rohnert Park casino, and environmental concerns and worries about the socially deleterious effects of gambling are very valid to raise. From all we know, serious ecologists (including respected allies from the Bioneers community) are working on the project. The Graton Rancheria nation has had to satisfy environmental regulations just as any other developer would. Moreover, the Nation has donated other land to the public trust and taken other serious conservation measures in respect for the larger community.

Native California Indians have tragically suffered from a horrific history of colonization, genocide, discrimination, marginalization and economic privation. Bioneers recognizes this often hidden history and works toward truth and reconciliation about the true history of this country and the land that Bioneers holds our annual conference on. Unfortunately, many modern Americans unknowingly continue to hold racist stereotypes about Native Americans. Contemporary Native peoples are held to impossible standards of being “traditional Indians” and modern people simultaneously. Due to enormous land loss of California Indians and the minimally sized reservations for California Indian nations, many of these tribes have no or few options for viable economic development, which makes gaming an important option for some. We find it a double standard that, when an Indian nation wants to do economic development in the form of a resort, casino or other commercial enterprise, they are criticized for being anti-environmental, yet when Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Hilton, wineries or other commercial corporate developments are built, they are seen as “business-as-usual” without protest.

We deeply respect your concerns and applaud your impulse to civic engagement and to protecting the wellbeing of your community. Sadly, it is not uncommon for people of good will with otherwise similar perspectives to find themselves on opposite sides of an issue. We have seen that often with labor unions and environmentalists, or affordable housing advocates and those seeking to preserve open space, to cite only two examples. It saddens us when this happens, but these are inevitable conflicts in a world as complex as ours.

Greg will be sharing his views on many of these issues in his plenary, describing the work his people are doing. We hope you will be open to hearing his perspective with respect. In any case, please accept our deep appreciation for your willingness to challenge us, and we do sincerely respect your position.

Sincerely,

Melissa Nelson, Bioneers Board member (Turtle Mountain Chippewa Nation)
Cara Romero, Bioneers Indigeneity Program Director (Chemehuevi Nation)
Kenny Ausubel, Bioneers Founder and Co-CEO
Nina Simons, Bioneers Co-Founder and Co-CEO

Bioneers | The Collective Heritage Institute
www.bioneers.org

PS-
Tommy, thank you for the opportunity to reply to your concerns via this dynamic forum.

[I'm posting this for Frank Baumgardner . See his website athttps://www.californsclio.com/works.htm ]

There are several things about Mr. Serris' leadership which should give everyone pause. The first is that this tribe hasn't been honest with the people of Sonoma County, almost from the very beginning (the beginning for me and my personal knowledge was in 1998). In 1998 the tribe had lost or been deprived of it's tribal status since 1958 when the federal government took it away. In many cases and since the early 1930s various California tribes (tribelets is a more accurate term for them) because of having so few living members. Tribal status means all living members get medical care and certain other benefits just be being Indian.

Anyway in 1998 the tribe held a meeting at the old Hamilton Field (an abandoned Air Force base) on Nave Road in Novato. At the time members made a strong pitch saying they were not interested in establishing a casino. They requested members of the public (including yours truly) to write a letter of support to the Clinton Administration supporting their bid to have their tribal status restored. I did this and believed they wee telling me the truth.

Pres. Clinton restored their status upon leaving office in 2000. Enter Mr. Serris and the tribe changed its tune. It began its association with Station Casinos and began to obtain a site. Now, after signing a "compact" with Gov. Brown, they have broken it already by beginning construction even before they had finished the approval process. Not satisfied even then, Mr. Serris has threatoned the Board of Supervisors by saying that, unless he gets a sweetheart deal in the current so-called "mitigation" negotiations with the County, he will withhold what he calls a "gift" of millions of dollars to the County.

Why hasn't the County begun to learn from the experiences of almost every community in the East and Midwest where tribes promise a lot but never have delivered on their word? In ten years or less the casino will have done its damage to landowners and renters who now live near the site. Station Casinos went bankrupt in 2009. Who's to say it won't happen again? What we will see is a great deal of pain and suffering by immature working class folks, lives wrecked. And people with health situations like asthma, emphysema, and alcoholics either dead or dying.

In other words under the guise of being a "environmentalist" or "far-sighted Bioneer leader" (whatever that is), Greg Serris has hoodwinked through bullying and blackmail the Board of Supervisors and many people locally. Yes, there were wrongs done to California Indians but working folk of today had NOTHING to do with causing that misery and suffering. Why should the hard-working citizens of today be the ones to suffer? Two wrongs NEVER made a right. Anyone who honestly seriously believes this casino is a good thing should learn a little about the ones that already exist and the ill effects every one of them has had on the regions they are in.

