Reel Wamps

Let’s talk about the Cowlitz Tribe.  Let’s talk about how the Cowlitz situation is in no way connected to us and cannot help us get land in trust.  Here’s why: The Cowliz are part of the Salish nation in Washington state. In 1911 the Cowlitz received (federal) land allotments on the Quinault Reservation.

The Cowlitz we are not.

That means they were on a federal reservation, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (before 1933). Their current lawsuit is embroiled in legal challenges because the Cowlitz want to take a second parcel of land into trust for an off reservation casino.  Of course the surrounding communities don’t want it and are fighting it, and despite the BIA saying they’re ready to move, those legal challenges are blocking that. We cannot coattail the Cowlitz unless the BIA wants to reverse a bunch of decisions.

But the big difference between us and them is that the Cowliz were clearly under federal jurisdiction before 1933, and we were not. So the Cowlitz could get that off reservation casino because the US Supreme Court  Carcieri case makes one exception: it allows the BIA to take LIT ONLY if the tribe was under federal jurisdiction before 1933. 

So What about us?  Well now, Shovel Ready Ceddie and attorney Arlinda Locklear are offering (38 year old) REJECTED ARGUMENTS as proof  that we were under the feds prior to 1933. Well, clearly this is all strictly for billing purposes and the paycheck.  But they press on with irrelevant (and rejected) arguments like these.

Mashpee Wampanoag (Charlie Peters, Eben Queppish and Nelson Simon) attended Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania.  Yes they did but the feds had no authority over us. The other argument is that  our

Mashpee in our Middleboro homeland in 1929

agreements and land deeds with the King of England were tantamount to recognition by the new United States government.  That is absolutely not true. Those agreements were not transferred, considered or of any concern to the US government. Unlike the western tribes, we had no treaties with the US government. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts governed us from 1776  until 2007 (without Land in Trust we are in limbo as a landless tribe, we own nothing and our sovereignty is incomplete).  We had plantations  (reservations)for centuries under the Commonwealth, as Marshpee, and later Mashpee. As wards of the Commonwealth we became a town in 1876 and then we really got screwed because Sandwich and surrounding towns would blatantly steal our land with authority! We had self governance, but as the Town of Mashpee in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Ironically, Massachusetts Governor Levi Lincoln Jr blocked the first possibility

Massachusetts Gov. Levi Lincoln Jr blocked our removal from the state.

of our becoming a “federal tribe”  in the 1830’s.It actually worked in our best interest. When President Andrew Jackson began his forced  “Indian removal” known as the “Trail of Tears,”  Jackson wanted to move us to Oklahoma.  Lincoln, a progressive, said no way.   With a 1,000 miles added to the 3000 mile trek we would have surely perished like thousands of Creeks, Cherokees, Chickasaws, Seminoles and Choctaws forced from their homeland and culture.

MW Reniasance leader Eben Queppish

Our attempt to get federal recognition in 1933 was lead by Mashpee Wampanoag Renaissance leaders  Queppish and Simon.  Simply put, everyone met at the Old Indian Church, did the required paperwork that never materialized at the BIA. Middleboro sleuths reminded the BIA of that with recognition documents confirm that fact.

So, Shovel Ready Ceddie and Locklear are using the King of England, Carlisle and the failed 1933 effort AGAIN. Those arguments were rejected during the recognition process and in our  famous land suit from the late 1970’s. So what’s changed ? Nothing but the enormous  price tag attached to this deceitful mission to get us to believe the Woebegones can get around Carcieri. There’s no detour, but they keep spinning and spending.

Now the worst part. We laughed pretty hard about the Healing Fire fiasco especially with the First Lady lying about what a huge success it was. Oh yaaaas yaaaas! Just like her major effort to help the tribal member get to her cancer treatments. Ahem.

But the last laugh is on us.  Shovel Ready Ceddie and the Woebegone Crew had to do the big spin on LIT  to justify a $386.500,000.00 loan they’re going for now. Oh, don’t forget the $100,000,000 we’re drowning in, with nothing to show for it. This is in light of the fact that (according to the Taunton Gazette) the BIA has even less to say than normal about our application.  BIA honcho Kevin Washburn  said earlier this summer that he could no longer predict when our application would be finished, totally lacking the enthusiasm he had months earlier.  Just call it INFINITY cause we don’t meet the 1933 criteria.

