Hamiinat Magazine - Winter 2024

H amiinat

THE MAGAZINE OF THE SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS

an opportunity for growth

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am

delighted to share the Winter 2024 issue of Hamiinat,

the magazine of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The title translates to “hello” in the Maara’yam (Serrano Indian) language, and that is just what we want to extend to you – a warm hello. Serrano Indians are indigenous to the San Bernardino Mountains and valleys, as well as the High Desert regions of Southern California. The people of San Manuel are the Yuhaaviatam Clan of Serrano Indians, whose rich culture and history are reflected throughout this wonderful magazine. We are most happy to offer you a glimpse into our Tribe and enterprises.

Our cover story is about the Tribe’s biggest intertribal, cultural celebration: the 27th Annual San Manuel Pow Wow. This year’s event had the highest attendance in San Manuel’s history and is evidence of what is possible when families come together to collaborate and carry on the spirit of their relatives and ancestors.

We explore the designs and inspiration of a Native fashion designer; a podcast that takes on the Indian boarding school experience as a way to bring about healing; and dive into the Supreme Court case that held the health and wellbeing of Native children in the balance.

We meet entrepreneurs who turned their passion into a pastime –and then into a thriving business; a tribal elder who shares memories of the Reservation; and members of the Youth Committee – who share their excitement about the unifying and uplifting annual youth gathering.

We learn how AI integration at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel is improving the workplace experience for team members and guests.

Finally, we’ll focus on the fine dining and award-winning wine collections at both Yaamava’ Resort & Casino and Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas as well as only-in-Vegas experiences: an electrifying cultural venue, a mixology program set to take the city by storm and a hockey team that defied all odds, and brought the city together.

We thank you for being our guest and can’t wait to share our San Manuel tribal culture as well as our many new and exciting offerings with you.

San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

An in-depth look at one of the most significant and beloved cultural events of the year:

Before pow wow, the Tribe invited guests and team members to preview the regalia, music and dance they would see in the coming days.

An elder recalls growing up on the Reservation and what has changed in the ensuing decades.

A look at the start, and subsequent benefits, of tribal gaming on the people of Southern California.

Members of the Youth Committee host an intertribal gathering to exchange cultural practices and strengthen their own.

Puyu’h pkcav

Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena attends the State Dinner at the White House – and forges bonds with fellow leaders for the benefit of her community.

San Manuel team members join forces – along with hard work and vision – to turn a passion for beer into a thriving business.

San Manuel partners with Claremont Graduate University to offer an education program.

A new podcast dives deep into the Indian boarding school era to heal generational trauma and empower Native people.

San Manuel Band of Mission Indians eases the financial burden on team members’ dependents who are pursuing higher education.

An in-depth look at the history of Native children in the foster system and the Supreme Court battle to protect their rights.

An iconic facet of the Las Vegas landscape tells the story of the city’s past, both recent and distant. 46

The San Manuel Golf Tournament raises money for the organizations that are most effective at improving the community, all while playing a few rounds of golf.

Palms Casino Resort makes its mark on the already elevated drink scene in Las Vegas, and then raises the bar.

An Indigenous designer weaves the myths of his ancestors into his designs.

Dramatic, elegant and sophisticated styles made from innovative textiles.

A curated collection of gifts and treats – all available at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel. 66

Fine dining and award-winning wine lists create exceptional experiences at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino and Palms Casino Resort.

Famed NBA announcer shares his favorite on-court memories in preparation for a huge giveaway at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino. 78

The mere existence of the Las Vegas Golden Knights was a miracle. What they accomplished next was unfathomable. 82 INNOVATION

Are you ready to meet a robot? Yaamava’ Resort & Casino incorporates AI into processes at the resort to improve the experience of both team members and guests. 84

A San Manuel tribal citizen shares a recipe inspired by her childhood, and her father’s, on the Reservation.

Winter 2024

H amiinat

TRIBAL COUNCIL

CHAIRWOMAN Lynn Valbuena

VICE CHAIRMAN Johnny Hernandez, Jr.

SECRETARY Audrey Martinez

TREASURER Latisha Prieto

FIRST GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER Ed Duro

SECOND GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER Laurena Bolden

CONTRIBUTORS

Jennifer Anthony

Peter Arceo

Steven Alexander

Cherise Arnott

Afsi Bird

Larry Bittner

Elizabeth Brierty

Nicole Canfield

Jacob Coin

Christopher Dennis

Mindy Dizon

LeeAna Espinoza Salas

Christopher Fava

Kevin Glass

Sonna Gonzales

Darcy Gray

Lydia Guerrero

Kenji Hall

Serena Harper

Juan Herrera

John Hurst

Alberto Jasso

Jennifer Johnson

Cynthia Kiser Murphey

Thomas LaRocca

Tyler Lesch

Angelica Loera

Marty Lopez

Chelsea Marek

Tiffany Melendez

Leana Mendoza

Marcus O’brien

Jorge Pagani

Luke Palladino

Alejandro Placeres

Tina Ramos

Shahriar Rasouli

Steven Robles

Robert Rodriguez

Christopher Rosano

Kevin Shaw

Ken Shoji

Kelley Tucky

Gregory Vanstone

Brandi Vega

Laurens Vosloo

Jessica Washington

Oliver Wolf

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING:

Aiden Hernandez

Annabella Hernandez

Audrey Hernandez

Destiny Manzano

Nekoli Hernandez

Sophia Hernandez

Riley Murillo

Linda Paramo

Tom Ramos, Sr.

Tom Ramos, Jr.

Thank you to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and the entire tribal community for sharing their stories: past, present and future.

EDITORIAL

MANAGING EDITOR Laurena Bolden

MANAGING EDITOR Audrey Martinez

VP TRIBAL BRAND MARKETING Jessica Stops

TRIBAL BRAND MARKETING Julie Lopez

PUBLISHER Peter Gotfredson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lauren Clulow

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jessica Villano

DESIGNER Nate Beal

DESIGNER Alyssa McNees

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Ana Valenzuela

(puh-mee-ah chah-kee-meev)

OUR HERITAGE

Pümia’ čakimiv: what we came with. The phrase describes our heritage, traditions, culture and all the songs, dances and special things our people have passed down over many generations.

In this section we explore what makes San Manuel Pow Wow so beloved. We look at how tribal youth are exchanging ideas and culture and we meet a tribal elder who shares what life was like on the Reservation. We also learn about the history of tribal gaming and the socio-economic benefits bestowed upon the community.

in “One of the Best

San Manuel Pow Wow draws more participants and bigger crowds – and breaks down barriers

BY RICHARD ARLIN WALKER

there is beauty in pow wow: the regalia, the drums and songs, the dances, the reunion of friends and relatives. But pow wow is also a powerful symbol of Indigenous resilience.

When the grandparents’ grandparents were young, the U.S. Government was forcing Indigenous peoples to relocate to reservations and abandon their lifeways … Indigenous peoples were being displaced by treaties they signed with the U.S. Government but were never ratified … Santos Manuel was leading the Yuhaaviatam people to the valley floor to escape the murder of Indigenous people in their mountain homelands … Indigenous children were being taken from their homes and forced to attend boarding schools.

And yet, on this sunny weekend at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), the Bird Songs were sung, the sound of the big drum echoed through the valley, men and women danced in regalia, adorned with gifted or inherited items, such as eagle feathers, beadwork and silverwork.

Emcee Vince Beyl (White Earth Nation Ojibway) was moved by the presence of Tiny Tot dancers on the floor and proclaimed the young ones “the most beautiful children on the face of the earth.” These young children were honoring their forebears and carrying their cultures into the next generation, so Beyl’s words were not exaggerated.

“Native Americans live in two worlds,” said Todd Beebe (Blackfoot), a traditional dancer who lives in the Yakama Nation community of Wapato in Washington state. “We live in the Western world, where we have jobs and cars and houses and do our daily routine. And we live in the Native American world, where we speak our language, practice our religion and our culture.” He added, “Native American culture has been under attack forever and it still is that way. So, this is really important – we have to do our best to keep our culture alive.”

The San Manuel Pow Wow is an annual testament to the fact that thousands of years of history could not be erased, that Indigenous cultures could not be restrained, that right will prevail. Beyl said the drum is “the heartbeat of Mother Earth,” and dancers say that they dance as a form of prayer or they dance for those who cannot.

“That spiritualty is always there with us,” Beebe said. “When we dance, we dance for the people there. You go out there and have a good time and the people who are watching can feel it. Some of the people in the crowd, there could be a sick family member in the hospital, they could be going through hard times themselves and dealing with tough situations. That time you’re out there dancing, they’re enjoying watching you dance and it takes away that pain and brings joy to them.”

All weekend, the pow wow grounds at CSUSB were filled with the color, pageantry and song of hundreds of Indigenous cultures from throughout the United States and Canada – some 800 dancers, 17 big drums and five youth drums.

The entire weekend was uplifting.

Santos Manuel, the 19 th century kiika’ of the Yuhaaviatam people, would likely have recognized the songs sung by groups of Bird Singers who opened each day of pow wow – songs that tell the story about creation and the movement of the people and animals across these lands. Singing was accompanied by the soft rhythmic sounds of gourd

rattles. Some male singers wore ribbon shirts; women and girls danced in colorful ribbon skirts and shawls.

The pow wow’s coordinators say they are continuing a teaching passed down from elders through pow wow co-founder Tom Ramos, Sr. Traveling the pow wow trail can be tough, and San Manuel Band of Mission Indians can ease the burden of dancers, singers and vendors by forgoing entry fees. A rising tide lifts all boats. This year, some $250,000 in prizes were awarded to six winners in each category of men’s and women’s dance (Golden Age, Seniors and Adult), teen dance, junior dance, drum and youth drum and the hightlight of the weekend: the Cruz Chacon Memorial Sweetheart Special.

The dances were sensory sensations, each set of regalia a work of tradition and art.

Men’s Fancy Dancers wore fully beaded headbands, armbands, belts and moccasins; a belt of bells worn below the knee added a melodic ringing to each song. Men’s Grass Dancers wore feathered roach headdresses and beaded headbands

and cuffs; the dancers’ movements resembled the swaying of prairie grasses. Men’s Northern Traditional Dancers wore ribbon shirts, chokers, beaded chest plates and bustles.

Women’s Fancy Dancers wore elaborately embroidered and ribboned shawls and beaded earrings, bracelets, chokers, leggings and moccasins. Jingle Dress Dancers wore plumes in their hair, beaded leggings, beaded wrist cuffs and matching hair clips. Jingles made from the lids of snuff cans – here, symbolizing tobacco as medicine – shuffled side to side with each dance movement, adding a lovely tinkling sound to the music of the drum.

And many more styles, each with their own regalia and movements, contributed to the rich mosaic of the continent’s Indigenous cultures.

“ IT’S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD”

Beebe, his wife and their seven children traveled 1,076 miles to San Bernardino from their home on the Yakama Reservation to participate in the San Manuel Pow Wow.

The 18-hour drive was worth it – an opportunity to meet what Beebe called the “rock stars” of pow wow song and dance.

“The best-of-the-best drums show up and that attracts the best dancers,” Beebe said. “You talk about Northern Cree or Show Time – they’re big time. You see them on YouTube, but at a pow wow you see them live and up close and you can talk to them and learn from them. And when you’re

dancing, you can dance next to these worldchampion dancers, you can talk with them and get some advice – life advice, dancing advice, singing advice. Everyone’s there to help each other. It’s a really positive thing.”

He added, “It’s a celebration. The traveling is part of it, the camping is part of it, the food is part of it, the singing, dancing, grand entry, seeing all your friends that you haven’t seen for a long time that are from the other side of the country. It’s a whole different world.”

His 16-year-old son, Christopher, who won the Youth Grass Dance title, said he’s more comfortable in that world – the pow wow world – than in the Western world. “I struggle more in the Western world than in my cultural world,” he said. “Being at the pow wow clears my mind; I don’t have to worry about anything else, just think about the pow wow.”

“ALWAYS A GOOD TIME AT SAN MANUEL”

Terry Paskamin (Cree) has led the Blackstone Singers of Alberta, Canada for almost 40 years; six of his sons are members of the group. The songs they sing range from newly composed to one passed down from Paskamin’s grandfather; that song is about 80 years old.

Paskamin remembers his drum group’s early pow wow years. “We might win enough for gas money home and maybe squirrel a little away for the next weekend. But it was exciting times –traveling around, going to different places and seeing different people,” he said. “We always sang for the love of it. It was never about money.”

For San Manuel, it’s not about the money either and that’s made it easier for drummers and dancers to make the trip and compete. There is no entry fee, no cost for meals or camping and “you can enjoy some good summer weather and see the sites in the area,” Paskamin said. “It’s always a good time to go to San Manuel.”

(Incidentally, Blackstone placed fourth, which came with a $13,000 prize. In reference to the level of competition among 17 drum groups, Paskamin said, “We were happy we got fourth place.”)

Paskamin said he considers San Manuel Pow Wow – with the participation that is made possible by the Tribe’s generosity – to be one of top five pow wows in North America.

Vern Chocan (Cree), a sound engineer for pow wows across Canada and the United States, agreed. “If you attract good drums, the dancers will show up,” he said. “The higher level of drums, the better songs they get to compete with. You do it for the love of it. Sure, there’s competition. Who wouldn’t want to be the best, right?”

“ POW WOW IS BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS”

Chocan, of Saskatchewan, has worked at San Manuel Pow Wow since its inception.

“The Tribe has made good decisions to get where they are now – and they want to share their good fortune with the people. That’s the way we are as Indigenous people; we are a sharing people.”

Chocan said he’s watched the children of pow wow founders Cruz Chacon and Tom Ramos, Sr. learn and follow their fathers’ leads. He’s impressed by their stewardship of the event.

“I’ve been there for a long time and I’ve watched these younger people get more involved,” Chocan said. “I’ve seen them grow up to be the people they

are. I’m there every year and the participation numbers are rising.”

One of those young people, Tom Ramos, Jr., 26, said the teachings of his father and uncle Cruz guide him and his cousins in leading the pow wow.

“The main thing we learned was no matter what we’re doing for this pow wow, we always have to work together,” Ramos, Jr. said. “This pow wow is never one person’s pow wow – it’s everyone’s pow wow. We have open arms and allow anyone from the Tribe to be involved.”

Ramos, Jr. said that as the pow wow grows, the focus will remain ensuring that it keeps to its cultural roots.

“We got a lot of good feedback from people out there,” Ramos, Jr. said. “We changed the pow wow arena this year, we added more vendor booths and food booths, and it went pretty well. There’s room for the pow wow to grow, but right now the growth has to be internal. It’s our job to see what we can do to make it better.

It’s not the size of the pow wow that matters. We have to make sure we’re doing everything the right way.”

Audrey Martinez, Secretary of San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, is carrying on the cultural outreach of her late mother, Pauline Murillo, who wrote Living in Two Worlds and We Are Still Here Alive and In Spirit about the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians adapting to a rapidly changing outside world while maintaining traditions and family bonds.

Martinez said her mother always said, “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will tell it for you.” Martinez and her family host an information booth at pow wow and find the event a good way to inform visitors about the Tribe, its traditions and experiences.

“My mom always taught me and my sister about our traditions and our culture, and she always taught us the importance of understanding our responsibility to share that knowledge,” she said. “She taught us how your traditions and culture can be lost if they’re not passed down through your family – through stories and through listening.”