It's hard for me to take criticisms of Indian casinos seriously; not that the criticisms aren't in varying degrees valid, but rather because the Indian casinos are teeny, tiny potatoes compared to the much, much bigger casino of Wall St and the devastating effects it has had on our local, regional and national communities.

Some of the biggest banks in the nation bet trillions of dollars in 'credit default swaps' over the last two decades, lost, and WE covered their losses! WTF!?! What is WRONG with this country that people aren't screaming bloody murder at our corporate 'representatives' on both sides of the illusory aisle! How could this have happened?

If the American people actually understood what the banks did, with the full complicity of both parties, and what it means to our future, they'd be burning the banksters casino to the ground.

To add insult to injury, almost nobody seems to understands the new Libor banking scandal, again involving some of our biggest banks, price fixing loans for years that directly effect you in the form of credit card rates, car loans, home loans...overcharging billions...costing millions of ordinary people, including you, thousands in excessive fees... the whole banking system in this country is utterly despicable, the worst robber barons in world history and again, almost nobody seems to notice.

So anyway, I can't get too worked up about a local indian casino, and I sincerely hope they consider including an IMAX theater in their facility, that would be a great place to go to forget for a few hours the looting of America and the resulting new Depression.

Hey, Frank, your bitching and moaning about the alleged promise-breaking by the Indians misses the point that they should not have had to make any promises to us in the first place. Get it through your head--the Indians don't owe us a damn thing! Isn't it enough that "we" (European-derived society) stole their continent and slaughtered anyone who resisted? And don't tell me that that's all over with. It continues to this day; the white power structure still controls the continent, and the Indians are still subject to racism and ravaged by poverty, depression, alcoholism, suicide,--all the things we might expect in people who suffer from intergenerational PTSD caused by the unimaginable horrors and indignities of genocide. (Are you listening, jbox?) People like you add insult to injury by suggesting that the injustice is a thing of the past (wrong!) and that the Indians owe it to us to get our permission to do what they want on their own continent.

If you're so concerned about people keeping their promises, Frank, I'm sure you've been crusading to have the American government honor the 230 or so Indian treaties that it has broken, right? RIGHT? Nope, I'm sure you haven't evinced the slightest distress about THOSE broken promises, have you? Let's be honest--your concern is not about people breaking or not breaking promises; it's about you thinking you have a right to tell Indians what they can or cannot do on their own continent. My suggestion: if you don't like how Indians run their continent, leave. Scram. Vamoose. Or, if you prefer, stay--if you can quit spewing ignorant, arrogant and implicitly racist bullshit.

Dear Melissa, Cara, Nina and Kenny, from Bioneers,

Thank you for your gracious response to my WACCO post questioning and criticizing Greg Sarris as a Bioneers speaker. My shock was at Greg being a Plenary Speaker at Bioneers. I've attended Bioneers twice, and each time I was truly inspired and refreshed in an rare and uncommon way, in light of the dynamics and complexity of the issues we face, living on this planet. There's no way I could attend this year, with Greg as a speaker, knowing the damage that he and those paying him and his tribe, will wreak on the laguna in Rohnert Park. I'm sure he's a good speaker, but he speaks with two tongues.

I felt sadness at your statements "We ourselves don't take formal positions on political issues" and "We don't take a position about the Rohnert Park casino"... because when you, and I, don't take a stand, our precious home is overrun and decimated by corporate and government interests who use their money and power to feed their insatiable hunger.

I do not think your statement " The Graton Rancheria nation has had to satisfy environmental regulations just as any other developer would" is truthful. There is a court suit challenging the right of the Graton Rancheria to override Sonoma County land use and environmental laws. The Casino is non conforming under local land use laws. Class III gambling in California is not allowed on non Indian land. I doubt that when the CA Initiative was passed years ago, permitting gambling on Indian lands, there was ever any thought of a massive $700 million Casino/hotel investment scheme (with a tiny trickle down to a few local Native Americans) would be built on the laguna in Rohnert Park. As we all know, smart individuals and financial interested are all to happy to co-opt the good intentions of society, for their own selfish interests.

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by Bioneers Marcom:

Dear Fellow Bioneers:

Several of you have written to us to express your passionate objections to Greg Sarris’ plenary at Bioneers 2012, and we would like to respond. “We” are Melissa Nelson, a Native American Board Member, Cara Romero, Native American Director of our Indigeneity Program, and Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons, Co-CEOs and Founders.

First, we deeply appreciate and welcome your feedback. Thank you. We embrace the opportunity to take the issue head-on.

As you know, Bioneers is a diverse forum as well as a big tent. We feature a wide range of participants from diverse backgrounds who don't always see eye-to-eye on many issues. In truth, there are serious fault lines and open disagreements among presenters as well as among our conference participants. We have vegan activists and organic cattle ranchers, anti- and pro- nuclear environmentalists, green entrepreneurs and anti-capitalists, secular rationalists and spiritual leaders, technology mavens and neo-Luddites, and so on. Despite these differences, we seek to create a space of inquiry, respect and solidarity around what we do share common ground.

