Welcome

"Indigenous tribes are the aboriginal first nation traditional governments of Turtle Island, thus possess inherent sovereignty pre-existing any federal, state and county government".

Heck-ith-ma How are you. Greetings my Human relatives, family, friends and Visitors Welcome to my website called the eastlaketribe.com

This website is dedicated to truth , justice ,civil rights and restoring the  real East Lake (kom-Fo) tribal governments sovereignty. In 1972 the tribe became a federally recognized tribal Government  (a.k.a. Elem Indian Colony, Elem Pomo Tribe, Sulphur Banks Indian Rancheria) the Real name of my Tribe is the East Lake(Kom-Fo) tribe. 

In 1906 a total of 88 acres of land was purchased in Lake County, CA by the federal government these lands included Elem-modun Island, a.k.a. Rattlesnake Island, that was stolen in 1949, and includes Lake Counties officials who committed land fraud. The Majority of documented records are copies  from the federal archives  in San Bruno, CA. 

 As one of the last standing elders (70 yrs. old) and resident at East Lake, practicing Roundhouse Ceremonial elder and great-great grandson of our Traditional Chief Chi-Bee and the last child of our last Elem Chief Jim Brown Jr.,  Most importantly,  I have been directly  involved in Elem's tribal government affairs, as a tribal member, and the tribes first Tribal Administrator in 1974 at age 24, we received one of the first P.L. 93-638 'Indian-self-determination contracts in 1975. I also have ten years of direct experience on BIA,IHS, ICWA and NAGPRA tribal committees. From 1998-2000, I was elected tribal Chairman for the first time, I signed the California Gaming Compact , Elem's first Environmental Ordinance, the Tribes first Indirect cost rate and provided training opportunities and funding for two tribal members Kiuya Brown and Lyle Thomas to become Lake County Law Enforcement officers. Lyle Thomas recently has retired and Kiuya Brown has become a Highway Patrol officer.

 My point is that our tribal government continued to improve and advance and create innovative tribal programs for its membership. A couple more of example of tribal advancement  under P.L. 93-638 is, I also became the founder and first Tribal Health Director of the Lake County Tribal  Health Consortium of seven federally recognized tribal governments. In 2006 the tribe created our own Archelalogical collection and storage facility and trained a total of 12 tribal members for Cultural Monitoring and Hazmat certification. However, once the tribe began to seek legal action against the U.S. EPA Superfund Contractor for direct Violation of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The Elem tribe had to be prevented from filing a major law suite against the U.S. EPA Region 9 Superfund sub-Contractor we began to seek legal advice is when we noticed a federal backlash and illegal interfere in our 2010 tribal elections. 

 I have no further recourse than to now expose to the public  this Federal Corruption by providing copies of their own incriminating internal documents that has to-date prevented the Elem people from seeking environmental Justice , a tribal law suit, over the 2006 violation of the National Historic Preservation Act, by the U.S. Superfund Contractor.  The  BIA falsely recognized a 2010 tribal election held by non-Elem Tribal members known as DELEMA. That put an immediate stop to the tribal law suit.

 For the past 13 years a total of  79 Elem tribal members and our families (+130)have been illegally "Politically Disenfranchised"  from our federally recognized tribal government that includes:  

1. Banded from voting in Tribal Elections (2010,2012,2014,2016,2018,2020,2022) 

2. All  of the 79 disenfranchised  citizen's adult children (21) have been denied their right to tribal membership and all the Grandchildren have been prevented  from enrolling. 

3. The Federal Trust  50 acre Reservation Lands and community has been abandon and all federal and tribal , IHS health services are denied to our entire tribal community.

4. Not one penny of COVID 19 funds was provided to the actual Reservation population nor any funds to maintain tribal community Center and  upkeep of tribal homelands.

Since the illegal 2010 dismemberment of Elem's membership as 12 Elem seniors 60 years and older members have died, including three tribal members and one teen who committed suicide over their loss of membership, leaving only two Elem adult members living on the Elem Reservation over the age of 60, Martha Morinda  and myself both ages seventy.  we represent the last of Elem's tribal Elders still seeking environmental Justice and the return of our sovereign tribal government. 

GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION AND COVERUP

On March 2, 2011 a legal Proof of Services was provided to both; Amy Dutschke, Pacific Regional  Director, BIA and Troy Burdick, Superintendent CCA/BIA and Anthony Cohen, Attorney for DELEMA where provided proof of copies of a signed letter dated March 31, 1998 from DELEMA's Officers; Richard J. Steward, President; Nathan M. Brown, Sr, Vice-President; Donna L. Steward, II Secretary and Sarah B. Garcia Treasurer. validating that they were not members of the Elem Indian Colony and they had a right to file for their own federal recognition. The outcome was full loss of membership in the Elem Tribe!

The Federal Court Legally determined the following:

1. DELEMA was denied federal status in a 1999  legal case see DELEMA v. Sacramento Area Director, BIA (1999) 34 IBIA 77. 

2. The IBIA determined that the 34 members of DELEMA had given up their membership in Elem, then they are not eligible to participate in the Elem tribal government!

