Page 12 - November 2014 • Southern California Gaming Guide
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November 2014 Tribes in the News
SBarona Tribe Awards Education Grant to San Diego Elementary School
tudents and educators at Normal Heights Elementary School gathered to accept a $5,000 education grant on October 1st from the Barona Band of Mission Indians. e San Diego
th
area Pre-K through 5 grade school plans to use the grant money to purchase four Apple
computers to update the technology in the school computer lab.
Toni Atkins, Speaker of the California State Assembly, whose district includes the Normal Heights community, sponsored the school’s grant. Normal Heights Elementary is a 21st century, state-of-the-art school that opened its doors in 2006, and represents a socioeconomically disadvantaged student body of
diverse ethnic backgrounds.
“New technology is extremely important for students’
success in education today, but with tight budgets and rapidly advancing technology it can be di cult for schools to stay current,” said Cli ord LaChappa, Chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians.
“Normal Heights Elementary School prides itself on o ering students abundant opportunities to use state-
of-the-art technology and we are pleased to be able to support them and other schools through the Barona Education Grant program.”
Since 2006, the Barona Band of Mission Indians has awarded over $2.3 million to 474 schools statewide to help bridge school budget gaps and share resources through its Barona Education Grant Program.
e program is the rst of its kind in California created and administered by a Tribal Government.
e goal of the program is to create strong educational opportunities for the children of California building upon the success of the Barona Indian Charter School, which operates under a continuous improvement model. Schools throughout California can apply for educational
grants from Barona to purchase much needed supplies and materials that promote academic improvement. Each grant awarded by the Barona Education Grant Program is $5,000. Applications can be downloaded at http://barona-nsn.gov/education.
TXXXIII Indio Powwow at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
he 33rd Indio Powwow comes to the Cabazon Indian Reservation and Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on anksgiving weekend, November 28th to 30th. Happening inside the resort’s Special Events Center, the powwow brings thousands of tribal and non-tribal people together
Grand Entry, when all the dancers form a procession, winding around the arena.
e Indio Powwow is a rich part of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indian’s heritage, and they welcome everyone to share in this special yearly tradition. Admission is free.
e powwow opens on Friday, November 28th, from 5 p.m. to midnight. Grand entry is scheduled for 8 p.m. On Saturday, festivities start at 11 a.m. with the Grand Entry
scheduled at 1 p.m., and closing at midnight. Sunday, the powwow gets underway at 11 a.m. with the Grand Entry at 1 p.m., and ends at 6 p.m.
for a celebration of culture and customs.
Historically, Native American tribes have come together annually to trade, socialize and honor feats of bravery and achievement. The fall gatherings celebrated the successful harvest and brought people together to feast, dance, sing and hold ceremonies. The 33rd Indio Powwow features tribes from across the United States and Canada who come in elaborate
regalia to show their skill in dance and singing competitions.
Visitors to the XXXIII Indio Powwow will have an opportunity to taste Native American foods such as Indian fry bread and shop among vendors for jewelry, weavings and other types of Native American art. Powwow highlights include the Bird Singers and the
PSh o e n i x I n d i a n C e n t e r H o n o r s R i n c o n a n d M o r o n g o T r i b a l M e m b e r s
teve Stallings, member of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians and tribal council member has been named by the Phoenix Indian Center to receive the Kent C. Ware Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 Arizona American Indian Excellence in Leadership and Spirit of the
Heard Awards. And Ernest Siva, Serrano and Cahuilla language expert of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, has been awarded the 11th annual Spirit of the Heard Award. Both awardees will be honored at a dinner on November 4th, at the Scottsdale Hilton Resort and Villas.
of Southern California Indian cultures. He has served as tribal historian and cultural adviser for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians since 1996. In 2003, he and his wife, June, co-founded the nonpro t Dorothy Ramon Learning Center in Banning, and he serves as its president. e center has been instrumental in saving and sharing Southern California’s Native American cultures and advancing discovery, understanding, and continuance of tribal cultures.
e Phoenix Indian Center is the rst urban Indian Center in the nation of its kind, created in 1947, providing e ective employment, youth leadership, education, cultural revitalization programs and community engagement. e Center provides services in greater Phoenix and Prescott, Arizona.
Stallings, in addition to serving as a Rincon Tribal Council Member, is the director of the Wells Fargo Native American Banking Services Gaming Group. He is also vice chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA). e Rincon Band owns Harrah’s Resort Southern California, located on the Rincon Reservation in Valley Center.
Ernest Siva, Serrano and Cahuilla language expert, will be awarded the 11th annual Spirit of the Heard Award from the Heard Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona
for his life’s work in preserving American Indian culture, languages, history and the arts.
Siva is the co-founder and president of the Dorothy Ramon Learning Center in Banning and has worked at Cal State San Bernardino, UCLA and other campuses to teach, restore and share California’s Indian cultures and languages. He also is one of the last remaining speakers of the Serrano language.
Siva was born and raised on the Morongo Indian Reservation. He has dedicated his life to the transmission
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
NOVEMBER 2014