The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Serrano people in San Bernardino County, California.^[1][2] The band is made up of the Yuhaviatam clan of Serrano people, who have traditionally lived in the San Bernardino Mountains.^[3] The other federally recognized Serrano tribe is the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, located in Riverside County, California.

The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians is undertaking an expansion of its casino in southern California, a project that includes a large electronic billboard. The tribe plans to add 40,000 square-feet to the Valley View Casino and Hotel. The expansion will make room for additional restaurants. The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians is led by a Tribal Council - comprised of five tribal members who have been elected by their peers. Members of the Tribal Council, as well as members of its committees, contribute a significant amount of their personal time and energy to look after the well being of the Valley and the activities of the Tribe. The Valley View Casino (Casino) is located on the San Pasqual Reservation (Reservation), in San Diego County, California, approximately seven miles northeast of the City of Escondido, adjacent to the community of Valley Center. The Casino is managed by the San Pasqual Casino Development Group.

• 5Notes

Government[edit]

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is headquartered in Highland in San Bernardino County.^[4] The tribe is governed by a democratically elected, seven-person tribal council.^[3] Their current tribal chairperson is Lynn Valbuena.^[4]

Reservation[edit]

San Manuel Reservation^[5] is a federally recognized Indian reservation in San Bernardino County. Originally, it was 658 acres (266 ha) in size,^[2] but has expanded to 800 acres (320 ha). Established in 1891, the reservation was named for Santos Manuel, a prominent tribal leader.^[3]

San Pasqual Tribal Hall

In December 2016, the tribe arranged lighting of the Arrowhead landmark for 14 nights, in honor of the 14 victims killed by domestic terrorists the year before in San Bernardino County. This is a California Historical Monument and namesake for various local places.^[6] Together with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians of Southern California, the San Manuel Band made a 'joint donation totaling $600,000 to the San Bernardino United Relief Fund shortly after the shooting last year.^[6]

Economic development[edit]

The San Manuel band employs more than 4000 people and is one of the primary employers in the Inland Empire region of California.^[3] They own and operate San Manuel Casino (renovated in 2016), Serrano Buffet, The Pines, Rock N’ Brews, Chingon's Kitchen, Tutu's Food Court, and Big Mo's, all located in Highland. They also fund the San Manuel Amphitheater, located near Devore.^[7] In 2019, the band made a donation of $25 million to the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.^[8] In honour of the donation, the fifth floor of the children's hospital is slated to be named the San Manuel Maternity Pavilion.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

1. ^'San Manuel Reservation.'SDSU: California Indians and Their Reservations. 2011. Retrieved 25 Nov 2012.
2. ^ ^abPritkzer 143
3. ^ ^abcd'Tribal Government.'Archived 15 August 2012 at the Wayback MachineSan Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Retrieved 25 Nov 2012.
4. ^ ^ab'Tribal Directory.'National Congress of American Indians. Retrieved 25 Nov 2012.
5. ^San Manuel Reservation: 34°09′23″N117°13′03″W / 34.15639°N 117.21750°W
6. ^ ^abICTMN Staff, '14 Victims, as Many Lights: San Manuel Band Rekindles Famed Arrowhead to Mark San Bernardino Massacre', 2 December 2016; accessed 2 December 2016
7. ^'San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino San Bernardino.'500 Nations. Retrieved 25 Nov 2012.
8. ^'Loma Linda University Children's Hospital receives $25 million gift from San Manuel Band of Mission Indians'. Retrieved 27 August 2019.

References[edit]

• Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN978-0-19-513877-1

External links[edit]

The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation is a federally recognized tribe of Mission Indians from Southern California, located in the unincorporated area of San Diego County just east of El Cajon. The Sycuan band are a Kumeyaay tribe, one of the four ethnic groups indigenous to San Diego County.

• 2Economic development

Reservation and administration[edit]

The Sycuan Reservation is located at 32°46′57″N116°49′59″W / 32.78250°N 116.83306°W. The nearest outside communities are the unincorporated communities of Harbison Canyon and Crest.

Cody Martinez is their current tribal chairman.^[4]

The band operates two waste water treatment plants, a sequencing batch reactor used for their casino, administrative buildings, and maintenance buildings. They also operate and own a modular treatment plant in a flood plain near one of their residential areas. The tribe operates a water treatment facility which controls their nitrate levels. Additionally, the tribe operates a small medical clinic, dental office, fire department and tribal police force. In 2005, they eliminated their environmental department for political and economic reasons. In 2004, they installed a new air conditioning system, internal control systems, and a new parking lot.^{[citation needed]}

San Pasqual Tribal Website

Economic development[edit]

The move toward casino gaming on the Sycuan Band reservation was spearheaded by the Sycuan Band's former chairwoman, Anna Prieto Sandoval.^[5] The Sycuan Band opened its first gambling facility, the Sycuan Bingo Palace, on their reservation in 1983.^[6] As a direct evolution from that successful venture, they now run a profitable casino, as well as an off-reservation golf course. The Sycuan band is not the only San Diego-area band to operate significant commercial enterprises off-reservation.

The Sycuan band purchased the downtown San Diego landmark U. S. Grant Hotel in 2003.^[7] It also advertises heavily in relation to the San Diego Padres major-league baseball team (including both television and radio commercials during game broadcasts, and posted advertising at Petco Park, the team's home field).

Hotel casino resort expansion[edit]

A $226 million hotel casino expansion opened to the public on March 27, 2019. The casino has a total of 2800 slot machines and 80 gaming tables (blackjack, poker, etc).^[8][9]

Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming[edit]

The Sycuan band also provides an endowment to support the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming, a research institute at San Diego State University.

Education[edit]

The Kumeyaay Community College was created by the Sycuan Band to serve the Kumeyaay-Diegueño Nation, and describes its mission as 'to support cultural identity, sovereignty, and self-determination while meeting the needs of native and non-Native students.'

San Pasqual Band Of Indians

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

1. ^'California Indians and Their Reservations: S.SDSU Library and Information Access. (retrieved 11 June 2010)
2. ^Eargle, 202
3. ^Pritzker, 147
4. ^'Tribal Governments by Area.'Archived 2010-05-05 at the Wayback MachineNational Congress of American Indians. (retrieved 11 June 2010)
5. ^Gonzalez, Blanca (2010-11-01). 'Sycuan tribal elder Sandoval dies at 76, The tribal leader was instrumental in bringing gaming to reservation'. San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
6. ^Woo, Elaine (2010-11-07). 'Anna Prieto Sandoval, 76; Sycuan leader was a pioneer in Indian gaming'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
7. ^https://narf.org/nill/bulletins/state/documents/american_property_management.html
8. ^'Sycuan Hotel and Resort'. www.sycuan.com.
9. ^'Sycuan Casino Expansion Includes Vegas-Backed Steakhouse and Cocktail Lounge'. www.sandiego.eater.com.

References[edit]

• Eargle, Jr., Dolan H. Northern California Guide: Weaving the Past and Present. San Francisco: Tree Company Press, 2000. ISBN0-937401-10-2.
• Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN978-0-19-513877-1.

External links[edit]

• Sycuan Former Employee Video on YouTube