IMPORTANT HISTORICAL NOTE

As the officially elected Elem Indian Colony Tribal Chairman from 1998-2000, here are  my legal questions and concerns:

1. First and most important legal question is why wasn't I dully elected tribal chairman not directly informed by federal officials that 34 former tribal members applied for their own federal trust status and was denied federal trust status which resulted in disenrollment for them-self's during my chairmanship!  

2. This appears to  be a direct conflict of Interest  by key federal employees, as both Amy Dutschke and Troy Burdick both had a direct supervisor employee relationship with two members of  DELEMA,' Mable Fourkiller and her daughter Tina Fourkiller .  Troy Burdick actually wrongfully appointed Tina Fourkiller to set on the elected Elem tribal Council, he removed her once we legally challenged this appointment.

3.  Since 1994, Our Elem families were divided over tribal gaming revenue and had a violent two week tribal confrontation and gun battle,  splitting the community apart in 1995.  please see (1995 Elem Casino wars) in 1998, I helped organize a tribal election and was elected Tribal Chairman (1998-2000) re-opened our tribal offices and federal 638 services to all our Elem members.

4. In 2009, tribal elder Irvin Morinda who was a member of DELEMA, was upset with DELEMA because all they continued to do was undermine all tribal services and keep the members fighting over their share of the non-gaming revenue funds (1.1 Million per year) , the DELEMA members actually past a resolution to recall the Elem Treasurer, if they did not distribute  these funds once received within a 48 hour time period. 

5. Once these DELEMA documents were received by the 2008-2010 Elem tribal council of which Sarah B. Garcia, DELEMA Treasurer , was falsely acting as the Elem Secretary/Treasurer, then she directly planned the overthrow of the 2010 Elem tribal  elections once she realized this incriminating federal evidence would expose her and DELEMAS crimes resulting in  loss of all of DELEMA's membership rights in the Elem Indian Colony! As a legal reminder in 1999, Sarah B, Garcia and Delema members submitted a bill for payment for their Attorney Anthony Cohen, both he and Sarah B. Garcia  were employees at the Sonoma County Indian Health Project where they began to plot the overthrown of the Elem Indian Colony tribal government.  

By 2010 with the illegal help of BIA officials, they accomplished their goal. Ironically Anthony Cohen's Son has now become DELEMAS new attorney, this appears to be a case of attorney nepotism and/or  white privilege  in action. 

BIA SUPERINTENDENT FINAL CONFLICT and INSULT 

In 2005 the tribe received a 638 grant to amend and approve a new Election Ordinance .   1. In, 2005 Elem's  Election Ordinance 2005-17-04 was approved  by the Elem General Council.  Both the 2006 and 2008 tribal elections were held in accordance with the approved election ordinance. 

2. We have letters from the BIA superintendent congratulating our elected officials the tribe on both tribal elections. 

3. The tribe held and documented two tribal elections in 2006 and 2008 the BIA has copies of both tribal elections. 

3. The tribe has a letter from Superintendent Burdick congratulating us on this improvement as since 1972 our  Elections have been from the floor, which led to many recalls and disputes over the years that now is being resolved internally.

4. Then to directly violate the Indian Self-determination Act,  allowing the political dis-enfranchisement and blacklisting of 79 Elem Tribal members and their families from receiving any federal and tribal services, by illegally recognizing a fraudulent election held by non-Elem tribal members known as DELEMA! 

5. The BIA, Superintendent illegally interfered in Elem tribal politics  and elections to prevent two BIA employees from being disenrolled! This is a true Miscarriage of Justice carried out and covered up by our  Federal Trustee's at the BIA Offices In Sacramento, California.

I plan to post this legal information for three (3) months Hoping that we find a true champion of Indian Self-determination and tribal sovereignty to help resolve, restore   and return our federally recognized Elem Tribal Governments sovereignty. I will  contact the following federal, State representatives and national organizations officials inviting them to review our evidence on the eastlaketribe.com website.

Federal Officials include:

Brian Schatz, Chairman Senate Committee on Indian affairs 

Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Department of the Interior 

Brian T. Newland, assistant Secretary of the Interior. 

State of California Officials include:

James C. Ramos, Assemblymen

Christina Snider-Ashtari , Tribal Affairs Secretary office of the Governor. 

Commissioners of the California's Truth and Healing Council.

Sara Dutschke, Director Native American Heritage Commission

 Reginal Pagaling, Commissioner NAHC 

National Officials Include:

Cali Tzay, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous peoples.

I want to thank anyone who has read this tribal information this far, please complete the full story by continue reading our Environmental justice History Section and go to the References  scroll to the bottom to see DELEMAs Court Documents.

 Additionally, I have provide our tribal cultural history and many historical, cultural and family photos and videos the  eastlaketribe.com website, as we are the oldest documented tribal civilization with a 22,000 year old history in Lake County, California still living on the ancient shorelines of Clearlake the oldest lake in the western hemisphere dated at 1.2 million years old. 

All My Relations