Martinez said San Manuel’s presence in the Inland Empire, as well as community outreach and pow wow, are building bridges of understanding between the Native and non-Native communities. But the work is not over.

“Even though we’re bordered by Highland and San Bernardino, you’d be surprised by how many people don’t even know the Reservation is here,” Martinez said. “But we continue to break down those barriers.”

EXHIBITION

FBY RICHARD ARLIN WALKER

ancy Shawl Dancer Verna Street twirled in time with the drum and song, her fringed shawl giving the appearance of a butterfly in flight as her moccasins skimmed the floor of the stage.

The Tuscarora/Cherokee pow wow dancer formerly lived in Riverside and now lives in North Carolina. She returned to San Manuel – specifically, the Yaamava’ Theater –on September 7 to participate in a public preview of San Manuel Pow Wow that would begin eight days later at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB).

Street said the exhibition and pow wow, free to the public, open the door to the diverse Indigenous cultures of the region – and the continent. She sees the exhibition and pow wow as building understanding and relationships between Native and non-Native peoples.

“San Manuel is very loyal to their community. They constantly give back,” Street told Hamiinatmagazine. “They give back to everybody, because everybody makes up the community. We’re such a blended society, we have to recognize the community behind that. We have to share – that’s the only way we are going to be able to thrive together.”

Attendees of the exhibition and/or pow wow saw dynamic cultures. Some of the regalia and dance styles are quite old, and the drum group that sang at the exhibition – The Cozad Singers, a Kiowa drum group from Anadarko, Oklahoma – was founded almost 90 years ago. But there were newer forms of cultural expression too, such as the Fancy Shawl Dance performed by Street.

Women’s Jingle Dress Dancers danced with eagle feather fans, plumes and feathers in their hair. Their colorful dresses were adorned with cones made from rolled up snuff-can lids that added a beautiful tinkling sound to each dance movement.

There were Men’s Feather Dancers, Men’s Grass Dancers, Women’s Traditional Cloth Dancers and others, each wearing regalia that were works of art, and unique to their dances. Regalia featured elaborate beadwork, eagle feather bustles, bone and shell chokers, silverwork and embroidered scarves and shawls.

“These are sacred to us,” Master of Ceremonies Glen Begay (Dine’) told

“These are sacred to us,” Master of Ceremonies Glen Begay (Dine’) told the audience. He later told KABC TV Los Angeles, “We’re preserving who we are as Native people. Our culture, this way of dance has been passed down through generations.”

There is much that is sacred to the dances and songs that people witnessed. The big drum is considered to bring out the heartbeat of Mother Earth. To many dancers, dance is a form of prayer.

The Bird Songs and Serrano Big Horn Sheep Songs sung by the San Manuel Bird Singers tell the story about creation and the movement of the people and animals through their territory.

The Jingle Dress Dance was born more than a century ago from the vision of an Ojibwe medicine man, who was guided in a dream to develop a dance that would be medicine for people affected by the 1918 flu epidemic. His granddaughter danced the dance and was cured.

“The reason we put the exhibition on is so people can understand, prior to the pow wow, what the pow wow is really about,” said Tom Ramos, Jr., son of pow wow co-founder Tom Ramos, Sr. and a Pow Wow committee member. “We had a feeling for a while now that part of the community didn’t understand it and we wanted to provide a different outlook to it – put it more as a learning way about the different styles of dances in Native America, as well as our culture as Serrano people.”

Ramos, Jr. said he wants to see the exhibition continue in the future. “The more it grows, the better. We want to be able to share the culture and who we are.”

A VOICE FOR THE UNDERREPRESENTED

The San Manuel Pow Wow is the largest pow wow in Southern California. Since 1996, the pow wow has grown to 20,000 spectators, 800 competitors and 100 vendors. Admission is free to the public. Dancers, drummers and vendors don’t pay for entry, meals or camping sites. A quarter of a million dollars in prize money was awarded this year.

Ramos, Jr. said pow wow has helped break down stereotypes and build relationships between Native and non-Native communities.

“I would say, since the time I was growing up, a lot more people understand what pow wow is all about,” he said. “We were always taught, when learning

the Bird Songs, to educate the community about who we are. There are people who still believe all Natives hunt buffalo and ride horses. That’s obviously not the case. As pow wow has grown, the community has grown with it. Everything we do as Native Americans is medicine for the people, and the community now has a good understanding of that.”

That bridge is important in a state where Native Americans are grossly underrepresented, despite California having the largest Native American population in the U.S. – 535,468, according to the U.S. Census’ latest American Community Survey.

Of 120 members of the state legislature, only one is Native American –Assemblyman James Ramos of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Of 482 mayors, two are Indigenous – Todd Gloria (Tlingit/Haida) of San Diego and Tasha Cerda (Tohono O'odham) of Gardena.

The costs of underrepresentation are myriad, among them in the area of justice. One week before pow wow exhibition, a state audit reported that 6 percent of 700,000 Native American artifacts and remains held by California State University have been repatriated.

Following the audit, CSU released this statement: "The California State University deeply respects the sovereignty of Native American tribal communities and will honor their ancestors and sacred ways through a reverent return of ancestral remains and cultural items taken from them and housed in our universities for far too long."

Street said San Manuel’s culture of welcome will continue to break down barriers between the Native and non-Native communities.

“It takes not just San Manuel to put on pow wow, it takes the university, it takes the police department, it takes the EMTs, it takes everybody coming together,” Street said. “When they can participate and watch it and understand it, then they’re like, ‘This is awesome, let’s keep this going.’”

Reflections

A trib el r sh es mom s f m her

childh d e S M uel Reserv@i .

Linda Paramo (née Chacon) was born in 1941 in the rock house on the San Manuel Reservation, where she grew up. Linda married David Paramo in 1965 and together they had one daughter, Sharell, and one son, Aaron. A hairstylist by trade, Linda became an entrepreneur in 1984 when she opened her first beauty shop on Del Rosa. Today, Linda not only enjoys retirement but also time with her dog Nacho and two birds, Feathers and Albino. BY JESSICA

What has your experience been like as a Native American and as a tribal citizen of San Manuel?

It was tough, especially in school. We didn't want anybody to know we were Native American because the kids would pick on us and follow us home, calling us names. But as a kid on the rez, it was good. We all played together and got along. It was like living in two different worlds. It’s gotten much better over time, and as the casino grew people started treating us better. But as a kid, it was tough.

What's one characteristic you would use to describe your Tribe?

I would say my Tribe is loving, respectful and has a strong sense of togetherness. They all came together during hard times, like when someone had passed. They would bring food and whatever we needed. When our dads hunted, and someone got a deer, they divided up the meat between everyone. We always looked out for each other.

What are some of your favorite memories growing up on the Reservation?

Climbing the hills, then sliding down on cardboard. And when they put in those water pipes, we would get inside and roll down the road. One after the next, just taking turns rolling. We spent most of our time playing together. We would put tin cans under our feet and walk around to make a lot of noise. Some of us had skates and skated clear down to Highland Avenue and back. Some of us had bikes so we rode those. And of course, climbing the mountains, playing in the wash and walking up to the waterfall. Just off the Reservation were groves of orange trees and we had orange fights in the groves. When I first learned to drive, I practiced in the orange groves.

What did the Reservation look like at that time?

Mostly bushes, there were hardly any trees. Just orange trees at the bottom. Six, maybe seven homes. They were shacks and two were rock houses. One rock house was a one-bedroom small home that most of us have lived in at one time or another. Many tribal families lived there until they found or built a place to live on the rez. It was also the home I was born in. I remember it had a dirt floor and a small kitchen and an outhouse by the chicken coop.

The Reservation has changed drastically. How do you feel about the changes? What was it like when you were younger?

It's a whole lot better as far as the housing. When I was little, I remember my mom using kerosene lamps because we didn’t have electricity. None of the homes had electricity or running water, and for hot water you had to heat it up on a wood stove. There was one faucet on the rez that took care of all the houses. Maybe four or five families lived here then.

So you were born in the original rock house. Can you share some memories of it?

Well, for one thing, it was safer than our little shack. It didn't have leaks like we had. My mom and I, my Aunt Francis and her two boys and one girl lived there for a bit. There were only two big rooms, a little kitchen and the little dining room. It was just dirt floor when I was little. We played games, like throwing the ball over the roof.

Tell us about that ball game. One team was on one side, the other team was on the other side and our moms would play on our teams with us and we would throw the ball over the roof and someone on the other side would catch it. Then

VILLANO

someone from our side would run around the house to tag whoever caught it. If the person who caught it made it back to our team before being tagged, we’d switch players. But if they did get tagged, they were out of the game.

Tell us about your career as a hairdresser. My stepfather's mother lived in Pasadena. She lived a block away from the beauty school. When I visited her, we would walk by it and one day I told my mom that's what I wanted to do. I tried getting into Ferguson's in San Bernardino but I was too young; I was only 17. My grandma said I could move over there with her in Pasadena and start at the beauty school there, the Al Tate Beauty College. So I did, and I lived with her for nine months to finish beauty school. Then I moved back home and had to wait until I was 18 to take my state board.

And you opened your own salon?

I worked at several places before I opened my own shop. I had built a clientele before I decided to have my own salon. In March of ‘84 I opened my salon on Del Rosa and got more clients by word of mouth. I had three stations and three dryers in the first shop. In 1988, I opened a second location on Baseline and Victoria. I later moved this second shop because the area changed, and it’s now on Palm Avenue and Nona. It’s close to 40 years now since I opened Style Effects II.

What are a few things you've learned that you would like to pass on to the younger generations?

To be courteous to people. Get to know people before you judge them. Remember where you came from and don’t forget your traditions.

n a cold, windy February night in 1983, about 100 poker players waited for another hand inside a plain stucco building in the California desert. Bets were placed in a smoky, decidedly unfancy, setting. As cashier cage workers got ready for the Tuesday night shift change, Riverside County Sheriff deputies burst in, guns drawn. Tribal citizens, employees and patrons were rounded up, property and money seized. A young cashier recalled being shoved against the wall and searched for weapons.

Indian gaming, county officials declared, was illegal.

Thus began the fight that changed California history. The ripple effect of that Tuesday night nearly 40 years ago would touch the lives of thousands of Indians and non-Indians in a way no one in that room could yet imagine.

California tribes went on to challenge the law and successfully defend their sovereignty. Four years after that fateful raid, the economic course of many American Indian tribes – long in decline from the onslaught of seized lands, stolen resources, broken treaties and ill-fated federal Indian policy designed to terminate, or at best assimilate, Native Americans into mainstream American society –was permanently altered. On February 25, 1987, in a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of tribes’ sovereign right to operate gaming.

“Our Supreme Court victory opened the door. Nothing after that was ever the same for many tribal nations,” said San Manuel Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena. “Now we could begin to strengthen our governments, improve our communities and create jobs and other opportunities.”

So how and when did things change from a brutal fight for survival to tribes becoming a major driver in the California economy?

The shift from modest bingo halls and card rooms to world-class gaming properties is a transition in scale and success that almost no one saw coming. As economic research has now demonstrated, the winners weren’t just tribes but rather whole communities and the entire state that benefitted from tribal gaming’s economic engine.

As a leading provider of economic research analysis, Los Angeles-based Beacon Economics has produced a number of statewide tribal economic studies documenting the growth of tribal gaming.

“Year after year, tribal government gaming has consistently shown its substantial impact on our state’s economy,” said Beacon Economics analyst and managing partner, Sherif Hanna. “Additionally, tribal non-gaming operations, such as hotels, spas, shopping and entertainment venues generate an

additional level of fiscal benefits that include tourism spending for the community, tax revenues for the state and jobs for local residents.”

It is easier to see the path of progress in hindsight. But the truth is, it has been nearly four decades of discovery as elected leaders, academics, researchers and local communities have witnessed tribal gaming become a powerhouse industry benefitting a broad cross-section of California. Bigger than anyone anticipated.

How big is big? California has the most tribaloperated casinos in the country with 85 gaming facilities owned by 63 of the 109 federally recognized tribes in the state.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) reports that California’s gaming tribes now contribute nearly $20 billion annually to the state's economy. Tribal casinos generate nearly 159,781 direct and indirect jobs for Californians, $19.96 billion for state and local economies and $1.3 billion in revenue sharing to the state and local governments annually.

In 2021 alone, revenue provided for non-gaming tribes totaled more than $34 million. Since the establishment of the revenue sharing trust fund, gaming tribes have contributed more than $1 billion in funding for California's limited-gaming and nongaming tribes.

The California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA), in its annual report to members this year, cited the California Employment Development Department’s findings that “collectively California tribal governments directly provide over 63,000 jobs, up from roughly 57,000 a year earlier, representing a net gain of nearly 6,000 jobs. That’s more jobs than the telecommunications sector employs in California.”

“The fact is that tribal gaming in California has been a transformative force in the state's socioeconomic landscape, fostering economic growth, creating job opportunities, supporting local communities and preserving tribal heritage,” said California State Assemblyman and San Manuel tribal citizen James Ramos. “The legalization of tribal gaming in the late 20th century opened new avenues for Native American tribes to uplift their members and their surrounding communities.”

An economic analysis by the AGA shows that out of 500 Indian gaming operations in the United States, California tribes lead the nation in terms of producing jobs, wages, taxes and overall revenue to state economies. Florida, Oklahoma and Washington trail behind at less than half of California’s tribal output.

Casinos operated by tribes have become major tourist attractions, drawing visitors from across the state and beyond. As a result, the hospitality industry – including hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues – flourished around these gaming establishments. In turn, this led to increased tax revenues for the state, benefiting public services and infrastructure development.

“Tribal gaming has spurred employment opportunities in both tribal and non-tribal communities across the state,” said CNIGA chairman James Siva. “Casinos require a wide range of employees, from hospitality and gaming personnel to administrative staff and security personnel. Our industry’s creation of jobs has helped reduce California unemployment rates, provided tribal members and adjacent residents with stable income and contributed significantly to the financial health of neighboring communities.”

According to CNIGA, tribal employment represents more than $3.3 billion annually in worker earnings.

Apart from providing employment opportunities, tribal gaming operations invest in job training and skill development programs for their employees. This investment not only improves the employability of workers within the industry but also equips them with transferable skills that can be utilized in other sectors, contributing to overall workforce development in California.

Fostering Local Partnerships for Economic Development

Tribal gaming has fostered growing collaborations between tribes and non-tribal entities. As tribes have prospered, they have strengthened intergovernmental partnerships with local governments to support community development projects and bolstered support for local, regional and state businesses with large volume purchases of goods and services.

These collaborative ventures have led to the expansion of infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, and enhanced law enforcement, public safety and fire services that benefit both tribes and neighboring regions.

“It’s not only the large number of jobs that tribes provide, but also where those jobs are located,” explained Siva. “Most of these jobs are in rural areas and smaller towns, away from the state’s more jobrich urban centers. Tribal economies are tied to our lands. Changing locations is not an option. This reality guarantees employment opportunities in some of

Source: 2023 IGA Annual Report - 2022 Numbers

California’s poorest and most rural communities.”

In 2022, Indian Country Today, a nationwide tribal newspaper, partnered with the Institute for Nonprofit News and a coalition of news organizations to assess the economic impact of tribal economies. The special report, which backed Siva’s point, found “study after study reaches the same conclusion: Tribes are often the largest drivers of regional and rural economies.”

