On Saturday, around 100 individuals gathered outside the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, located near Fresno, Calif., to protest against its owner, the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians. 

The protesters gathered strongly to challenge the Chukchansi’s method of disenrollment, as reported by YourCentralValley.com. They argue that the policy represents an assault by the tribe on its own members, driven by avarice for gambling profits. 

Approximately 80 of the 567 federally recognized tribes in America are reported to have disenrolled members, with the Chukchansi Tribe being one of the most egregious violators. 

Since its opening in 2003, the casino has barred over half of its members, including individuals with verified ancestry, families that trace their lineage to tribal founders, and several of the last native speakers of the tribal language. 

What does Disenrollment mean? 

The practice removes members and their descendants from their citizenship in a tribal nation, along with related benefits like housing, healthcare, and their portion of casino profits. 

Disenrollment is apparently employed to amend tribal rolls and maintain the tribe's integrity, yet critics argue that some tribes utilize it as a tool for political or economic gain. 

Demonstrators who chatted with YourCentralValley.com on Saturday asserted that this is true for the Chukchansi Tribe, which notified 49 members in mid-March that they would face expulsion.

"We lost our home because of this,” one man, who preferred to remain anonymous, said. “My kids had to move schools and most importantly my kids are losing their heritage.”

Casino.org announced in 2019 the expulsion of 60 individuals from the list. In numerous instances, the disenrollments took place amid competing factions vying for dominance over the tribal council and its casino riches. 

According to a 2022 estimate, the casino produces approximately $43.7 million in annual revenue. Since its opening in 2003, the tribe has removed over half of its members from enrollment. 

“We have provided paper documentation – proving our identity with Chukchansi. Yet they turn a blind eye because they’re trying to increase their per capita payments,” former tribal board member Claudia Gonzales told YourCentralValley.com.

Casino.org sought a response from the tribe but had not received one by the time of publication. 

2014 Armed Seizure 

In October 2014, this struggle for power erupted into violence when around 20 armed individuals from a competing faction invaded the casino following a contested election. 

While casino visitors fled for safety, the attackers forced security guards at gunpoint into a secure section of the facility, where they were handcuffed and allegedly attacked. 

The men asserted they had raided the casino to locate accounts that were past due for reporting to the National Indian Gaming Commission in order to evade a penalty for late submission. 

A federal judge mandated the casino to shut down, and it complied for more than a year, resulting in millions lost for the tribe. 

Tex McDonald, the coup leader, received a sentence of 485 days for false imprisonment.