Splintered for more than a decade, members of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians have bickered over elections, casino proposals and plans to build athletic fields on their land.
But the estimated 4,000 members of the Acjacheman Nation scattered throughout Orange County and other parts of the country may have a compelling reason to become one again: the promise of federal recognition.
With recognition, the Juanenos could form their own government and qualify for many of the benefits enjoyed by the 562 federally recognized nations, including federal money for education and health care, land for a reservation and even, possibly, a casino.
But as the Juanenos move into the final stage before formal recognition, there are few signs that their three factions are getting along.
The three Juaneno leaders -- David Belardes, Anthony Rivera and Sonia Johnston -- have said they want to merge their factions. But as the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs begins to review the Juanenos' petition for recognition, the leaders apparently still are not on speaking terms.
Joyce Perry, tribal manager under Belardes, said she sent certified letters to Rivera and Johnston two months ago but had not heard back from either.
"I offered to meet them anytime, anyplace," Perry said. "And I'm comfortable with a moderator. If the intent is to come together, it would be in everybody's best interests to do it sooner rather than later."
Johnston said she also had reached out to Belardes and Rivera through intermediaries.
"No one has tape over their mouths," Johnston said. "I always hear what's going on in the other groups. We only have one history. But no, I haven't spoken with leaders of the other two groups."
The Juanenos are indigenous to Orange County, dating back at least 10,000 years. In the late 1970s, a formal government structure was established and a petition for federal recognition followed a few years later. Today, Juanenos live throughout Orange, Riverside, San Diego and Los Angeles counties, and some live elsewhere in the country.
Tribal members began receiving mixed messages in 1994 when Belardes' election as tribal chairman was disputed. Johnston was then elected by another group of Juanenos who recognize her as leader. A few years later, another group split away from Belardes when some members accused him of negotiating a deal with Nevada investors to build a casino on a 29-acre lot in San Juan Capistrano. The acreage is thought to be a tribal graveyard.