Gifts that Keep on Giving

Additionally, California tribes have been involved in philanthropic endeavors, contributing to various charitable causes. Donations made by tribes have supported educational scholarships, healthcare initiatives, environmental conservation and disaster relief efforts.

Local leaders in California’s cities and counties confirm this. In one CNIGA survey, a sweeping 92% of community influencers said they think their goals align with their nearby tribal neighbors, 60% affirmed they believe tribal gaming has been positive for the local community.

These charitable contributions have positively impacted numerous California communities, demonstrating the tribes' commitment to societal welfare.

Case in point: since 2003, San Manuel has donated more than $350 million to community needs. The Tribe’s charitable giving efforts include not only education (scholarships, college access, career readiness, arts and music and STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math] programs) but social welfare (aid to veterans and

military families, senior citizens, domestic abuse victims, housing and legal aid) to healthcare, disaster preparedness and workforce development. Tribal governments’ charitable giving and revenue sharing also generates another sector of economic activity. “A study from a decade ago showed the ripple effect of tribal contributions,” said Hanna. “Tribal donations to causes such as Meals on Wheels, the Human Rights Campaign and Habitat for Humanity multiplied into feeding an additional $130 million in economic output and fostering more than 800 jobs in California.”

Indian casinos have been instrumental in facilitating infrastructure development in the regions where they are located. With increased revenues from gaming operations, tribes have invested in improving roads, schools, healthcare facilities and public services and enhanced the quality of life for residents in surrounding communities.

In a CNIGA poll, more than a quarter of community leaders said their neighboring tribe served the non-tribal community through paramedic, police, fire or other services while 19% cited tribal investment in community infrastructure.

Indian casinos have demonstrated a commitment to supporting local businesses by sourcing products and services locally whenever possible. This has created a symbiotic relationship between the casinos and neighboring businesses – fostering economic interdependence and strengthening local economies.

Source: Indian Gaming Association

Fostering Environmental Protection

Many tribal communities in California have deep connections to their ancestral lands and are committed to preserving the environment. With tribal gaming revenues, tribes have invested in sustainable practices and environmental conservation projects. This commitment to ecological preservation not only benefits tribal lands but also contributes to the broader effort of safeguarding California's natural resources for future generations.

From a Handful of Poker Rooms and Bingo Halls to Major Economic Player

The emergence of tribal gaming represented a paradigm shift in the tribes as governments whose quest for self-determination and self-reliance continue to evolve. There has also been significant political growth in the tribes’ relationship with California. It redefined the role of American Indian tribes in the state's economy. Tribal enterprises have not only generated employment opportunities but also diversified the economic landscape, boosted tourism and contributed substantial revenues to support vital public services and infrastructure development.

California tribes are now empowered to sustain economic independence and share a promising future with the state’s residents.

“There is no question now that tribal gaming is here to stay. There will be changes, no doubt. But we will continue to play a crucial role in driving California's economic prosperity well into the future,” said Valbuena. “We have a legacy to uphold and protect for future generations.”

BY EMILY CLARKE

ore than 100 Native youth from more than 10 tribes sat scattered around the San Manuel Community Center Gym, enjoying breakfast with laughter and anticipation for the day to come. That day, September 30, San Manuel’s Youth Committee hosted its annual Tribal Youth Gathering and conference, Ćahuun Houpk, meaning One Heart in the Serrano language.

The keynote speaker, Carlos Rivera (Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians) – Founder and CEO of Generation Red Road, Inc. as well as the Behavioral Health Director at American Indian Health & Services in Santa Barbara –greeted the Native families.

“I want you to take out your notebooks and write down these three words,” Rivera said. “Sound, color and movement. These are the ways you are going to learn today.”

Throughout their day of workshops, discussions and hands-on activities, participants were encouraged to be mindful of their emotions and the way they learned. During a performance by the San Manuel Bird Singers, who shared traditional Sheep Songs and Cahuilla Bird Songs, conference attendees learned through sound.

During the “Let’s Pow Wow” dance workshop with Tekla Diaz (Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians), they learned through movement and were encouraged to be mindful of their bodies.

In “Beading with Birdie,” taught by Brighid Pulskamp (Navajo Nation), elementary-aged youth were encouraged to choose colors that “make them feel happy emotions” or reminded them of a happy place. Beading reduces stress and practices patience, two things vital to living a mindful and fulfilling life.

The Tribal Youth Gathering was centered around intertribal connection and the sharing of traditional knowledge. However, the available workshops also highlighted new ways to use Indigenous knowledge, showing Native youth there is no limit on their abilities. Traditional knowledge was shared through

workshops like “Traditional Foods & Games” with Blossom Maciel and Lorene Sisquoc (Fort Sill Chiricahua Apache Tribe and Mountain Cahuilla descendants), while new methods of creativity were encouraged through a traditional tiedye workshop with Meztli Projects. Participants were even invited to “Build a Rover with NASA,” a workshop that used hands-on science to promote more Indigenous representation in STEM programs and research.

Members of the San Manuel Youth Committee were extremely proud of the conference workshops and know those activities are vital to keep their culture alive. “People should know about our traditions and celebrate them,” Youth Committee Representative Sophia Hernandez said.

Sophia’s sister, Audrey Hernandez, agreed saying, “Our culture is in our blood. Today we can show people that we are still here.”

The Youth Committee meets twice a month and helps plan not only the Tribal Youth Gathering, but events such as the Christmas Tree Lighting. They also participate in the annual San Manuel Pow Wow and use events as opportunities to fundraise for organizations like the Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern California.

All of the members are related and value spending time together not only because it brings them closer but, as Committee Member Aiden Hernandez explained, it helps them “make the intertribal connection between Serrano and Cahuilla peoples.” According to Youth Committee Secretary Nekoli Hernandez, the ultimate goal of the committee is to “help better our tribal community and understand the depth of our culture.”

One glance around the room at the tribal families enjoying workshops, sharing food and forging new friendships showed how successful the Youth Committee was in facilitating intertribal connections and the passage of traditional knowledge.

Youth Committee Representative Riley Murillo said, “Not a lot of people know what goes on here at San Manuel, or they have the wrong idea, and that’s why it’s so important for us all to connect.”

“I’m proud of how successful today was and how many people showed up,” shared Vice Chair Annabella Hernandez, noting that the more than 140 participants left with not only a smile, but a sense of fulfillment, a new outlook on culture and an understanding of the value of intertribal exchange.

Several members of the committee hoped the intention of the day, mindfulness, would become a regular practice amongst the Native families in attendance. They also hoped that with an understanding of the importance of their emotions; their connection to tribal traditions, plants and knowledge; and their ability to strive for the stars, the Native youth attendees were equipped with tools needed to live both happily and healthily.

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From Then to Now

A look at the resilience and determination of the Yuhaaviatam to remain self-su icient and sovereign.

1700s-1820s

Spanish missionaries and military encounter the Yuhaaviatam (one clan of the Maara’yam), which they call “Serrano” or “highlander.” Many Maara’yam are forced into the mission system as slave labor for Spain.

CREATION

Since Time

Immemorial Maara’yam people inhabit the mountains, valleys and deserts of Southern California.

1850s-1860s

American settlers invade Serrano territory. CA governor instructs militias to exterminate Native people. Yuhaaviatam are killed and chased out of their territory.

1880s

Native American boarding schools are established in the U. S. with the primary objective of “civilizing” or assimilating Native American children and youth into Euro-American culture, while destroying and vilifying Native American culture.

TREATY MAKING

1866

Raids and bloodshed decimate the Tribe. Kiika’ Santos Manuel makes a decision to courageously bring the remnant of his people from the mountains to safety on the valley floor.

Early to Mid-1900s

Tribe adapts and adjusts to reservation life. U.S. government continues to dictate what the Tribe can and cannot do.

1975

1966

Articles of Association are adopted by San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

President Ford signs the Indian SelfDetermination and Education Assistance Act, a federal policy of Indian selfdetermination, first declared by President Nixon.

THE NEW DEAL

ASSIMILATION

1934

1891

U.S. government passes the Act for Relief of Mission Indians, which recognizes the Tribe as a sovereign nation and establishes the Reservation. The Tribe chooses the name San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

Indian Reorganization Act is enacted by U.S. Congress, aimed at decreasing federal control of American Indian a airs and increasing Indian self-government and responsibility.

1970

In address to Congress regarding the federal policy of terminating relationships with tribes, President Nixon states, “This policy of forced termination is wrong.” He then outlines a policy of self-determination rather than termination.

Photo courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

A.K. Smiley Public Library, Gerald Smith Collection

1986

San Manuel Indian Bingo opens.

1987

1978

Indian gaming movement begins with Seminole Tribe of Florida.

California v. Cabazon: U.S. Supreme Court landmark decision a irms right of tribal governments to conduct gaming on their lands.

1990s-2000s

Tribe takes an active role in passing Proposition 5 and Proposition 1A.

1998

Proposition 5 is supported by 63 percent of voters in favor of gaming by Indian tribes in California. A lawsuit by a labor union causes the measure to be struck down by California Supreme Court.

SELF-DETERMINATION

1988

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act passes, creating statutory framework for Indian gaming.

1980s

SMBMI seeks new business opportunities to strengthen sovereignty and journey towards self-su iciency.

1994

San Manuel Indian Bingo adds gaming operations and advances goal of economic selfsu iciency.

2000

Residence Inn by Marriott opens in Washington, DC. The project is from the Four Fires intertribal economic partnership, which includes San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

2017

Tribe transforms bingo hall into Rockin’ Casino area.

2021

2019

San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority forms to explore economic growth opportunities.

San Manuel Casino becomes Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel.

Yaamava’ expansion project opens including gaming spaces, new restaurants, lounges and hotel tower, as well as retail, spa and pool amenities.

STRENGTHENING OUR FUTURE

2006

San Manuel Band of Mission Indians breaks ground on San Manuel Village in Highland, CA, a mixed-use, o -reservation, commercial development.

2007

Residence Inn by Marriott opens in Sacramento, CA. The project is from the Three Fires intertribal economic partnership, which includes San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

2008

Hampton Inn and Suites Hotel opened in Highland, CA, at San Manuel Village, a development of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

Proposition 1A, supported by 65 percent of California voters, changes the state constitution and provides exclusive right to Indian tribes to operate a limited scope of casino-style gaming on Indian lands, in accordance with federal law.

2018

Opening of the Autograph Collection, The Draftsman Hotel, in Charlottesville, VA, a joint venture that includes the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

2016

SMBMI acquires sacred lands in San Bernardino Mountains with purchase of Arrowhead Springs Hotel.

2023

Leasing begins at San Manuel Landing.

2022

San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority opens the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Tribe invests in Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach.

Puyu’h pkcav

(poo-yoo-hope-k-chahv)

TOGETHER

Puyu’houpkčav: together. When all are together as one, we accomplish more. We strive each day towards unity of purpose and spirit.

In this section we learn just how profoundly access to higher education can improve a life, family and community. We meet San Manuel team members who turned their passion into a profitable business, that doubles as a place to bring family and friends together. We see how the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians combines a few rounds of golf, stunning backdrops and a desire to give back to create one of the most popular charitable events of the year. And we learn about the fight to protect the rights of Native children as well as the cultural impact of the Indian boarding school era.

A Night at the White House

BY JACOB COIN

San Manuel Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena received an honor of a lifetime in early October: an invitation to the White House State Dinner, held October 25 for visiting Foreign Head of State, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Emhoff, more than 300 VIPs, elected leaders, entertainers and who’s-who from the world of politics and world affairs were also in attendance.

This was the fourth State Dinner hosted by President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden since his election in 2020. State dinners are typically a way for the United States to shore up its relationships with key allied countries, according to media covering these social events.

Donning a long black, sequined gown adorned with her trademark turquoise necklaces and jewelry, Chairwoman Valbuena looked stunning escorted by husband Steve, as both were announced at one of the more exclusive social events of the season, if not the year, in the nation’s capital.

“Declining this invitation was simply not an option,” said Chairwoman Valbuena, the only elected tribal leader in the country to attend. And by attending the State Dinner, Valbuena felt it was a great opportunity to build relationships from which her Tribe could benefit. “It was wonderful to see so many public officials and leaders at the State Dinner, many of whom I have known for years!”

The Valbuenas shook the hands of the Prime Minister and his wife as well as the President and

the First Lady. Secretary of Interior, Deb Haaland, also attended and caught up with Valbuena during the dinner. Their relationship predates Haaland’s election to Congress and position as Secretary of the Interior. California Congressman Pete Aguilar – former mayor of Redlands, CA and a strong supporter of San Manuel – and his lovely wife, Alisha, also attended as did Secretary of Health & Human Services – and former Attorney General of California – Xavier Becerra and wife, Dr. Carolina Reyes. Both leaders from her home state discussed meeting with Valbuena once back on the West Coast.

Valbuena took the opportunity to develop new relationships as well. Tablemate Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina learned about Indian tribes across the country from the Chairwoman – and was surprised California is home to 110 tribes. He then introduced her to Governor of Hawai’i Josh Green and Hawai’i’s First Lady Jaime Green, a Native Hawaiian. Chairwoman discussed Indian and Native Hawaiian affairs with the Greens. When the Governor heard his wife and Chairwoman discussing Hawai’ians becoming federally recognized, he gave Valbuena his card and invited a future conversation.

President Ulysses S. Grant hosted the very first White House State Dinner on December 22, 1874, in honor of visiting Foreign Head of State, King Kalakauna of Hawai’i. This set the standard for social events carrying a diplomatic air as protocol for these events.

“These are not just dinners,” said Matthew Costello, a senior historian for the White House Historical Association. “There’s a lot more that goes into them in terms of planning, in terms of invitations, and a lot is geopolitics, a lot is foreign policy.”

Take the State Dinner hosted by President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Roslyn in March 1979 for example. Held in honor of Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, the event celebrated the signing of the Camp David Accords to bring peace between the two countries.

Chairwoman Valbuena was grateful for the opportunity to attend the event and noted the importance of strengthening her own Tribe’s relationships, as well as developing new allies for the future of her tribal community.

LEFT: Steve and Lynn Valbuena with Congressman Pete Aguilar and wife, Alisha. RIGHT: Lynn Valbuena with Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior, and Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services of California.

CRAFTING A BETTER

BeeR

How a passion for homebrew turned into a profitable business thanks to the no-quit spirit of a few San Manuel team members.

By Jessica Villano

Sometimes it takes a very specific set of circumstances to turn someone you’ve crossed paths with thousands of times into a business partner – for a venture you never even dreamed of.

For San Manuel team members Larry Bittner (Director of Facilities), John Hurst (Manager of Continuous Improvement) and Steven Alexander (Manager of Transportation), those circumstances were too many kegs of homebrewed beer and the Mayweather-McGregor fight.

“That was the big fight at the time and Steven had people over to watch it,” John said. “I had all this beer left over from my fantasy football draft so I brought it to the party.”

For Larry, that moment was the beginning of an education he didn’t even know he needed. “John’s coconut porter was my introduction to craft beer. I couldn’t believe there was something other than Bud Light out there,” he said. “I thought it was only the big industry guys.”

Once the beer was flowing, so were the ideas: the best idea of the night? Starting a brewery. And while most people abandon big plans for the future made over a few drinks, Larry couldn’t shake the idea.

“I got on the phone with John the next day and said, ‘Hey, are you serious about doing this?’” he recalled. “John said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’”

When Larry told John he couldn’t wait to brew beer, John tested his commitment. “He said if I wanted to do this, I had to clean first…because that’s 90% of the process,’” Larry explained. “We were at John’s house in the High Desert, outside the garage, scrubbing. Our shoes were soaked and it was freezing, but it was fun. I was hooked.”