We often invite people to speak when a specific project they’re engaged in seems innovative and important to us. We ourselves don't take formal positions on political issues and often entertain divergent viewpoints that we believe are legitimate, even when we ourselves may not specifically agree on certain points. What we do require is a high degree of integrity. We believe there that in this impossibly complex world, we need to make space for the differences and to do so with respect even when we may not agree. And even though most of us Bioneers do share a broadly progressive and eco-conscious worldview, we aren't an advocacy group.

We invited Greg Sarris to speak – and he has spoken before, opening the conference a few years ago (he received standing ovations) – because several of our Native Board members and staff wholeheartedly recommended him - and because we greatly respect him as a leader and for the work the Graton Rancheria nation is doing in revitalizing the culture and livelihood of his people, who were so decimated during the westward march of Europeans on this continent. We also see ourselves as guests on their homeland. Greg Sarris is the elected chairman of the only federally recognized Indian nation in the San Francisco Bay Area. He leads the tribe on numerous social, cultural, environmental, and economic initiatives and we recognize him as an elected leader as well as a prominent scholar. We respect his integrity greatly.

Bioneers has been deeply shaped by Indigenous worldviews since our inception, and our relationships with Indigenous leaders have been and continue to be essential to our mission. It is traditional to honor the First Peoples of a place when engaging in any activity on their ancestral lands, and we have always tried to respect that tradition by asking members of the remaining Native Californians from the regions whose lands the conference takes place on for their blessing.

The issue of casinos has long been highly controversial both in Indian country and in mainstream society. We do not believe it is our place to judge it, and we do not. We have close Native and non-Native allies with strong positions on both sides of the question. We don't take a position about the Rohnert Park casino, and environmental concerns and worries about the socially deleterious effects of gambling are very valid to raise. From all we know, serious ecologists (including respected allies from the Bioneers community) are working on the project. The Graton Rancheria nation has had to satisfy environmental regulations just as any other developer would. Moreover, the Nation has donated other land to the public trust and taken other serious conservation measures in respect for the larger community.

Native California Indians have tragically suffered from a horrific history of colonization, genocide, discrimination, marginalization and economic privation. Bioneers recognizes this often hidden history and works toward truth and reconciliation about the true history of this country and the land that Bioneers holds our annual conference on. Unfortunately, many modern Americans unknowingly continue to hold racist stereotypes about Native Americans. Contemporary Native peoples are held to impossible standards of being “traditional Indians” and modern people simultaneously. Due to enormous land loss of California Indians and the minimally sized reservations for California Indian nations, many of these tribes have no or few options for viable economic development, which makes gaming an important option for some. We find it a double standard that, when an Indian nation wants to do economic development in the form of a resort, casino or other commercial enterprise, they are criticized for being anti-environmental, yet when Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Hilton, wineries or other commercial corporate developments are built, they are seen as “business-as-usual” without protest.

We deeply respect your concerns and applaud your impulse to civic engagement and to protecting the wellbeing of your community. Sadly, it is not uncommon for people of good will with otherwise similar perspectives to find themselves on opposite sides of an issue. We have seen that often with labor unions and environmentalists, or affordable housing advocates and those seeking to preserve open space, to cite only two examples. It saddens us when this happens, but these are inevitable conflicts in a world as complex as ours.

Greg will be sharing his views on many of these issues in his plenary, describing the work his people are doing. We hope you will be open to hearing his perspective with respect. In any case, please accept our deep appreciation for your willingness to challenge us, and we do sincerely respect your position.

Sincerely,

Melissa Nelson, Bioneers Board member (Turtle Mountain Chippewa Nation)
Cara Romero, Bioneers Indigeneity Program Director (Chemehuevi Nation)
Kenny Ausubel, Bioneers Founder and Co-CEO
Nina Simons, Bioneers Co-Founder and Co-CEO

Bioneers | The Collective Heritage Institute
www.bioneers.org

PS-
Tommy, thank you for the opportunity to reply to your concerns via this dynamic forum.

---

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by Dixon:

Hey, Frank, your bitching and moaning about the alleged promise-breaking by the Indians misses the point that they should not have had to make any promises to us in the first place. Get it through your head--the Indians don't owe us a damn thing! Isn't it enough that "we" (European-derived society) stole their continent and slaughtered anyone who resisted? And don't tell me that that's all over with. It continues to this day; the white power structure still controls the continent, and the Indians are still subject to racism and ravaged by poverty, depression, alcoholism, suicide,--all the things we might expect in people who suffer from intergenerational PTSD caused by the unimaginable horrors and indignities of genocide. (Are you listening, jbox?) People like you add insult to injury by suggesting that the injustice is a thing of the past (wrong!) and that the Indians owe it to us to get our permission to do what they want on their own continent.

