Felix Ike and wife Merlene at a January 2006 IndianCivil Rights demonstration held at the Western Indian Gaming Conference in Palm Springs CA |
Te-Moak Western Shoshone
Elko, NV
Tribal enrollment dispute gathers momentum
Felix Ike and wife Merlene at a January 2006 IndianCivil Rights demonstration held at the Western Indian Gaming Conference in Palm Springs CA |
Above former Tribal Chairman Felix Ike speaking at a May, 2005 Temecula, CA gathering
Disenrolled Tribal Members at a Reno, NV meeting Pictured left -right: Felix Ike Former Tribal Chair of theTe-Moak Western Shoshone, NV Paul Shuttick Former Lt. Govenor of the Isletta Pueblo, NM Gene Sloan Former Tribal Chair of the Laytonville Rancheria, CA John Gomez Jr Former Enrollment Committee Member, Pechanga, CA . |
ELKO - Irate Western Shoshone Indians gathered outside Te-Moak Tribal headquarters Thursday evening while a committee met individually with those facing threatened loss of tribal membership.
While they waited, they collected signatures for a recall petition against all Elko Band Council members except the chairwoman, Glory Two Eagles.
Two Eagles said she supported those fighting to retain their membership in the wake of a new ordinance from the tribal council that could potentially take away that membership. "They're violating tribal members' rights. I am here to support the constitution and tribal enrollment. We have one constitution and that's what we're going by," Two Eagles said.
The Te-Moak Tribal Council recently decided only those registered in a 1937 census and their descendants are eligible for Te-Moak membership, while opponents maintain the tribal constitution has amendments that widen the enrollment.
Former tribal Chairman Felix Ike said the tribal council sent notices to 31 Western Shoshone in his extended family asking them to appear before the new membership committee and bring documentation, but other families could face the same threat. "What happened to my family could happen to you," he said. click here to read this article.