John issued a challenge: Larry had to make his own beer – from scratch. “I’d been using his recipe but now I had to figure it out myself,” he said. “It was a lot of work – it’s all timing and chemistry – and it taught me discipline. But, after that, I knew I wanted to keep going.”

Larry, John and Steven toured breweries and took a class at University of Redlands to further educate themselves on the subtleties of the hops and the intricacies of timing and temperature because, as John said, “Everybody puts out a blonde ale. How do we make it our blonde ale? That’s the fun part.”

For nearly 12 months, the trio kept brewing beer in that garage, with the door rolled up, talking with curious neighbors, who soon became friends. “Next thing we knew, they’re sitting down every weekend with us, drinking beer and talking,” John said. “We met a lot of amazing people that way and that helped us.”

That feeling of camaraderie they created in the garage was what they wanted to bring to the public: a place where friends and family – from grandkids to grandparents – could be together and have fun…where guests would feel like part of the family.

“That’s what we have at San Manuel, right? I mean this is a family,” Larry said. “The Tribe treats us as part of the family, and that’s what we wanted to do at the brewery.”

When they found a physical location, Steven took over front-of-house operations, until recently when he stepped down to spend more time with his family; Larry took on back-of-house operations, from ordering and brewing to, of course, cleaning; and John took on marketing and distribution – roles they were prepared for in part by their tenure with San Manuel. (John Hurst has 11 years with the enterprise, Steven has 20 years and Larry has 34.)

“Steven has always managed teams, starting with The Pines Modern Steakhouse. Larry’s knowledge of facilities meant he knew the right questions to ask when we were looking for a building,” John explained. “And

I have a bachelor’s degree in marketing and have done distribution for energy drinks before, so that helps in getting it out there.”

Today when you walk into the lively brewery, you’ll find a mural that’s part-metal, part-graphic novel; pinball machines, video games and air hockey tables; and, depending on the day, food trucks in the parking lot, trivia competitions, cornhole tournaments and live music.

And while lots of breweries offer a dozen or so beers, Our Brew has a minimum of 25 on the board, some of which can be found in local markets, restaurants and bars in Big Bear and Redlands. And for the people who don’t like beer, they’ve dreamt up creative seltzers and fruit-infused slushies.

So what else are they dreaming up?

“I would love to have more tasting rooms to get it in front of folks,” John said. “When I was home brewing, it was all about the creative process. I wanted to make something that would make people smile. Now, we want to expand on that feeling. How do we make it more accessible?”

Larry agreed, saying he’d like to walk into a store and see their beer in the cooler. And that, even more importantly, he’d like to make it a true family thing, where the kids come to work there as well. “I’d like to sit at the end of one of our bars, talking to everyone, knowing we are creating an empire.”

But all of this didn’t happen without a few setbacks. Namely COVID-19. In fact, the guys had signed a lease on a space in the fall of 2019 and started construction – and then everything went dark.

“We were sitting in this big, empty spot, wondering how the heck we were going to do this. So we adapted. We bought a little canning machine and canned beers one by one to sell until we could have people inside the tasting room,” John recalled. “When you sign that paper you have to make it happen. If you have the passion, you find a way to make it successful and you just keep on going.”

Larry agreed, stating that even with all the research and planning in the world, if you’re blindsided by epic circumstances there’s only one thing to do: “You have to adjust. Our plan was good – and then we were hit from sides we never expected,” Larry explained. “You have to take those punches and get back up again. And then dedicate the time to make it a success.”

CERTIFYING SUCCESS

The Tribal Administration Certificate Program at Claremont Graduate University empowers tribal team members to do the most good for Indian Country.

BY NIKA BARTOO

-SMITH

Nearly two decades ago, Deron Marquez, PhD, former Chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, noticed issues within tribal employment offices. As tribal enterprises grew, more staff came on board, many of whom were non-Native.

Some of the new employees had little knowledge about tribal sovereignty and Indian Country in general, reflecting a lack of mainstream education about Native American tribes and history. This lack of knowledge made it difficult to work within Indian Country without a foundational understanding of the history and challenges Native American people face.

At the time, Marquez was a student at Claremont Graduate University (CGU). Brainstorming solutions with his then-faculty advisor, Dr. Fred Balitzer, the idea for a new program, geared toward tribal employees, was born.

The Claremont Graduate University Tribal Administration Certificate Program (TACP) provides team members of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians with training in fields critical to their careers. The main themes of the program are tribal sovereignty; nation rebuilding; federal Indian law and policy; Native American history; Indigenous values; and the role of strategic philanthropy. The program also dives into executive management, strategy, communication, decision making and leadership.

The program itself is representative of a strong collaboration between CGU and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

“I’ve been blessed to work with the Tribe going all the way back to the mid-1990s,” said Ted Gover, Director of the Tribal Administration Certificate

Program at CGU. “I’ve learned a great deal from tribal citizens’ wisdom over the years and my life has been a lot more complete because of their friendship.”

As director of the program, Gover, a graduate of CGU himself, works to ensure the program is adapting to meet the needs of the students and Tribe each year. Though currently the program director, Gover made sure to thank the many others who established the program and those who continue to help it run smoothly.

“The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has an ally and friend in CGU, and none of this would have been possible without the generosity of the Tribe, as well as the foresight of Dr. Deron Marquez and Dr. Fred Balitzer, both of whom worked together to establish this program,” Gover said.

He also extended his gratitude to CGU President Len Jessup and other faculty and supporters including Professor Jeff Decker, Professor Kate Spilde, Provost Michelle Bligh, Advancement Director Kristen Andersen Daley, Professor David Wilkins, Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena, the San Manuel Tribal Council and Jake Coin, among others.

“We are frequently told that as San Manuel

It’s never too late to pursue education and improve your skills and knowledge, particularly about unique entities like sovereign Native nations.

continues to make history by breaking barriers, the need for the TACP has grown exponentially,” Gover said. “The demand for the program is as high as it’s ever been. As the Tribe charts its future, we look forward to continue working with it to provide the content their team members need and to go from strength to strength.”

PROGRAM MISSION AND GOALS

The Tribal Administration Certificate Program at Claremont Graduate University is structured around five main goals, outlined in consultation with the Tribe: to foster a new generation of

leaders within the tribal team member workforce; to provide professional development to San Manuel’s employees; to teach the latest federal, state and Indian laws, tribal sovereignty and how to manage developing economies; to provide a culturally informed curriculum that focuses on national Native American issues and issues relevant to California tribes; and to establish networking opportunities within the tribal team member workforce.

Since its establishment in 2006, just under 300 students have graduated from the program, which is open to San Manuel team members with at least a high school diploma or GED. Due to the nature and flexibility of the content, the program is open to both new and longtime team members. As added benefits, graduates often receive promotions and build academic confidence. Many have gone on to earn bachelor’s and graduate degrees after completing the program.

“It’s never too late to pursue education and improve your skills and knowledge, particularly about unique entities like sovereign Native nations,” Gover said.

A GENEROUS ENDOWMENT

Thanks to an endowment from the Tribe, which covers expenses for tuition, reading material and class meals, the TACP is free.

Over eight years, San Manuel has invested a total of $7.425 million into the Tribal Administration Certificate Program. The first two donations between 2005 and 2007 totaled around $3.4 million and were used to launch the initial program. In 2013, the Tribe invested about $4 million into the program to increase the initial endowment and expand the program, adding a second-year advanced program. The expansion reflected an interest from students wishing to continue their education about the Tribe and Indian Country in general.

LIFE ON CAMPUS

Since the second investment in 2013, the TACP has been broken into two years. Each year, students take two classes in fall and two in spring, committing to a three-hour period every Monday and Wednesday evening throughout the semester. Most students commute from Highland, California, where the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians offices are located.

As the students drive through the tree-lined streets of Claremont, the campus comes into view –with its distinct terracotta roof tiles, cream-colored buildings and ivy-covered walls. Once on campus, students of the TACP join the more than 2,000 students who attend Claremont Graduate University.

The first-year program runs the course of two semesters (fall and spring) and focuses on Indian law, intergovernmental relations, tribal sovereignty and management. The second-year program is accelerated with 12 weeks of classes and focuses on Native American policy and constitutions, tribal gaming and governance, federalism and executive leadership.

STUDENT FEEDBACK

“In learning the history of tribal governments and how they self-govern, it has given me a better perspective of our own tribal government and how it applies in my new role,” said Rachel Woods, Executive Administrator in the Office of the Tribal Council, about her time in the program.

As the issues and realities facing both San Manuel and Indian Country as a whole change, the program’s content stays adaptable. That means the curriculum is tailored based on feedback from students, tribal government leaders and guest lecturers.

Student feedback is taken seriously at the program and has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Gover. Many students walk away excited about all they’ve learned and with a greater understanding of complex issues such as tribal sovereignty.

“I would highly recommend it and suggest that the appropriate time is allotted for the readings, research and homework,” said Melisa Castro, Program Officer for the Tribe who is currently enrolled in the program. “Additionally, don’t be afraid to speak up and be wrong. The professors are here to help you grow academically and professionally.”

For other students, taking part in this program is personally empowering, as students, who never thought they could achieve anything higher than a high school diploma, graduate from the rigorous course.

After 17 years, the program is still going strong and will continue to educate San Manuel team members for generations to come.

“This is an extremely meaningful time for teaching about federal Indian policy and the vital role of managers,” Gover said. “It is also a time of great challenge amid ongoing threats to tribal sovereignty and amid society’s need for responsible, ethical leadership. People are hungry to learn more about these critical subjects affecting Native nations.”

To learn more about the TACP, visit research.cgu. edu/tribal-administration

AMERICAN GENOCIDE

In a six-part podcast series, Crystal Echo Hawk and Lashay Wesley take listeners on a journey to the Pine Ridge Reservation to learn about both the past and present of Red Cloud Indian School.

BY NIKA BARTOO - SMITH

As a melancholy song led by ethereal guitar chords and soft vocals begins to play, Crystal Echo Hawk’s voice introduces IllumiNative’s new podcast, “The United States of America is one giant crime scene. This is ‘American Genocide’.”

In April 2023, IllumiNative launched “American Genocide,” a six-part podcast series hosted by Echo Hawk (Pawnee) and Lashay Wesley (Choctaw). The podcast is an investigation into events – both past and present – at Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Reservation, home to the Oglala Lakota Tribe.

For the hosts, the series was deeply personal. Across Indian Country, most Native people are either survivors of Indian boarding schools or directly descended from survivors. The traumas of these experiences have been passed down through the generations.

“This is about inherited trauma,” Echo Hawk said on the podcast, the sound of tears in her voice.

In the rst few minutes of the initial episode, “Who Lies at Red Cloud,” Echo Hawk talks about her grandfather, a survivor of the Pawnee Industrial Boarding School and a large motivator for this investigation.

“I grew up with these stories. My family has been affected by boarding schools, as have so many Native families,” Echo Hawk said. “There are times where it was so painful to hear the stories, which were very raw and graphic. It was important to make space after the interviews – and times where we just needed to cry.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNA KUNZE, NATIVE NEWS ONLINE

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN BOARDING SCHOOL HEALING COALITION

PHOTO COURTESY OF IIYC OGLALA LAKOTA CHAPTER

“We were very intentional about wanting to move non-Native audiences outside of our communities. They need to know the history and truth.”

Echo Hawk and Wesley decided to investigate Red Cloud Indian School in the height of the United States federal government’s attempt to acknowledge the dark history of the boarding school era and to nd its role in healing.

The Red Cloud Indian School has been the center of controversy. While some see the school now as a positive presence on Pine Ridge, for others it is a constant reminder of trauma. In “American Genocide,” Echo Hawk and Wesley bring listeners in for a deeper look.

The podcast is one of the latest projects produced by IllumiNative, a Native women-led organization aimed at amplifying Native voices and stories to advance justice, equity and selfdetermination, according to the website. Echo Hawk is the Founder and Executive Director and Wesley is the Director of Communications and Storytelling at IllumiNative.

Founded in 2018, IllumiNative is working to elevate and combat ndings of the Reclaiming Native Truth Project: the largest public-opinion research and strategy-setting project conducted by, for and about Indigenous people.

The project identi ed erasure and invisibility as a threat to Native people across the United States. That is part of why “American Genocide” is so important; it is a means to ght that erasure. And Echo Hawk and Wesley worked to bring visibility to this story and the traumas of Indian boarding schools to Native and non-Native listeners alike.

“We were very intentional about wanting to move non-Native audiences outside of our communities. They need to know the history and truth. They need to hear this community’s perspective,” Echo

Hawk said. “Our hope was to ignite more interest in the history of Indian boarding schools and to understand how it impacts Native peoples today.”

Creating a podcast is no easy task, which must be fueled with behind-the-scenes funding and support. “San Manuel Band of Mission Indians was one of our lead investors and supporters of the podcast,” Echo Hawk said. “Their generous donation enabled us to build an incredibly comprehensive campaign.”

In recent years, thanks to the efforts of the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Pueblo of Laguna), the federal government has made strides in admitting its role in the cultural genocide during the Indian boarding school era.

“For more than a century, tens of thousands of children were taken from their communities and forced into boarding schools run by the U.S. Government and religious institutions,” Secretary Haaland said in a clip played in the rst episode of “American Genocide.” “Many children never made it back to their homes.”

Hundreds of thousands of Native children were ripped from their families in the United States and Canada and placed in residential schools run by religious institutions in an era of forced assimilation. “American Genocide” describes Indian boarding schools as a “church-facilitated campaign of genocide.”

Through the mid-1970s, Native children were forced to assimilate, forbidden to speak their languages, practice their religion or interact with their communities. Red Cloud Indian School –founded in 1888 by Jesuit missionaries, then called Holy Rosary – was no exception.

Today, classes look much different. In the rst

episode of “American Genocide,” Echo Hawk and Wesley describe watching a nun say morning prayers with the students, while walking around with sage for smudging. Lakota language is taught – another example of how the school blends Catholicism and Lakota culture.

For some, Red Cloud is now an important facet for reconciling its past. For others, it serves as a reminder of the brutal history of religious colonial violence.

In “American Genocide,” Echo Hawk and Wesley introduce listeners to faculty at Red Cloud who believe in the current mission of the school, as well as a group of youth activists, led by elder survivors of the boarding school. The youth have a list of demands, which include reparations, land back and for the Jesuits to leave Pine Ridge altogether.

The podcast builds up to a visit to Red Cloud during the day when ground-penetrating radar (GPR) was used to scan for unmarked graves. The request for GPR was led by the school’s Truth and Healing Initiative Commission.

Heart-wrenching, honest, raw, insightful, “American Genocide” is a must-listen as it confronts evils and seeks to amplify the voices of those ghting for reconciliation. Echo Hawk and Wesley wrap up “American Genocide” with a call to action, asking listeners to help fund the work being done in Native communities to bring healing to those impacted by Indian boarding school era policies.

“This is really about empowering the agency of Native peoples to get at the truth, to get justice and to start working toward healing,” Echo Hawk says in the nal few minutes of the podcast. “It's really long and intensive work…we just want to encourage people to do whatever you can.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF IIYC OGLALA LAKOTA CHAPTER

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Stay in one of Las Vegas’ world-renowned experiential suites.

