Mildred Burley, Tribal elder and Food Distribution Coordinator for the California Valley Miwok Tribe under its Food For Tribal Families (FFTF) program, is seen here holding a copy of an application she was submitting to the Tribe on behalf of another Native American family wishing to join the official USDA food program conducted monthly at the tribal offices located at 4620 Shippee Ln.
On Monday, January 29th, 2018, the California Valley Miwok Tribe delivered another monthly disbursement of food to tribal elder Mildred Burley to distribute among the federally recognized tribal families that reside throughout the Motherlode. Tribal elder Mildred Burley, seen in the accompanying picture, is still healing from major life-threatening surgery and was asked if maybe this program should be suspended for a few months until she is fully healed.
Mildred responded that this “was not her first rodeo”, while wearing a rodeo shirt that she purchased a few days earlier while attending one in Sacramento, so Mildred has kept her sense of humor. Mildred, even as shown in picture, was able to get another applicant to sign up for the Tribe’s USDA Food Program.
The Tribe is also hopeful that legal interference will now cease with the passing of one of its members that was being used for nefarious purposes and financial gain by non-natives against its recognized members. All litigation brought against the Tribe, as referenced on Wikipedia, are for declaratory relief on behalf of an individual whom had standing. With his passing, the issue is now legally moot and all litigation should have findings as such and soon cease to exist, never to be refiled again.
With this news, the Tribe may now be able to better care for its members and the need for this program may lose its relevancy as no tribal member will ever go hungry again due to the ineptitude of the local Bureau of Indian Affairs and the California Gambling Control Commission.
Until such time as this program just becomes a footnote in our tribal history, we again want to thank the community of Morada, whom have and still support this endeavor, Walmart Stores Inc. whom donated some 40 pounds of frozen meats this month and to our tribal elder Mildred Burley, whom even at eighty years of age has undertaken the responsibility of caring for the families of the Tribe, when those whom are paid and entrusted to work with tribes do not.