The state has extended the gaming license application deadline by a few months, not for us but to get the best deal  for the Southeast region.  None of the state leaders see us as a threat because of our LIT is such a long shot.

So this is how the budget breaks down:

The Tribe — $12,500,000  (to keep “Feedin’ the Fryes”)

The MW Gaming Authority  $374,000,000

Casino                                   $250,000,000

TCAM                                     $ 55,000,000

Steelman Partners                  $ 17,000,000

Taunton Property                     $ 40,000,000

Property Option                       $   7,000,000

The numbers come out about $5m short but actually that’s being paid to about 10 additional architects associated with Steelman Partners. For some reason those extra architects are just floating around independently instead of coming under the Steelman umbrella.They are busy working in Vegas and Florida for Genting(Arkana). TCAM is the original investor group and Middleboro, the Property Option fees is money

Fantasy First Light Casino constantly redesigned

we have paid to hold the many small tracts of Taunton property that we don’t own.  We do not get that money back by the way. But you know Shovel Ready. Who cares….as long as he gets a check.  All of this is contingent upon us getting LIT.  If we don’t get it,TCAM gets nothing, no casino built. Lotta money spent on people doing nothing but over billing.

Shovel Ready told our well informed Treasurer  Robbie Hendricks now known as “Boo Boo the Fool” that he was working on Bank of America and Wells Fargo to loan the $224 m balance because Arkana is tapped out at $150 m. Jesus, why would these banks bother with us? The Woebegones also have option 2 of  $27 m for the Gaming Authority, if the land doesn’t go into trust,(add the $12.5m Feedin’ the Fryes money) and we’re just under the Arkana cash cut off. Isn’t that interesting? Also the Arkana loan comes due July 3 ($150m) etc etc.  Yah why has the loan due date been extended over and over if we don’t have to pay it back His Hokaness? And if we plan on honoring the state compact we have to have land into trust to move forward. Could it be no LIT no casino? And how do we pay it back with no cash flow? With that being in doubt, the state issues the license to a White gaming entity that is credible and not a front. The other options are risky and would confirm our money laundering status for all these years and Shovel Ready allowing it to happen.

Yes the Woebegones give us food bank charity of potatoes and ham. Oh yah, how was the $100m ham? And they keep spending millions on whatever

Welfare for us...millions for the Woebegones

personal luxury they want. And taking care of their buddies and the Fryes is the pastime.  We can look forward to nearly $500,000,000 in debt.

Watch for His Hokaness and The First Lady digging around in the Arkana

Shovel Ready & TFL are using Winnie's backhoe in the Arkana Sacred Burial Ground

Scared Burial Ground very soon. Looking for all that dirty money that never went through the laundry.

His “Hokaness” has decided to change the host of the Sunday  “Healing Fire.” To replace Messy Jessie with her cousin Guy Cash, the alleged Tribal  Medicine Man demonstrates the abject disregard for the well being of our people.  Clearly the administrative regime recognizes that it has a huge image problem but has botched efforts to win back the support of  tribal members.   This move only worsens their deteriorating status.

John Peters "Slow Turtle" was an internationally recognized Native American leader. According to the NYT, he is the initiator of ICWA and a fierce advocate for indigenous people and the Mashpee most of all. He was the Supreme Medicine Man of the Wampanoag Nation.

When Guy Cash replaced Medicine Man John Peters, that was insulting enough, but he has never been able to comfort or minister to suffering members.  It’s a full time job, and Cash has been absent.   His illness is one thing, and we understand.  But, he should have resigned.  The tribe paid thousands for Cash’s medical bills and other things.  He was paid to vote and was instrumental in Shovel Ready Ceddie coming to power and the ultimate degradation of nearly all of our most basic traditions.

We have many Elders who are shut in, others are sick.  Guy Cash is no where to be found. He can’t even show up for naming ceremonies so of course Messy inserts herself in place of ! We recently had a tribal member murdered in her home….Guy never went near the grieving family.  In an email he said he was ” too busy. ”

The “Healing Fire” is drawing controversy…and they continue to throw fuel on the fire.  Bring your own coffee and stuff like that he says ! Can ya spare it?  A few dollars out of that $100 million.  We can only hope the staff will be counseled to  stop taking food from the Pantry so the members without can benefit.

Guy Cash......

To bring back Billy James or John Peters is wishful thinking.  But this regime should at least pretend to emulate those who had our best interests at heart.

Exhausting.