Elevation rough Education

Tribal citizens of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians know the power of education. Now they help clear a barrier for the families of their team members who have dreams of higher pursuits but face di culties securing resources to pursue their education goals.

By Jessica Villano

It’s undeniable that access to higher education leads to opportunity. It can be the difference between chronic illness and longevity; stagnation and creation; a good life and a life of fulfillment. In fact, a master’s degree could mean earning between two and three times more than someone without that degree.

No one knows the value of an education better than citizens of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

Rising from extreme poverty – the Tribe lived without running water and electricity for decades – and through education, climbed to its position today. It is because of this, that San Manuel holds education of its citizens as a core value: it is woven into every aspect of tribal life, from language preservation to teaching their own people about sovereignty, tribal government and being solid citizens.

“Education opens the door to enlightenment,” said San Manuel Tribal Council Member Laurena

Bolden. “The Inland Empire region of California continues to face significant social and economic challenges. Achieving one’s educational goals can provide a path to success and we are happy to support families of our valued team members.”

That’s why, in 2022, the Tribe turned its attention to the San Manuel team members and their children.

Understanding that one of the biggest barriers to higher education is lack of money, the Tribe created the Team Member Dependent Scholarship Fund in partnership with the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF). The Tribe’s goal is to help the children of its team members gain access to higher education to “create a pathway to a better future.”

“Law school is challenging – and balancing work and school is difficult,” explained Tiffany Manzano. “This generous scholarship lightened my financial burden, allowing me to focus on achieving my law degree. It’s also given me the drive and motivation to work hard and pursue my goals.”

This past summer, the Tribal Council approved

new funding for the program, bringing the total contribution to more than $2 million in just two years. The funds, marked for Fall of ’23 and Spring ’24 semesters for qualified recipients, can be used toward trade school, living expenses while attending community college (two-year) or fouryear institutions.

“The scholarship has allowed me to focus on my research on maintaining healthy brain function,” said Natalie Shink. “When I graduate with my master’s in biological science, I will pursue a PhD program…one step closer to becoming a professor of biology.”

Thus far, the IECF has awarded 169 scholarships – ranging from $3K to $10K per student –to dependents of San Manuel team members throughout the enterprise. The fund will support an additional 90 students through Spring ‘24.

For more information about the fund, visit iegives.org/funds/smbmi-scholarship.

“ e scholarship by San Manuel has allowed me to focus on my studies and engage in the college experience,” said recipient Noah Lewis, the son of Daniel Lewis, Assistant Manager of Transportation at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel. “Having the ability to go to a four-year university and pursue my dream of becoming a mechanical engineer has been an amazing opportunity.”

Protecting the Indian Child Welfare Act

STANDING TOGETHER

BY AMORY ZSCHACH AND SARAH KASTELIC

This summer, the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in Haaland v. Brackeen reaffirming the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act, also known as ICWA. This decision directly impacted Native children and families involved with state child welfare systems and was part of a decade-long a ack on ICWA – and tribal sovereignty in state and federal courts. To begin, we’ll need to understand what the Indian Child Welfare Act is and why it came to be.

ICWA 101

ICWA is a federal law that sets minimum requirements for state custody proceedings involving an American Indian or Alaska Native child. It was enacted in 1978 in response to studies that revealed 25-35% of all Native children in the United States were removed from their homes. Eighty-five percent of children removed were placed outside of their families and communities –even when fit and willing relatives were available. At the time, congressional testimony from tribal leaders and advocates documented the devastating impact this massive, forced removal had on Native children, their families and tribes.

To address the harm and halt these practices, ICWA created protections for Native children. Now state child welfare caseworkers are directed to handle an ICWA case involving a Native child who is a member of, or eligible for membership in, a federally recognized tribe with the following protocols: notify the child’s tribe and child’s parents of child custody proceedings; provide “active efforts” (services and supports) to keep the family together if possible or to reunify the family if the child must be removed; if necessary, identify an outof-home placement that fits with ICWA’s hierarchy of placement preferences; and work actively to involve the child’s tribe and the child’s parents in the proceedings.1

The child welfare statistics above that brought about ICWA are a product of the hundreds of years of forced removal and assimilationist strategies of the U.S. Government on Native peoples. The efforts to assimilate Native peoples began with colonization of North America and, since the early 1800s, have intentionally targeted Native children. As recently as the 1960s and 1970s, the child welfare system has been used by state and federal governments

to force the assimilation of Native children into mainstream America. Since ICWA was passed, it has lacked an explicit oversight agency at the federal level, a national data collection requirement and an enforcement authority. As a result, state compliance with the law has been uneven at best.

The ICWA statute is direction from the U.S. Congress to the states about how to remedy the long-standing and egregious removal practices specifically targeting Native children, impacting past, present and future generations.

As stated in the law, the intent of Congress under ICWA was to “protect the best interests of Indian children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families (25 U.S.C. § 1902).”

Not only a response to an ongoing child separation crisis and a way to address the over-representation of Native kids in state child welfare systems, ICWA

Since ICWA’s passage, states and the federal government have increasingly adopted provisions of ICWA into other child welfare laws. And, since its passage, ICWA opponents have attempted to challenge and undercut the law and in doing so, undermine tribal sovereignty.

Haaland v. Brackeen

The most recent wave of attacks on ICWA started at the end of President Obama’s administration, at least in part as backlash against new policies that strengthened ICWA implementation. The modernday tactic to further colonization is the courtroom. The biggest case against ICWA to date was the recent Haaland v. Brackeen case.

Filed in 2017, the case originates from child custody proceedings brought by three white couples who wanted to adopt Native foster children for whom

After working its way through the federal court system, in February 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court accepted review of Haaland v. Brackeen. The State of Texas and the foster parents alleged that ICWA was unconstitutional; the federal government and four intervenor tribes – Cherokee Nation (OK), Morongo Band of Mission Indians (CA), Oneida Nation (WI) and Quinault Indian Nation (WA) – defended ICWA.

On November 9, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the oral arguments in the case. Arguments were extended beyond the allotted 60 minutes as the case was complex and arguments ranged from whether some of ICWA’s provisions are constitutional to whether Congress had authority to pass the law in the first place.

Outside the courthouse, National Indian Child

Welfare Association (NICWA) and the Protect ICWA Campaign hosted a prayerful, family-friendly gathering that brought hundreds of people to stand in solidarity to protect ICWA and tribal sovereignty.

On June 15, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of ICWA in a 7-2 vote. The majority opinion was written by Justice Barrett, patently rejecting all challenges, and a powerful concurring opinion by Justice Gorsuch provided a history lesson on federal involvement in the lives of Native children.

The Supreme Court rejected two of the constitutional challenges raised in Haaland v. Brackeen by plaintiffs, the State of Texas and private parties, and dismissed two others based upon a lack of standing.

With constitutional challenges to ICWA, Haaland v. Brackeen called into question more than 200 years of legal precedent of the direct government-to-government relationship between tribal nations and the federal government.

First, the Supreme Court confirmed that ICWA is consistent with Congress’s constitutional authority. The Court reaffirmed Congress’s power to legislate for the benefit of tribes and Indian people, commonly referred to as Article I under the United States Constitution. The Court also underscored the federal trust relationship between tribal nations and the federal government.

Second, the Supreme Court confirmed that ICWA does not violate Tenth Amendment anticommandeering principles. The Court’s decision firmly rejected the anti-commandeering argument. Where the opposition argued that the federal government was intruding upon state affairs, the Court held that ICWA’s provisions – like notice to tribes of child custody proceedings, qualified expert witness requirement and the necessity of providing active efforts to keep families together or reunify them – apply evenhandedly to states and private parties seeking foster care and adoption of Indian children.

Finally, the Supreme Court ruled that no party had standing to raise the equal protection claims that ICWA was a race-based law. This claim, that ICWA violates the Fourteenth Amendment prohibiting discrimination based on race, was the most dangerous and far-reaching argument that opponents made.

While ICWA applies to cases based on a Native child’s tribal citizenship – their membership in a federally recognized tribe – the plaintiffs intentionally tried to frame this relationship between a tribal nation and its citizen as a racebased relationship. As noted earlier, if the Supreme Court had bought this argument, it would have called into question several hundred years of federal Indian law and the whole foundation of the federal government’s direct relationship to tribal nations. The Supreme Court sidestepped this issue with their finding that the parties did not have standing to bring this challenge.

To establish that a party has standing in a case to raise specific claims, they need to be able to allege an injury, prove that the injury is “fairly traceable” to the party being sued (that you are suing the right person) and that an order from the court can provide relief to the parties claiming injury (can remedy the injury). The Supreme Court did not reach the merits of the equal protection challenge because neither the individual plaintiffs nor the State of Texas had standing.

The ruling was a major victory for Indian Country in the decade-long attack on ICWA in state and federal courts. Yet we know this case was part of a larger political agenda to dismantle ICWA with the end goal of chipping away at tribal sovereignty and, as the opponents have openly stated, Haaland v. Brackeen is not the last attempt.

ICWA Opposition: A Look Back

Well-organized, well-financed opponents who have no track record of working on Native child welfare issues are attacking ICWA and have been since its passage. Under the Obama Administration, major policy developments addressed challenges in ICWA implementation and compliance: The Department of the Interior published updated ICWA guidelines for state courts and the first ever legally binding federal regulations governing ICWA implementation.

The Department of Health and Human Services developed regulations proposing to finally require states to collect data about ICWA implementation and cases to which ICWA applied. The Department of Justice filed briefs in defense of ICWA.

This burst of policymaking attracted the attention of ICWA opponents. A variety of interests, organizations and agencies took up a political agenda to not only undermine the gains made to strengthen ICWA but to attempt to dismantle the law itself as a direct assault on tribal sovereignty.

The attack is much larger than ICWA. In January 2022, the same law firm representing the nonNative foster parents in Haaland v. Brackeen filed a lawsuit called Maverick LLC v. U.S. that makes the very same constitutional claims about the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that they make about ICWA in Haaland v. Brackeen

NICWA advocates for the needs of Native children and supports families navigating the child welfare system in partnership with San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, thanks to a growing partnership that began with grant funding from the Tribe in 2006.

1For

The Truth About ICWA

ICWA prioritizes the best interests of Native children and is rooted in tribal sovereignty. Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding ICWA, opponents still spread misinformation about ICWA. Here are two of the most common myths.

MYTH 1: ICWA elevates tribes’ interests and racial criteria above the welfare of vulnerable Native children.

THE TRUTH: ICWA prioritizes the best interests of children. ICWA was created to safeguard the well-being of Native children and stem the tide of damaging historical policies by keeping them connected to family, community and culture.

MYTH 2: ICWA is a race-based law.

THE TRUTH: ICWA is based on tribal sovereignty. Tribal nations have inherent powers of self-government and the right to decide what is best for their citizens. This citizenship status –established by treaties, the Constitution and Congressional statutes – has been reaffirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court for more than 200 years.

Since the historic Haaland v. Brackeen decision, NICWA continues its relentless advocacy for Native children and families by pushing for better implementation and compliance. NICWA’s three-pronged strategy is to lift up and strengthen best practices in tribal child welfare; enhance tribalstate relationships and the infrastructure that supports them; and urge the federal government to play a stronger role by supporting effective tribalstate partnerships for ICWA implementation and requiring data collection to monitor ICWA compliance and the well-being of Native children.

In NICWA’s advocacy to protect ICWA, the organization points directly to the strengths of tribal cultures and communities and to the importance of children being culturally connected. The growing body of research evidence to support these facts is just catching up with what Native peoples have known for thousands of years: culture is prevention.

One of Las Vegas’ defining characteristics – its neon signs – illuminate the city’s history, and now the history of Nevada, even after they are retired.

BY MELINDA SHECKELLS

The history of Las Vegas – by its own design – is ephemeral. This desert metropolis boom town is always in flux. The old quickly ushered away to make way for the new. Artifacts are sold off, stored away, long forgotten in warehouses or aggregate into a pile of dust.

Now as Las Vegas matures into its second and third generation of native residents, there is a collective consciousness to preserve its unique history. One way to do that is through the iconic neon signs. The Neon Museum is the organization charged with collecting,

preserving, studying and exhibiting these emblems in its outdoor 2.27-acre campus.

Like the Palms sign, which is now on display at the Neon Museum.

About 19 feet in length, this sign incorporated 28 units of neon and a sans serif font, which is still used to this day – just with a different color scheme. The original piece featured wooden backing, which has since been replaced with aluminum due to safety and preservation needs.

This piece of Palms signage came from a billboard advertisement after the property debuted in November 2001. The sign was originally located about two blocks east of the resort’s location and was acquired by The Neon Museum in 2013.

Palms closed in 2011, reopened in 2016 and closed again during COVID. Then in 2021, the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority (SMGHA), a legal entity of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, purchased Palms Casino Resort – making history by

becoming the first Native American tribe to wholly own and operate a casino resort in Las Vegas.

It wasn’t long after that when SMGHA decided to help restore the Palms sign with a $50,000 contribution.

“It’s our extreme pleasure to partner with The Neon Museum for this monumental restoration,” said Palms General Manager Cynthia Kiser Murphey. “We love to embrace the history and nostalgia of our great city, Las Vegas. The fact that the Palms sign will be on display for thousands upon thousands of guests to enjoy is a proud moment for team members and our leadership. The Neon Museum is always on my list of must-see attractions in Las Vegas and now even more so!”

Restoring the Palms sign would serve multiple purposes: preserve a piece of the city’s history; acknowledge roots of the Indigenous people who live in Southern Nevada; and address the more recent history of tribal gaming.

Alongside the sign, a permanent panel has been erected with its revolving content dedicated to the history, presence and impact of the First People of Nevada.

“The First People of Nevada Educational panel provides further information on the history of Native American people in the state. The real spirit of this panel is to bring light to the fact that Indigenous people have been a part of Nevada history, predating the arrival of the Mormons and the formation of the state in 1864, by millions of years,” says Carla Rodriguez, Treasurer of SMGHA.

The panel also covers the history of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.

“Rather than just explaining the act, it goes into how it happened and the evolution. It will help people understand and appreciate why it is different across tribes – some have adopted it and some haven’t,” said Sarah Hulme, Director of

Learning at The Neon Museum.

The panel will be changed twice a year. “We can continue to update the stories and will look at other aspects of Indigenous heritage,” she explained.

“Nevada is home to 27 Native American tribes. Many people are surprised to learn that. We are visitors here. We are grateful to the Southern Nevada Paiute and Fort Mojave Paiute for allowing us to be visitors in their homelands. We would like to continue educating the public that every tribe is different, each with a rich history and unique traditions,” said SMGHA Chairperson Latisha Prieto.

The museum is also creating a committee to represent all the bands of Southern Nevada’s Paiute Tribe. “When we do populate anything on an educational basis, it will run through that committee,” Hulme said.

That inclusivity factor is paramount to the overall mission. Within the exhibit, visitors also find

QR codes to learn about the restoration process.

The Palms sign posed its own set of challenges. “Vinyl products created in the early 2000s, when this sign was fabricated, are a lot different than today,” said Emily Fellmer, Senior Collections Manager.

This Palms billboard topper was originally created by Federal Heath, which donated its archive to The Neon Museum when the company moved to Bullhead City, Arizona. Hartlauer Signs completed the restoration. “They had the master list of colors for Palms from 2001…they even had the correct vinyl and neon colors. We were able to match them up as well as we could to the historic images,” said Fellmer.