If you're so concerned about people keeping their promises, Frank, I'm sure you've been crusading to have the American government honor the 230 or so Indian treaties that it has broken, right? RIGHT? Nope, I'm sure you haven't evinced the slightest distress about THOSE broken promises, have you? Let's be honest--your concern is not about people breaking or not breaking promises; it's about you thinking you have a right to tell Indians what they can or cannot do on their own continent. My suggestion: if you don't like how Indians run their continent, leave. Scram. Vamoose. Or, if you prefer, stay--if you can quit spewing ignorant, arrogant and implicitly racist bullshit.

---

Yes, Dixon, I'm listening, I just disagree. I hope you at least give me that right, though you and Miles seem to think that anyone that disagrees with you is a racist. As a proponent of critical thinking, don't you see the contradiction in saying the Native Americans should be treated differently than all others living here, afforded rights nobody else enjoys? Don't you find it funny that Miles thinks they are "special" and need this advantage to survive? I employed a Seneca Indian for 6 years, he was my foreman in my construction company, he didn't ask for special treatment but was a great guy, a hard worker, a self made man, and my friend.

I repeat, it is condescending, patronizing, and racist to say one ethnic group needs special rights and treatment afforded to nobody else to make it. You don't see a contradiction here? I do not dispute the wrongs done to Native Americans in the past but you and I had nothing to do with that really. Does not your ability do think critically see the contradiction in now doing the same wrong thing to make up for sins of the past.? How is it that 2 wrongs make a right? I still think we are all created equal and throwing the playing field out of level for one ethnic group over another is wrong, and ultimately racist.

And I still think casinos are a bad thing, no matter who runs them.

Casinos are a bad thing no matter who runs them.!

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by jbox:

...
And I still think casinos are a bad thing, no matter who runs them.

---

I think it is called reparations, some people get it and some don't. I think there are a lot of black Americans still waiting for their forty acres and a mule. Indian casinos are the revenge of the Indians and they do collect their reparations. I personally like them. I also appreciate Greg Sarris' leadership.

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by jbox:

Yes, Dixon, I'm listening, I just disagree. I hope you at least give me that right, though you and Miles seem to think that anyone that disagrees with you is a racist. As a proponent of critical thinking, don't you see the contradiction in saying the Native Americans should be treated differently than all others living here, afforded rights nobody else enjoys? Don't you find it funny that Miles thinks they are "special" and need this advantage to survive? I employed a Seneca Indian for 6 years, he was my foreman in my construction company, he didn't ask for special treatment but was a great guy, a hard worker, a self made man, and my friend.

I repeat, it is condescending, patronizing, and racist to say one ethnic group needs special rights and treatment afforded to nobody else to make it. You don't see a contradiction here? I do not dispute the wrongs done to Native Americans in the past but you and I had nothing to do with that really. Does not your ability do think critically see the contradiction in now doing the same wrong thing to make up for sins of the past.? How is it that 2 wrongs make a right? I still think we are all created equal and throwing the playing field out of level for one ethnic group over another is wrong, and ultimately racist.

And I still think casinos are a bad thing, no matter who runs them.

---

Quote:

---

Posted in reply to the post by Greg Sarris:

Tommy,

Why don’t you come to the lecture or inquire within the Tribe about the facts of what we are doing with our profits for the environment? Why don’t you look into the huge amount of money my Tribe has given to environmental restoration and education and our goal to use our financial resources to position ourselves to buy back all of the open space in Sonoma County to restore natural environments and to create organic farms that will feed the citizens of Roseland and other poor communities who cannot shop at Whole Foods like a lot of the rich folks do who complain about the casino? Why don’t you come and listen to some of the facts and then maybe you will see that it’s not you or others who will have financial resources to protect the land it takes to stop further development, not to mention the proliferation of non-organic grape growing to the tune of 70,000 non-organic grapes in Sonoma County that have lowered the water table and still have unregulated water usage unlike anything the casino resort will ever have or ever use? Why don’t you talk to us, why don’t you get to know us before you speak?

---

With respect Mr. Sarris, the one key factor you're missing is clear: honor. Does it honor the history of a beautiful people and culture to build on a floodplain a HUGE casino that preys on a base addiction towards those who can least afford it? Your answer of money, or "it's our only choice," is the equivalent of the child who says of their alcoholic parent "at least daddy recycles."

Here's what Russell Means had to say about casinos in an interview with Nadezhda Kevorkova four years ago:

"Casinos are legalized robbery. Only weak-minded and weak-spirited would want to spend their time playing in them. There won’t be any casinos in the Republic of Lakotah. We don’t want people to be robbed under a pretext that this kind of business is profitable for a tribe."

https://rt.com/news/russell-means-interview-116/