The Chumash pulled their four-year sponsorship of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team this week in the wake of racist remarks allegedly made by the team’s owner, Donald Sterling. Tribal chairman Vincent Armenta released a statement on the tribe’s decision: “As a people who have long been marginalized, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and the Chumash Casino Resort are especially sensitive to maintaining the dignity of all people. We cannot ignore any statement that causes harm or hurts any group.” At a press conference on Tuesday, the NBA instituted a lifetime ban against Sterling and ordered him to pay a $2.5 million fine.