The reveal of the new exhibit on November 1 coincided appropriately with Native American Heritage Month. The Palms became the 25th sign to be reilluminated inside the museum’s boneyard. At the event, The Neon Museum Board Chair Stevi Wara delivered the organization’s first-ever land acknowledgement.

“I’d like to recognize that as we stand here, we recognize the lands of Southern Paiute, Washoe, Northern Paiute, Western Shoshone, Hualapai and Chemehuevi, who live and thrive across Nevada today,” she said. “The Neon Museum is such a special place because it was built, developed and curated to cherish and share the stories of our community here in Las Vegas. And now of Nevada, and with today starting Native American Heritage Month, what a special way to honor that.”

Leadership at The Neon Museum recognized that along with restoring the Palms sign, the museum would use the sign as an opportunity to tell the stories of Las Vegas before 1905.

Prieto, who attended on behalf of her family, gave special acknowledgement to the Paiute people. “San Manuel’s gift to The Neon Museum includes a panel in the museum dedicated to telling the story of Nevada’s First People and their birthright as the first Nevadans,” she said. “Preservation of culture and arts for future generations is something our Tribe and the Palms team are known for.”

EXCEPTIONAL VIEW EXCEPTIONAL CUISINE

PlayingGood for

HOW

FIVE DAYS ON THREE GOLF COURSES

HELPED CHANGE THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, OF PEOPLE.

At first glance, the complicated math from the annual Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel Golf Tournament – conducted in partnership with the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians – can make for a daunting equation.

Nearly 1,000 golfers (a record), more than 1,200 attendees in total, five days, three golf courses along the Pacific Coast and 200-plus businesses represented. In addition, this fundraising piece involves more than two dozen tribes and 40 gaming operations throughout the United States.

BY JEFF BABINEAU

But take all the numbers from this summer’s San Manuel Golf Tournament at Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club, mix in a heaping spoonful of love and generosity and, in the end, it adds up to this: $425,000 raised to be steered toward community initiatives that not only impact lives, but in some instances, change them completely.

Since the tournament’s humble beginnings 24 years ago, the golf tournament has raised more than $3 million, distributed locally and across Indian Country.

“As I look back on how far we have come with our golf tournament, I am proud of all the teamwork and the support that we have had from the Tribe and our sponsors,” said Audrey Martinez, San Manuel Tribal Council Secretary. “We could not have gotten to this point without their support. I’m glad I have had the opportunity to see the growth and our ability to help the charities that benefit from the tournament.”

San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has always felt a community’s embrace, and for nearly a quarter century, the group has returned that support by paying it forward. Locally, it is called the spirit of Yawa’ – to act on one’s own beliefs –which inspires all to take a look around the communities in which they live and serve and to improve on what they see.

To make that community they call home a better, more caring place.

“I continue to be in awe of the thoughtfulness and generosity of our sponsors and partners to continue San Manuel’s mission of supporting organizations that are truly the boots on the ground for making our world a better place,” said San Manuel Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena. “The tournament is one of many ways San Manuel embodies a culture of giving back.”

In mid-July, five tribal, national and local nonprofits each were awarded checks for $85,000: Lakota Waldorf School, used toward education for students of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation; Voices for Children, which advocates for children in foster

care; Citrus Counseling Services, offering low- or no-cost mental health services in Redlands; Radiant Futures of Orange County, which offers crisis support and education for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking; and Meals on Wheels OC, which not only delivers meals to nourish the senior citizens of Orange County, but does so with a smile and compassion.

The golf tournament made a significant shift when it was moved to Monarch Beach Golf Links. It marked the first tribal event staged at Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club since San Manuel acquired an interest in the property earlier in 2023.

The nationally renowned Pelican Hill Golf Club, a 36-hole course known for its incredible

conditioning and coastal views, also played host for the tournament. In addition to five days of golf, there were player gifts and daily activities. And fun for a good cause. Yaamava’ Resort & Casino sits below the San Bernardino Mountains only an hour’s drive from downtown Los Angeles. (Among the top sponsors for this year’s event were the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers.)

San Manuel Band of Mission Indians continues to build a strong and meaningful legacy of helping others less fortunate across the community, and sometimes, beyond it. In 2022, the tournament raised $400,000 and dispersed $50,000 each to eight nonprofits that impact the area. For San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, through its philanthropy program San Manuel Cares, caring and generosity transcend local, county and state boundaries. In September, a donation of $100,000 was sent to the American Red Cross, earmarked for those affected by the devastating wildfires on Maui.

“San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has a longstanding tradition of giving to those affected by large international and domestic relief efforts,” said Yevette Baysinger, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of San Bernardino County.

This generosity from San Manuel was never more front and center than during the challenges of COVID-19. Many local businesses were reeling, some forced to lay off dedicated, hard-working employees. Fifty such businesses were asked to be part of a virtual meeting, where the San Manuel Small Business Relief Fund was introduced. Each of the 50 businesses from San Manuel’s ancestral territory, from barber shops and automotive repair centers to small coffee houses, were given $20,000 from the $1 million fund.

“Our grant comes from our heart,” said Johnny Hernandez, Jr., Vice Chairman. “An unexpected gift like this can be the difference between keeping the doors open and losing a family business forever.”

IMAGE BY PATRICK KOENIG

100+ Craft Beers

4 Food venues

170+ HD Screens

78 bar top slot games

(muh-chish-chk)

FAVORITES

Müčisck: your favorite things. A word to acknowledge all those things in life you find yourself drawn toward.

This section explores one Indigenous fashion designer’s inspiration as well as the indulgences found at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel and Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Both resorts offer delights at every turn: food and award-winning wine programs that bring out every subtle and delicious nuance; a look at the lights that illuminate the Las Vegas night and how those tie in with the Indigenous people who call Nevada home; and legendary giveaways inspired by even more legendary moments in sports’ history. And finally, we see the birth and evolution of the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

In high spirits

The bar team at Palms Casino Resort has found the secret to setting the property apart in a crowded – and sophisticated – market. And top-of-the-line craft cocktails are half of it.

A few years ago, Christopher Rosano’s biggest professional challenge was to develop a beverage program with his team mates for the soon-to-be-opened Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel that was so top notch, it not only put the resort on the map, but the Inland Empire itself. After hours in the lab (the bar at The Pines Modern Steakhouse), big-picture strategizing, collaboration and creative fancy, Rosano and team succeeded in creating a destination for accessible-yet-elevated cocktails as well as Collection 86 – the most exclusive wine and spirit lists on the West Coast. When San Manuel expanded their assets, Rosano was tapped to take what he learned at Yaamava’ and apply it to the Tribe’s newest acquisitions. Now he shares his vision for one of those properties: Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

By Jessica Villano

Your team had big goals for Yaamava’s bar program. Do you feel you accomplished them?

Yes, we offer amazing experiences – from the high limit rooms to the floor bars and even the quality cocktails in the event space. And now we’ve had time to develop the team and perfect the level of service we offer, which is why we brought on the Forbes training. Since then we’ve earned two Forbes Four-Star Awards, for the resort and The Pines Modern Steakhouse, as well as a Five-Star Award for Serrano Spa.

Are you still involved with the Yaamava’ program?

I’m now a Program Development Specialist in Asset Integration, so I focus on all of the Tribe’s acquisitions: Palms, Arrowhead Springs Resort, San Manuel Landing, Yaamava’ and now Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach. But my passion is still hospitality and we have so many opportunities to develop programs at Palms.

Tell us about those.

We started off with a quality cocktail list at Scotch 80 Prime and now we’re pushing the envelope with the technical advancements you would expect at a Las Vegas property. For instance, we’re working on a cocktail that will be built in a soda siphon. The entire cocktail will be carbonated à la minute and then poured over ice, tableside.

What kind of training do team members receive to be successful with these techniques and to create the overall experience?

That’s one of the most important pieces. We’ve developed a world-class

training program based on what we built at Yaamava’. People who have worked at other properties in Vegas go through our program when they come to Palms and can’t believe how valuable it is. In essence, we’re developing the team to embrace the cocktail culture. Palms is a top destination for entertainment and the cocktail piece is so important for that ultimate guest experience.

Are there areas you’re excited to expand?

We’re tying into the community and connecting with the Las Vegas food and cocktail scene through events and competitions at the Palms. We just hosted the Las Vegas Food and Wine Festival and the Proof Awards.

Will Palms have an exclusive list like Yaamava’s Collection 86?

That’s one of our passion projects and we’re slowly working on it. As highly sought-after spirits and wines become available, we’re building a cache of fine spirits and wines for Palms. Most of that is driven through Scotch 80 because that’s the spirit-centric venue and then a little bit through the high limit rooms.

What is the biggest challenge for the bar program?

To differentiate ourselves from other Vegas properties. We’re doing this by taking the foundation of the cocktails and giving them our identity. We also set ourselves apart through hospitality, by creating a cocktail culture that is warm and inviting. It’s not just the drinks, it’s the guest experience. We’re making those connections through the cocktails.

ORLANDO DUGI

Modernizing the Classics

By Christie Moeller

Known for his couture aesthetic, Santa Fe Fashion Designer Orlandi Dugi’s collections are rooted in evening wear: dramatic, elegant and sophisticated. Inspired by and handcrafted from traditions rooted in his Diné heritage, Dugi (pronounced due-guy) meticulously threads the past into the future one stitch at a time, designing timeless yet modern pieces. Here he shares his design process, heritage and love for innovative textiles.

Q: Share a bit about yourself.

Kinyaa’áaniI nishłį , Tódich’ii’nii ‘éí bá shíshchíín

T ł’ízí łání dashichcheii, Tsé deeshgizhnii dashinalí.

I am Diné from Grey Mountain, AZ, now residing and based in Santa Fe, NM. I’ve been designing since 2010.

Q: Is there something that serves as a point of reference this season for you?

The current collection is inspired by the Diné stories of Star People. Entitled Stargazer, I envision travelers through space and time. For the Diné, Star People are from our ancient past and now earth people are reaching and traveling into space. So, I see it as both our past and future. Is that future also our past?

Q: Can you tell us about some of these innovative fabrics you use like pineapple leather and Tencel fabrics? Why are they important to your designs?

It’s a lot of fun finding plant-based materials. I’m looking at agave leather as well. I’ve been exploring yucca fibers like our ancestors used. They made many items for accessories, clothing and

utilitarian uses. You can cut the spines and leave the rest of the plant intact to keep providing material. The pineapple and agave leaves are a biproduct of the pineapple and tequila industries so there is no additional land cleared or water used to grow them. It’s important to me to use materials that are natural and will have less impact to be produced.

Q: We featured several of your knits this issue. Can you tell us about constructing them?

They are all hand-knit from Rambouillet sheep wool and handdyed in natural dyes local to New Mexico. Some of them are handspun and some are mill-spun but entirely sourced and made in New Mexico. Our region has a culture of textile making and I would like to produce more with local artisans.

Q: In what way does your indigeneity influence your designs?

It isn’t obvious at first, but my process and materials are a direct reference to my culture. My work is rooted in my childhood growing up in the Diné Nation attending ceremonies and spending time with my maternal and paternal grandparents. From the sewing and beading techniques to sourcing material, it’s all a direct reflection of my culture, family and home.

Q: You made a name for yourself with your stunning gowns and women’s designs. What made you decide to move more toward tailored menswear?

It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for several years and I’m at a place now where I can explore different areas of design. It’s going to be fun. I’m still bringing the beauty and elegance to these collections. There really shouldn’t be a separation, we all have a desire to look beautiful.

Q: Although your current collection is geared toward men, I see so much fluidity in it that it can really be a shared wardrobe, genderless, as we styled it for this photoshoot. Was that the goal? It wasn’t intentional but I design clothes for people and whoever wishes to wear something of mine, please don’t let the label of menswear or womenswear keep you from doing as you wish.

Q: Your trousers drape perfectly on the body. How do you achieve this?

We went through several trials before finalizing the design. The fabric is a Tencel twill fabric with gorgeous drape and great hang. And the wide legs have silk lining, so it feels just as good as it looks!

Q: What I love most about your designs is how they approach menswear in an evolving way. What gives you the inspiration to modernize these classic silhouettes?

I think it has to do with how I want things to be elegant, beautiful and intricate. It stems from

traditional ceremonies I witnessed at a young age and the feelings that have stayed with me. It could be handmaking fabric, using materials that normally wouldn’t be used for a specific style of garment or reimagining the surface of a plain silk fabric with embroidery.

Q: You showed your collection at Yaamava’s Fashion Daze event. What was that experience like? I loved Fashion Daze! Kelly Cutrone, Peoples Revolution and Yaamava’ did a wonderful job producing the show. The location was beautiful and my fellow designers who presented their collections were diverse. I loved showing amongst many talented designers and brands and meeting new people I hope to work with in the future. And the stylist Jules Wood was so nice to work with.

Q: What is your favorite piece in the current collection?

I really loved the silk tulle jumpsuit hybrid that sold right after our runway show in August. This piece I’m calling a jumpsuit hybrid because it’s half jumpsuit and half cape. There are handprocessed and handspun yucca fibers in natural ivory woven with natural dark brown wool into a houndstooth pattern on one side at the waist. It had an elegant drape and moved beautifully. Entirely handsewn. I also really like the ripstop vinyl coat. It’s so well done. It still has an elegance to it even with the firmness of the material.

Q: What will we be seeing from you in Spring 2024?

The Stargazer Collection will be extravagant and grand. We will be presenting Ready to Wear and high-end, one-off looks. I always incorporate a few one-of-a-kind looks every year… and no spoilers, but fingers crossed I can accomplish all of the beading and embroidery in time!

STARS Wri en IN THE

Indigenous designer Orlando Dugi’s latest collection was inspired by his ancestors’ stories of the Star People. Elegant, fluid and fully reimagined pieces blend past and future – creating a genderless, timeless and boundless style.

STYLED BY CHRISTIE MOELLER

STYLE ASSISTANT BY TIFFANY WEEKES

HAIR & MAKEUP BY KRYSTLE RANDALL MODELED BY PESHAWN AND PHILLIP

Photography by Robert John Kley

Hand-knit Mike Sweater in natural and indigo-dyed New Mexican Rambouillet sheep wool; Ron Short with one-inch turnup; hand-knit Ken Sweater in natural, indigo- and cochineal-dyed New Mexican Rambouillet sheep wool; and Kevin Trouser in wool/mohair with button fly, side buckles and silk lining all by Orlando Dugi.

Hand-knit Logan Sweater in natural and indigo-dyed New Mexican Rambouillet sheep wool; Kevin Trouser in wool/ mohair with button fly, side buckles and silk lining; and Tulle Skirt all by Orlando Dugi.

Tencel Camp Collar Long Sleeve Shirt; Tencel Casual Trouser with front single welt pockets; and Leather Riding Jacket with silver zipper details and silver buttons; Silk charmeuse Naldo Button Up Shirt with arrowhead print and mother of pearl buttons; Bomber Jacket in cotton twill with hand-painted floral design and handmade silk flower detail; and extra wide leg high-waisted Prince Trouser in Tencel all by Orlando Dugi.

Hand-Knit Hoodie in silk and alpaca yarn and highwaisted Wide Leg Trouser in Tencel with silk lining by Orlando Dugi.

Vinyl Coat, Long Sleeve Cotton and Metallic Knit Shirt and Casual Trouser in Tencel by Orlando Dugi. Cracked Quartz Bead necklace and Mother of Pearl necklace both with vintage flower glass beads, dentalium shells and brass beads by House of Sutai.

