Dear Editor,

 

Santa Ynez Tribal Chairman Vincent Armenta’s testimony before the House Committee on Natural Resources oversight hearing on the “Department of Interior’s Recently Released Guidance on Taking Land into Trust for Indian Tribes and its Ramifications,” Feb. 27, has generated considerable public comment and controversy.

In this testimony, he asked the Secretary of the Interior to work with him to re-establish 7,000 square miles of the former aboriginal territories of his tribe, from Morro Bay to the Tejon Pass to Malibu.

He also stated, “The Chumash desire to regain the lands of their ancestors even if it means buying them one piece at a time.”

Armenta’s assertion that the secretary is obligated to assist him in re-acquiring 7,000 square miles of aboriginal territory, because the Santa Ynez Band is a long-standing, historical tribal government, is absurd.

The Santa Ynez Band members and recipients of the Chumash Casino gambling windfall are people or descendents of people who lived in the right place at the right time in 1940.

His statements exemplify what is happening across the country. Casino tribes partnered with big corporate gaming and politicians are using their casino monopoly and virtually untaxed gambling windfall for massive expansion of self-regulated gambling, land purchases and development.

This has been made possible by corruption of a system designed years ago to protect Indians.

They were deemed “wards” of the federal government and in some cases their land was placed in federal “trust” to ensure they had a place to live.

Ironically, the protections in place regarding Indians included the capability of the government to withhold information from the public. Although times have changed and now big corporate gaming is in the picture, this archaic system continues.

All types of claims can be made and it is almost impossible for the public to get proof of these claims, because this information is deemed “sensitive” and in the majority of cases will not be released even when these claims impact private property owners.

The results of this partnership of big corporate gaming, politicians, and the archaic protection of Indian tribes is the re-writing of history, engineering of Indian tribal governments and harassment and control of private property owners for the sole purpose of gambling dollars.

Engineered tribal governments are all over the United States. “Sixty Minutes” did an investigative report on the tribal government behind the largest casino in the world, Foxwoods Indian Casino. “Sixty Minutes” documented that this casino tribe was engineered and tribal enrollment now includes non-Indians.

Many of the casino tribal governments in California are also the result of re-written history or engineering. In one case Kevin Grover, former Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, helped create a casino tribe and then left the BIA to become a member.

Here in Santa Ynez, a letter by Governor Schwarzenegger’s Office detailing the history of the local casino tribe instigated hundreds of hours of research to uncover the facts of the Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians. The facts are necessary.

Armenta’s testimony is clear: he intends to use his untaxed casino riches to expand gambling and land development and he believes the Secretary of the Interior is under some obligation to assist him.

Trips by many people to the National Archives in Laguna Niguel and other archive institutions in the country have provided the information necessary to understand the history of the Santa Ynez Band.

According to a court case in 1898, five families who were “neophytes” of the Santa Ynez Mission were legally allowed to live on 99 acres called Zanja de Cota. After they and all their descendents died, the land was supposed to go back to the Santa Ynez Land and Development Company.

Note that this court case did not name a tribal government, but five families and their descendents.

A letter dated May 2002 by the Santa Ynez tribal attorney documents that those five families and all of their descendents had died. Per the terms of the 1898 court case, the land should have reverted back to the Santa Ynez Land and Development Company. However, our government renegotiated with the company so that the people living on the 99 acres could continue to do so.

A 1940 tribal enrollment list of everyone living on the 99 acres, including non-Indians and people from other locations throughout California, was used to form the Santa Ynez Band.

Expansion of Indian gambling has nothing to do with Indian heritage or helping impoverished tribes, and everything to do with money and development.

If our politicians are going to continue to expand self- regulated Indian gambling and land development, the public has the right to know the truth.

 

Kathy Cleary

Los Olivos, CA

 

 

Dear Editor,

 

I thought David Smyser’s recent letter to your newspaper contained weak explanations about his major campaign contributions.

He wanted us to believe that anyone even questioning the sources of his campaign contributions must be slinging mud.

Criticism of Mr. Smyser came in response to reporters’ articles in the SY Valley Journal and other local papers. Mr. Smyser provided rather surprising answers about contributions totaling thirty thousand dollars from a few companies apparently related to development groups.

Initially Mr. Smyser just said words to the effect of “I don’t know who these contributors are.” and “My only job regarding contributions is to write thank you notes for any that I got and I did that.”

Since trying to ignore his funding sources didn’t fly, Mr. Smyser changed his tune, defending these contributions as related to “tourism.”

This new explanation that these coastal developers are just tourism boosters is creative but not credible. I’d say developing the Gaviota Coast for new mansions and timeshares is quite a stretch from supporting tourism.

Common sense says that the reason we have funding disclosure laws is because we think contributions reveal a lot about candidates and how they will vote. It’s bad enough that Mr. Smyser first denied any responsibility for finding out who was writing him big checks. What’s worse is, now Mr. Smyser is trying to paint these donations as if they are just to promote tourism.

As they say, if it talks like a developer, and if it donates like a developer….well, you fill in the rest.

 

Sincerely,

Vernal White

Santa Ynez

 

 

Dear Editor,

 

While in the Valley over the weekend, I read the letter from Dave Smyser regarding partisan politics and smear tactics launched by Doreen Farr’s campaign. I hope everyone in the valley knows she will be using the same tactics her predecessors Gail Marshall and John Butney used. Attack the person not their positions.

While she was in the 2nd District she was against Goleta becoming a city and was part of the Planning Commission that created the worst revenue sharing plan with the county in California history. We in Goleta (in the 3rd District) cannot believe she even has the nerve to run for supervisor in the 3rd District! Are you folks in the valley aware she had Salud Carbajal and Janet Wolfe walking local Goleta precincts with her at her kick-off last week? And she for sure will be getting contributions from Salud Carbajal and Lois Capps. She won’t be able to say where her funds come from! And we all know the 3rd District would become an extension of the 2nd District if she were elected.

I have to believe folks in Goleta and the Santa Ynez Valley are smarter than that. Let’s vote for a county supervisor that will truly represent the needs of the 3rd District. My money is on Dave Smyser, who isn’t an activist like Farr that just listens to one extreme viewpoint. I don’t want to see a return to the division and mud slinging of the past; instead let’s vote in a Supervisor who, during these challenging economic times, will have creative ideas to help the district and will listen to ALL people and treat them with respect. Let’s not be fooled that she really will represent the 3rd District, when her ties, past and funds are from elsewhere.

Camilla Barber-Olds

7324 Davenport

Goleta, CA 93117

 

 

Dear Editor,

 

Can we please have an election in the Third District of Santa Barbara County that is not about mudslinging? The local citizens who have elected Dave Smyser know that he is a man of integrity who would never accept campaign contributions in exchange for special treatment.

As it turns out the unknown donors were local hotel owners.

They support Dave because he understands how important tourism is to the Third District, including Goleta and the Valley.

The revenue from tourism pays for our law enforcement, firefighters, parks and road improvements.

Dave has served as a local mayor, councilman and planning commissioner. He is a person of proven integrity who builds consensus and believes in open communication.

I hope as voters we actually will vote on a candidate based on his experience and qualifications, instead of being influenced by dishonest mudslinging.

Seems to me, candidates should seek to stand on their own merits instead of hurling stones at others.

 

William R. Gilbert

Goleta