Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino Becomes Site of Disenrollment Protests

Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino has found itself in hot water amid disenrollment protests. More than 100 protestors gathered outside the property, protesting against the practice employed by the Chukchansi tribe.  

The initiative saw protestors walk for half a mile from Road 417 down Highway 41 to Lucky Lane in front of the casino, YourCentralValley reported. Local law enforcement officers were also present to protect the safety of everyone involved.

Disenrollment Is Used for Financial Gain, a Former Tribal Board Member Said
Disenrollment, for context, deprives members and their descendants of their citizenship of a tribal nation. While the purpose of this measure is to maintain tribes’ integrity, some argue that it is often used for political or economic purposes.

Disenrolled people can no longer benefit from tribal housing healthcare and are not entitled to a share of the casino revenue. Casino revenue, according to many of the protestors, has been a big motivator for a recent disenrollment wave.

Claudia Gonzales, a former tribal board member, claimed that the recent disenrollments sought to maximize the tribe’s own portion of the casino’s earnings. Gonzales added that many people have been emotionally impacted by the severing of their heritage. Worst of all, some people have experienced great financial and medical uncertainty because of the disenrollment.

The Disenrollment Hurt Many People
Protestor Jessia Alvarez said that her daughter experienced great emotional distress after getting disenrolled and openly mocked by Chukchansi tribal leaders.

To me, that’s sickening. You’re going to disregard a six-year-old’s feelings when that six-year-old is crying out because they’re being kicked out of the tribe for no reason.

Jessica Alvarez
YourCentralValley reached out to Tracey Hopkins who was allegedly responsible for the mocking but received no response.

Lucas Salisbury, another protestor, said that many disenrolled tribespeople felt betrayed by the Chukchansi tribe’s broken promises. The silver lining, he said, is that the practice ended up nurturing solidarity among the disenrolled people and bringing them together. While the overall situation is still grim, he thanked those who have remained united despite the difficulties.

Salisbury concluded that he hoped the disenrollment practice would one day be ended completely, not just for Chukchansi. He regretted that this practice has given tribespeople the tools to “attack each other.” However, he still hopes that there will be a day when disenrollment is no longer “plaguing” tribes.