WWO Not For Profit Goes To Washington Seeking Recognition For the Second Time
Caleen Sisk sole spiritual and political leader (dictator) of the New Age not-for profit WWO has been for the last few years, or at least since the death of the late spiritual leader Flora Jones and her questionable aquisition of Ms. Jones's land in Jones Valley, individually assumed a self provlaimed leadership position that claims traditional lines from prehistoric wintu people. In the process circulating much mis-information as to the historical identity of the Winnemem Wintu tribe and has skewed the representation of the historical former body of Wenamem (or McCloud River Wintu) for her own personal gain. Mis-information that has gone almost entirely unopposed until now! After Flora's unfortunate death Mrs. Sisk and a non-Native Mr. Marc Franco (see below article exsposing Marc Franco for being non-indian, after claiming to be a "Wintu Headman" as a result of his personal relationship with Caleen Sisk) have repeatedly tried to represent the interests of the Larger Wintu People and Tribe and its members, to various state local and federal agencies without Tribal approval from the Wintu Tribe of Northern California. These attempts to gain influence unilaterally and without concesnt have seen varying sucess.
In a Record Searchlight Article back in 2002 Mrs. Caleen Sisk Claimed that her Not for profit was composed of Shasta persons and exspressly stated in the 2002 article that "the wintu people no longer exist". It is not the goal here to attempt to identify Sisk's past or current motive(s) for the circulation of this and other mis-information, but, rather, to bring it to light for tribal members and the community at large to see the lack of intergrity of the WWO group she represnts. Or rather mis-represents.
Currently Sisk has released information that the WWO not for profit after recently recieving errant support from an obcscure board of Intergovernmental Affairs for the State of Califirnia in January 2008 that she is going back to Washington DC seeking support for her sole led group for federal recognition. For the second time! Sisk tried for recognition thru Congress while Flora was still alive back in 2002. Luckily for the other hundreds of Wintu tribal members Sisk's attempt failed. it would have handed her power of the Winnemem Wintu Oraganization while recognising it as a tribe, like the rancheria, allowing her to violate her members rights with impunity as a result of tribal soveighnty without oversite, she has already shown that she is not worthy of the position nor trusted in any capacity by the Tribal Government of the Wintu Tribe.
After members completed the Journey to Justice Exhibit at the Newly Completed Turtle Bay Museum in Redding, Ca, Sisk tried to gain support for recogntiion at that time in the halls of congress using the Exhibit at Turtle Bay as leverage, an exhibit Sisk or the Winnmem were never involved in. She also tried to use the Documentary "in the light of reverence" that portrayed the last doctor of our people as proof of her fraudulent claims to the "traditional leader ship of the winnmem band or people.
The Winnemem claimed in 2006 that it was Winnemem members that were benefiting from a salmon harvesting permit on the Sacramento and this was false as well. There is only one Wintu Man that harvests on the Sacramento River. Sisk also claimed an identical membership level that was presented to the Wintu tribal members in 2004, of 173. The same number in the Wintu Tribal news letter that year and the same number claimed By Sisk in the Record Searchlight article.
It has been in the recent past the effect on split tribes like our that the entire group be denied recognition as a result of splintering of bands (JuanenoNov. 2007), the lack of intermarrage of members (need 50% intermarrage- Mattaponi descision2007), and the splitting of tribal assets including lands (Enterprise Rancheria 1,2). it the Wintu tribe (ALL BANDS) continues on like this none of us will be recognised.
If Sisk thinks she has the resourses to move BIA faster why isn't she helping the WINTU PEOPLE?
Why isn't she being transparent about her motives for the WWO?
Not only is this incorrect for her to singularly go to DC and appeal for just her "group", while the remainder of the 800 Wintu waiting for recogntion now for 25 years, it is also a LIE to the representatives in which she is spinning her story.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/02/15/18479418.php
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