Hand-knit Chad Cardigan in natural New Mexican Rambouillet sheep wool with brass buttons; Alex Button

Up Shirt in silk charmeuse with mother of pearl buttons; and Kevin Trouser in wool/mohair with button fly, side buckles and silk lining all by Orlando Dugi.

Hand-knit, zip Adam Sweater in black walnut- and indigo-dyed New Mexican Rambouillet sheep wool; hand-knit Logan Sweater in indigo-dyed New Mexican Rambouillet sheep wool; white Tencel Casual Trouser with front single welt pockets; hand-knit Chad Cardigan in natural brown New Mexican Rambouillet sheep wool with brass buttons; silk charmeuse Cowl Shoulder Top; silk brocade high-waisted Miah Trouser with button fly and side buckles all by Orlando Dugi.

COOL

Each issue we gather a few things that stand out from the rest. This time we’ve found delightful ways to make the holidays a little brighter, sweeter and more stylish – for you and the ones you love. All available at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN DE HERRERA | STYLED BY JUDEAN SAKIMOTO

True Colors

No hue imbues the chilly holiday season with warmth and cheer quite like red. Add crimson accents or spice up your vanity with beautifully designed organic self-care products.

Ladies Snakeskin Small “Ophidia” Shoulder Bag by GUCCI available at HERS

Trick Pelle Lacca Wendy Leather Keychain by PRADA available at HERS

Red Sunglasses by Chloe available at 1891 Boutique

Recover Bath Salts, Roll-On Remedy, Body & Massage Oil by Tara available at Serrano Spa

Red Alexandra stud earrings by Kendra Scott available at 1891 Boutique

Sweet Perfume by Lolita Lempicka available at 1891 Boutique

Sugar & Spice

Which stocking stuffers capture the magic of the season? The ones infused with peppermint, styled like gingerbread and, of course, dusted with colorful sugar crystals.

Gingerbread House Light Up

Crossbody Bag and Candy Tee

Crossbody Bag by Betsey Johnson available at 1891 Boutique

Fruit Mix Gummy Bears by California Gummy Bears available at Decadence

Snowy Spruces, Candy Cane Taffy and Jolly Wreaths by Candy Club available at Decadence

Holiday Cheer Aroma Mist and Peppermint Spice Soap Bar by Principle available at 1891 Boutique

Get holiday party ready by adding touches of silver, gold and glittering gems.

Silver Metallic Studded Handbag by Brangio available at 1891 Boutique

Assorted Jewelry by BEJE available at 1891 Boutique

Southern California is home to The Pines Modern Steakhouse at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel, celebrated for its contemporary take on steakhouse classics and extensive, award-winning wine list. Meanwhile, in the neon lights of Las Vegas, Scotch 80 Prime at Palms Casino Resort satisfies guests with its diverse global cuisine and impressive selection of more than 80 Scotch labels and 400 wines.

Both The Pines Modern Steakhouse and Scotch 80 have won Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence for exceptional, sommeliercurated wine and spirits selections. But these two establishments also demonstrate a commitment to crowd-pleasing cuisine –expertly paired with wines from around the world and craft cocktails, if you please.

And this winter, the menus tell tales of the chefs’ childhoods through seasonal ingredients and comforting preparations. Prime cuts of beef, fresh seafood and decadent sides are elevated by precise cooking techniques.

“We want our food to speak to that story with each bite,” explained The Pines’ Executive Chef Alejandro Placeres.

The extensive wine list at The Pines also has a backstory. The list, which encompasses more than 1,400 labels from around the world, is organized to be intriguing rather than overwhelming.

“We are given the freedom to seek out wines beyond the large distributors,” said Sommelier Robert Rodriguez. “Finding amazing wines that tell stories is hard work and requires time.”

For Rodriguez, earning Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence brings them one step closer to the ultimate goal – the Grand Award, bestowed upon fewer than 100 restaurants worldwide.

Earning Wine Spectator Awards puts The Pines and Scotch 80 in an elite class of restaurants worldwide. But more than cementing their status, the accolades represent the teams’ passion and dedication. The dishes and drinks showcased in their seasonal menus are a celebration of achieving this benchmark and a promise to keep exceeding expectations.

& DINE

How seasonal dishes paired alongside iconic wines at two award-winning restaurants encapsulate dedication to delivering a superlative experience.

By Jessica Dupuy

Photographed by Alan de Hererra • Styled by Judean Sakimoto

Scotch 80 Prime

Scotch 80

Braised Colorado Lamb + Shiraz, Penfold RW, Barossa Valley 2018

“The acidity of Shiraz helps to cut through the richness of the lamb, while its tannins help to draw out the subtle nuances of flavor from both components,” said Scotch 80 Sommelier Shahriar Rasouli.

Braised Colorado Lamb + Shiraz, Penfold RW, Barossa Valley 2018 lamb shank.

“Shiraz and French Syrah have dark berry flavors, hints of di erent spices and a medium- to fullbody. In particular, full-bodied wines hailing from Australia’s Barossa Valley such as the 2018 Penfold’s RW can provide a formidable match for Lamb shank. The complex interplay of dark berries, pepper and spices, coupled with sturdy tannins, mirror the profound flavors of Braised Lamb Shank.”

Turkey Ballantine + Chardonnay, La Jota, Howell Mountain 2018

Turkey Ballantine + Chardonnay, La Jota, Howell Mountain 2018

“The Turkey Ballantine is a fresh approach on presenting the Thanksgiving bird. We added dried fruits and nuts to the farce mixture of turkey, veal and chicken with a hint of bacon, all of which highlight the natural succulent flavor of the turkey.”

“Chardonnay often exhibits notes of apple, pear and tropical fruits, which can enhance the natural sweetness of turkey, creating a harmonious balance,” said Rasouli. “The creamy mouthfeel of this Chardonnay is due to malolactic fermentation, which results in more decadent flavors of butter and vanilla that complement the tenderness of turkey, adding depth to the overall taste.”

Prime Rib + Southern Rhône 2019 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe

Crusted in a flavorful salt-herb blend and served alongside glazed cipollini onions, this succulent prime rib is drizzled with a rich port wine jus and served with a medley of gingered carrots, roasted Brussels sprouts and creamy potato purée. It is paired with a Southern Rhône 2019 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe from a plateau parcel, “Le Crau” in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

“This wine is bright with a deep ruby red core that is fullbodied and intense. It is sweet on the nose with hints of candied red fruit, soft licorice and herbs,” said Rasouli. “It’s fruit-forward, but dry and bold with mild acidity and tannins that are subtle enough to serve with prime rib.”

Wagyu Empanada + Clos Mogador ‘Vi de Finca’ 2019

“The Wagyu Empanadas were inspired by my grandmother and mother, who made them for me when I was a child. Though empanadas are Spanish in origin, we gave them a Filipino take using bay leaves, tomatoes, black tru es and foie gras for a unique touch,” said Chef Marty Lopez, Chef de Cuisine at Scotch 80.

The warm spices in this dish make it a perfect pairing for the 2019 Clos Morador ’Vi de Finca,‘ a Spanish Priorat blend featuring juicy garnacha, floral cariñena and peppery syrah. “Aromas of cassis, blackberry and shale lead to a palate of rich dark fruit, butterscotch, co ee, eucalyptus and clove. Durable tannins are equally matched by vibrant acidity, and both play into a lasting finish that is a perfect match for wagyu empanadas,“ said Scotch 80 Sommelier Shahriar Rasouli.

The Pines Modern Steakhouse

Braised Wagyu Short Rib + 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild, Bordeaux and 1979 Opus One

Hearty short ribs call for wines of complexity and depth. For this pairing, sommelier Robert Rodriquez selected two vintages: a 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild from Bordeaux and a 1979 Opus One, the first vintage ever released from this iconic Napa Valley winery. This dish is served with natural jus alongside tru ed parsnip-potato purée and broccoli rabe.

“We love this cut of meat. It’s a specialty cut from Black Hawk Farms out of Kentucky, which raises cattle on its own farm-grown grains. We use our in-house demi-glace made from food-milling the braising liquid with all its ingredients to create a rich flavor,” said The Pines Chef de Cuisine, Christopher Dennis. “The combination of these fall flavors with a Cabernet is just a wonderful matchup.”

House Chopped Salad + Louis Roederer Cristal Vinotheque and 2017 Kongsgaard Judge Chardonnay

This salad employs homestyle flavors with molecular techniques to bring the modern and the familiar together, accented by 1995 vintage rosé Champagne, the Louis Roederer Cristal Vinotheque, and a finessed California chardonnay, the 2017 Kongsgaard Judge.

“This salad pairing is great from beginning to end,” said The Pines Executive Chef Alejandro Placeres. “It’s familiar, but we used our tricks of the trade to create an explosion of flavor. “

Seared Yellowfn Tuna + 1993 DRC Montrachet and 2002 Krug Clos D’Ambonnay

Paired with an iconic Chardonnay from Burgundy and a classic Champagne, this dish speaks to the diverse range of customers who dine at the restaurant.

“For this dish, we appreciate the delicate nature of ingredients used and the way they complement each other without overpowering the tuna itself,” said The Pines Chef de Cuisine Christopher Dennis.

Regarding the exceptional wine pairings, Placeres added, “We wanted the tuna to complement each of the wines – and stand out just enough to align itself with the crispness and freshness of the chardonnay and the Champagne.”

Merry and Bright

Make a statement with Isle Apparel’s new collection at the 1891 Boutique. Each Isle Apparel item is manufactured in-house in Istanbul. With prints sourced in Italy, France and Turkey to create your international flair, personified by the sophisticated brand.

Wear It Always

Discover timeless and inspired cubic zirconia pieces from CRISLU that offer something for every gentleman’s style. From men’s rings, necklaces and accessories, the perfect gift awaits at the HIS store.

Get 10% off of any CRISLU purchase at HIS Boutique.

Present this ad at time of purchase. Cannot be combined with any other discounts or offers.

Famed NBA announcer Ray Clay visits Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel for Air Jordan 1s promotional giveaway.

BY THOMAS LAROCCA

A darkened arena filled to the brim with more than 18,000 fans, all on the edge of their seats.

A familiar song bellows over the arena sound system as the energy intensifies.

Anticipation fills the air as the slow progression of notes on The Alan Parson’s Project’s song “Sirius” builds to an exciting crescendo.

And then over the mic, a voice booms: “ANDDDDDDDDDD NOW. From North Carolina, at guard, 6-6….Michaaelllllllllll Jordan.”

For parts of 12 seasons and six NBA Championships, that was the voice of legendary Chicago Bulls announcer Ray Clay, who visited Yaamava’ Resort & Casino as part of the “Walking on Air” promotion this past summer.

“I thought that it was a neat concept,” Clay said. “Giving away a Michael Jordan rookie card – such an incredibly unique item – and his shoes. It was perfect timing with the release of the movie Air and I just thought it was a cool opportunity to be a part of.”

The Matt Damon/Ben Affleck-led movie Air premiered in April, depicting the story of Jordan’s deal with Nike and the launch of his iconic Air Jordan brand. To celebrate, from May 1 to June 30, Club Serrano members had a chance to win 30 pairs of Air Jordan shoes – from the original Air Jordan 1 released in 1985 to Air Jordan 15 – released in 1999 –after Jordan’s second retirement from the NBA.

Since Clay was participating in the promotion, had he ever rocked a pair of Jordan’s iconic shoes?

“I just wasn't a gym-shoe kind of guy,” Clay said. “I was a little bit older, and I was not out on the court. So, I never invested in a pair of his shoes.”

But he did get a pair of shoes from one of MJ’s famous teammates.

Power forward Dennis Rodman, who set an NBA record with seven-consecutive rebounding titles from 1991-98, would constantly check in with the scorer’s table to confirm his stats throughout his career.

As the PA announcer, Clay worked alongside the official scorer and other gameday support staff and one day, one of the team members staffing the scorer’s table asked for a pair of Rodman’s shoes and he obliged.

“They were suede, from Converse,” Clay recalled. “They really didn’t feel like basketball shoes.”

The scorer’s table was also the setting of Clay’s fondest memory during his more than 550 games

as the Bulls PA Announcer – a 97-93 Bulls win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 of the 1992 NBA Finals – to claim their second-straight NBA title.

Immediately following the final horn, MJ jumped on the scorer’s table, pumping his fist and flashing the No. 2 with his fingers.

“Michael jumped up on the scorer’s table right in front of me - there’s some great pictures out there,” he said. “But you know I am trying to announce. I am standing up with the microphone announcing to the crowd and all the players are dancing right in front of us with the trophy and their big cigars.

“It was just so much fun and a really great memory.”

There was a lot to celebrate during Clay’s career as the Bulls went 394-167 at home from 1990-2002, including a stretch from 1995-96, in which they lost just eight regular-season home games and just three postseason home games – an astonishing 145-11 record over that span for a .929 winning percentage.

“We always talked about the number of consecutive sellouts we had,” Clay recalled. “It was definitely a homecourt advantage. We were the loudest arena in the NBA and we really wanted to get the crowd amped up.”

Ironically, Clay’s favorite Jordan memory did not take place with the Bulls but his final NBA team the Washington Wizards. On April 16, 2003, Jordan played the final NBA game of his career as Washington played at the Philadelphia 76ers.

“Philly flew me out and they introduced the four other Washington starters,” Clay recalled. “And then suddenly, the lights went out and the Bulls’ music started. And I went into his announcement and

Michael comes over and gave me a big hug.”

Like Jordan himself, Clay also came out of retirement announcing games for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky from 2006-19. As an expansion team, the Sky struggled early on and missed the playoffs in each of their first six seasons but did have a run of four-straight playoff appearances from 2013-16, which included a trip to the WNBA Finals in ‘14.

Unfortunately for Chicago, the Sky were swept by Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury and Clay was not able to add to his championship collection: he has a watch from each of the six NBA championships, a gift from the Bulls to their staff. The sacred timepieces remain tucked away in a safety deposit box to be given to his three kids: Kelly, Scott and Tim.

After the 2019 season, Clay finally hung up his microphone for good and now focuses on being a grandfather to three wonderful grandkids – with a fourth on the way in January. He also spends his time freelancing as an announcer – he has participated in more than 250 weddings, bar mitzvahs, corporate events and more.

Which brought him to Yaamava’ this summer, having lent his voice to the “Walking on Air” commercial spot and taking part in the finale drawing on June 30. Club Serrano member Aldo won the framed autographed Michael Jordan jersey and Hong took home the rookie card – valued at $180K. Both took home Air Jordan 1s with 28 other guests also taking home some iconic shoes.

“It was a fun event to be a part of,” Clay said. “The property is fantastic, and the staff is so friendly and welcoming. Everyone went above and beyond trying to make our stay pleasant and enjoyable.”

Las Vegas’ nascent pro hockey team ignites the fervor of fans and fortifies its community –before moving on to do something no one thought could be done.

BY MATT JACOB

The flashbacks started long before the blaring foghorn sounded to signal the end of the decisive game of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Final.

Because, truth be told, all interested parties – the players, the coaches, the 18,000 fans lucky enough to be inside the raucous T-Mobile Arena and the millions more intently tuned in throughout southern Nevada – were well aware that the Vegas Golden Knights, in just their sixth year of existence, were going to be world champs.

How did everyone know? Because hockey teams competing at the highest level of the sport – teams needing one more victory in a best-of-7 playoff series to secure immortality – do not blow 6-1 leads. Which was the advantage the Golden Knights had over the Florida Panthers heading into the third and final period of Game 5 at home.

Indeed, when both teams skated off the ice at the conclusion of the second period, the final outcome – for the record, it would be a 9-3 Golden Knights victory – was merely a formality.

So with the suspense having vanished entering the final period, those flashbacks began. Coaches and team personnel thinking back to all the hard work they put in to get to this point. And of course the men on skates thinking back to all the blood, sweat and tears that had been shed – dating to their peewee hockey days, when they stumbled around the ice dreaming of one day hoisting the Stanley Cup.

That dream? It was about to be realized.

Thus, it made sense for everyone associated with the Vegas Golden Knights to wax nostalgic as the clock ticked down in Game 5.

It also makes sense that the story of the 2022-23 Stanley Cup champions begins with a flashback. Way back.

Glitz, glamour, debauchery, decadence –all have symbolized Las Vegas since the city was officially born in 1905.

But it’s another long-standing Las Vegas tradition that for decades prevented the town from

reaching its big league potential. That tradition? Gambling.

Even as North America’s most prominent professional sports leagues – those being the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB – placed teams in similar-sized (or smaller) U.S. cities such as Portland, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee and New Orleans, Las Vegas was left on the sidelines.

Not wanting to be affiliated with a place where gambling – and, in particular, gambling on sports – was not only legal but highly encouraged, those sports leagues shunned Las Vegas like a teenager does their parents.

Just how steadfast was this anti-Vegas stance? In 2003 – just 13 years before the birth of the Vegas Golden Knights – the city’s tourism bureau wanted to run an ad promoting the destination during the Super Bowl. The commercial would make no reference to gambling and had a price tag of more than $2 million (which at the time was the going rate for a 30-second Super Bowl spot).

The NFL’s response? “Thanks, but no thanks.”

In the ensuing years, though, the leagues’ hardline position on Vegas began to soften. The reason? Gambling had spread pervasively beyond Nevada’s borders. Also, there were rumblings that the U.S. Supreme Court was on the verge of overturning a decades-old law that prohibited sports wagering outside of Nevada. (That law indeed was overturned in May 2018.)

So it seemed only a matter of time before one of North America’s “core four” pro leagues would plant a flag in the Entertainment Capital of the World – a place whose surrounding population had swelled to 2 million full-time residents by 2010.

And when that time came, there was little doubt that the National Hockey League – by far the lesser of the four major pro sports entities – would be the guinea pig.

Sure enough, on June 22, 2016, the NHL’s existing owners approved an expansion franchise in Las Vegas. The league’s 31st team would be owned by businessman Bill Foley (after first forking over a $600 million expansion fee); would begin play in the 2017-18 season; and would be

housed in an under-construction, state-of-theart arena mere steps from the Las Vegas Strip (and multiple sportsbooks).

Months after the NHL signed off on a Las Vegas franchise, the new team – which would be known as the Vegas Golden Knights – began accepting season ticket deposits. The response not only was overwhelmingly positive, it shattered expectations.

As the inaugural season approached, excitement surrounding the #VegasBorn hockey team bubbled up throughout the Las Vegas community. But then, just six days before the Golden Knights hit the ice in Dallas for their first regular season game – and just 10 days before home debut at T-Mobile Arena – all that excitement gave way to intense sadness.

On the evening of Oct. 1, 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up their first preseason with a 5-3 exhibition-game loss to the San Jose Sharks at 18-month-old T-Mobile Arena.

Less than three hours later, and barely a mile away, a madman opened fire from his suite on the 32 nd floor of Mandalay Bay. His target: thousands of people attending the country music festival across the street. When the nightmare was over, 58 concertgoers had lost their lives. Hundreds more had suffered serious injuries of varying degrees. And thousands – both inside and outside the concert venue – had been scarred for life.

As dawn broke on Oct. 2, the shock still lingered. But the healing also began. At the center of that healing: the Vegas Golden Knights.

Temporarily putting aside preparations for their opening game, the players dispatched to all corners of the community. Some stopped by blood drives and spent time with the hundreds of residents and tourists donating much-needed blood. Some went to police substations and

thanked officers for their bravery the night before. And still others visited with and comforted families whose lives were turned upside down by the tragedy.

In short, on that difficult Monday, Golden Knights players organically began forming a bond with their new fan base – a bond that was, and still is, as solid as a hockey puck.

Later that week, those same players traveled to Dallas for their first-ever regular season game – a game they won 2-1. After the victory, they boarded a flight to Phoenix and won again the following night. The team then returned to Las Vegas for its somber Oct. 10 home opener.

Once again, the Golden Knights faced the Arizona Coyotes. And once again, they won.

The winning continued as autumn turned to winter and winter to spring. And by the time summer 2018 dawned, the Golden Knights had put together the most successful expansion season in modern sports history, making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

Alas, the feel-good story did not have a happy ending: After defeating the Washington Capitals in Game 1 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, the Golden Knights lost the next four games.

Undaunted, the VGK – an early team moniker that has stuck – returned to the playoffs in each of the next four years. However, they never returned to the finals. Then in 2021-22, the young franchise did something it had never before done: Despite a roster loaded with talent, the Golden Knights failed to qualify for the postseason.

Much of that talent returned for the 2022-23 campaign, and when the players regrouped after a long summer off, they had a new coach. They also had an old prediction looming over their heads –specifically, over the heads of six original Golden Knights (known collectively as “The Misfits”) who were still part of the organization.

See, on the day he publicly unveiled his team’s name and logo way back in 2016, Foley also publicly unveiled some outlandish expectations: “We’re making the playoffs in three years and winning the Stanley Cup in six.”

Against all odds, the Golden Knights immediately realized their owner’s first prediction during their magical inaugural season. Yet here they were on the eve of the 2022-23 season – a.k.a. Year Six – without a Stanley Cup.

The Vegas Golden Knights began last season on Oct. 11, 2022, in California. On that night, the VGK eked out a 4-3 road win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Fittingly, forward Jonathan Marchessault scored the first goal of the season on an assist from William Karlsson – both are original Misfits.

“Our ultimate goal coming into the season was always to win it all,” Karlsson said. “But first and foremost, we wanted to bounce back from a disappointing year. We brought in some new guys and a new coach, so it was a bit of a fresh start. It all worked out, because we started the season hot.”

Talk about an understatement. In fact, exactly a month after the season-opening win in Los Angeles, new coach Bruce Cassidy’s troops were sporting a 13-2 record.

“I knew we had good players when we started out 13-2. You don’t do that by accident,” Cassidy said. “And we were relatively healthy early on. But we still had lots of growth potential, so we knew we were going to get better, which we did.”

First, though, Vegas had to endure a rash of injuries that knocked out a slew of goaltenders, as well as team captain Mark Stone.

A veteran forward and one of the team’s most productive offensive players, Stone went down

with a back injury in mid-January. After weighing his options, he elected to have his second back surgery in less than a year, knowing it would end his regular season.

With their team leader down and out, Marchessault, Karlsson and the rest of the Golden Knights elevated their play, overcame a midseason lull and finished the season as Pacific Division champions.

Vegas’ 51-22-9 record translated into 111 points. That was tied for fourth-most in the NHL and – more importantly – most in the Western Conference. That gave the Golden Knights the West’s No. 1 seed and home-ice advantage at least through the conference finals.

When the players skated onto the ice for Game 1 of an opening-round series against the Winnipeg Jets, they were joined by a familiar face: their captain. Just three months after back surgery, Stone was cleared to return for the playoffs.

Although Stone’s presence was a huge emotional lift, the Golden Knights failed to immediately capitalize on it, losing to Winnipeg 5-1 at home in the series opener. However, Stone scored two goals in a blowout Game 2 victory, the first of four straight wins that eliminated Winnipeg.

Up next: A second-round matchup against the mighty Edmonton Oilers.

Oddsmakers believed Vegas’ postseason run was doomed – and with it, the owner’s Cup-insix-years prediction. Six games later, though, the Oilers were on vacation and the Golden Knights were playing hockey. Not only that, but the team had reluctantly discovered a new hero: goaltender Adin Hill.

A journeyman backup for most of his NHL career, Hill was called upon to replace injured starter Laurent Brossoit in Game 3 at Edmonton, and he stopped all 24 shots he faced in a critical 5-1 victory.

With Hill now manning the net, the Golden Knights survived a tense Western Conference finals series against the Dallas Stars. After winning the first three games – including Games 1 and 2 in overtime – Vegas dropped the next two contests

before finally eliminating Dallas 6-0 in Game 6.

With that victory, the Knights earned their second trip to the Stanley Cup Final, this time against the Florida Panthers.

The mindset of the original Misfits heading into this best-of-7 championship series?

“Here we are again,” Karlsson said. “We know these opportunities don’t come around too often, and we’re not going to blow this one.”

They most certainly did not.

After pummeling Florida by a combined score of 12-4 in the first two games at “The Fortress” –as T-Mobile Arena has come to be known – Vegas went to South Beach for Game 3 and came out on the short end of a 3-2 overtime decision.

It would be the final loss for the 2022-23 Golden Knights.

Following a 3-2 nail-biting victory in Florida in Game 4, Vegas returned to The Fortress for Game 5 needing one more victory to hoist the Stanley Cup. Stone put the Knights on the board midway through the first period with his ninth goal of the postseason.

By the time Stone scored a second goal late in the second period, Vegas had a 5-1 lead. That lead grew to 6-1 when Vegas’ Matt Amadio put the puck in the net two seconds before the period ended.

The rout was on. And the Golden Knights’ quest for the Cup was about to be over.

NHL rules mandate that teams must play three 20-minute periods, no matter the score. So after the second-period intermission in Game 5, both the Panthers and Golden Knights skated back onto the ice fully aware that the result was a foregone conclusion.

“That third period felt like it went on forever,” said Hill, who posted an 11-4 record in the playoffs. “You’re waiting for the moment to celebrate but you’re also trying to stay focused and not get too excited watching the clock tick down.”

For the record, the Golden Knights outscored

I knew we had good players when we started

On the ice, the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks are fierce rivals. O the ice, though, the three West Coast-based NHL clubs share a common bond: All are part of the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino team.

After first lacing up the skates as o icial sponsors of the Kings and Ducks more than a decade ago, Yaamava’ joined forces with the Golden Knights when the Las Vegasbased franchise debuted in the 2017-18 season.

Yaamava’ has been an o icial partner of the Golden Knights every season since –including in 2022-23, when

the VGK captured their first Stanley Cup title.

In fact, all three NHL teams that Yaamava’ partners with have raised at least one championship banner in the last 16 years (with the Kings doing so twice).

San Manuel’s tie-in with the Golden Knights even stretches beyond Yaamava’

Bruce Cassidy You don’t do that by accident.

Head Coach

Florida 3-2 in the final period. The team’s penultimate goal? It came off the stick of Stone, a length-of-the-ice, empty-net shot that gave him the first hat trick in a Stanley Cup Final since 1996.

By then, the celebrations had begun – on the Vegas bench, throughout The Fortress and all across the city.

And when that final horn sounded?

“It was an explosion of emotions,” Karlsson said. “We didn’t get a dramatic ending, so when there was about a minute left and the seconds were ticking down, I was like, ‘This is really happening.’ It was a surreal feeling.

“And to do it here in Vegas in front of everyone who has supported us since Day One? You couldn’t have written a better script.”

Well, maybe not the entire script. But the script’s conclusion? Bill Foley – the first owner of a major professional sports team in Las Vegas history – wrote that part long before his franchise debuted: Stanley Cup in six years.

“It was something he said from the get-go, but we looked at it as a goal more than mandate,” said veteran defenseman Shea Theodore, an original Misfit. “But sometimes when those things are put out there, it ends up being perfect timing –like a manifestation.”

to its Las Vegas-based sister property, Palms Casino Resort. Both entities are co-partners with and title sponsors of the Golden Knights’ new television outlet Scripps Media, which owns exclusive TV rights for all VGK games that aren’t broadcast nationally.

Beyond that, Palms also is a title sponsor for

two additional Southern Nevada-based pro sports organizations: the American Hockey League’s Henderson Silver Knights (top minorleague a iliate of the Golden Knights) and the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League.

Both franchises are owned by Golden Knights managing partner Bill Foley.

New Age Hospitality’s

How Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel is using artificial intelligence to perfect the guest experience – and keep team members happy.

By Jessica Villano

With the roll out of AI across all industries, the question everyone has been wondering is: how will this impact my career? Will I still have one – or will the robots take over?

At Yaamava’ Resort & Casino you’ll definitely find robots…but they’re not there to take over. In fact, the tech has been implemented strictly to enrich the lives of both team members and guests.

“Innovation is a big part of our strategy, and we want to continue to be leaders in the industry, while providing our team members with the best workplace,” said David Kopasz, Chief Operations Officer, Hospitality at Yaamava’. “These robots are here to support our team. They allow them to focus on more guest-facing responsibilities that add more value to our patrons and to our business.”

From telling jokes in the lobby to bussing tables and scrubbing floors, the resort’s robots are not only delighting guests while creating Instagrammable moments, but are also shouldering the most burdensome parts of a job.

“There’s some pretty impressive statistics on the impact they’re making,” said Ricky Borja, Director of Food and Beverage at Yaamava’. “In one shift at the buffet, we serve more than 3,000 guests. That means the Servi robot from Bear Robotics could ‘walk’ an average of 2.5 miles per shift and carry nearly 2,000 pounds of plates and silverware on trays.”

With the Servi doing that heavy lifting, team members spend more time with guests, turn tables faster and guests are seated with less wait time, all in all, creating a better experience for everyone.

As for the environmental services robot, team members have gone from running a manual floor cleaner for eight hours a day to sending the automated machine off on its merry, and preprogrammed, way.

“We want our property to sparkle and now it’s easier to polish those fine details. Our team members have more time to make sure the glass is streak free and the brass is gleaming,” explained Kopasz. “We’re always aspiring for best in class in everything we do, including the Forbes Five Star standards, and there’s a lot of refinement that goes along with that. These robots allow us to focus on that refinement.”

Even though Yaamava’ continues to seek new and better ways to implement the technology, there are limits to its use. “We’re not using robots when we want to give a personal touch. That’s very important to us,” said Kopasz. “We still maintain that personal interaction to build relationships with the guests. Things that don’t build relationships? That’s when we use robots.”

If the efficiency aspect doesn’t sway you to Team Robot, maybe the tech will. It’s the same as the one used in Tesla vehicles and it allows the robot to be aware of its surroundings. “Even in high-traffic areas, the Servis are able to weave through guests, pause, wait for them to pass and move forward again,” explained Borja.

“That means we’re constantly programming, constantly tweaking so robots can reengage their location and find the most efficient way through the restaurant.”

All that cool tech has a learning curve, but the feedback from team members has been overwhelmingly positive. Not only is it removing the redundant or laborious parts of their jobs, but it’s offering opportunities to stack skills by learning something new.

As for the novelty appeal? Guests love it. The robots can be interactive and will mingle, display messages like ‘Take a selfie with me’ and offer chilled waters or gifts – depending on the occasion.

“We made this decision because we’re thinking forward. What’s going to make the most sense five, seven years out? What’s going to create the best work balance?” asked Kopasz. “We’re continuing to evolve based on what the robots can do, what our team members need and what our guests really want.”

The Last B ite

Tribal citizen Destiny remembers her father’s stories about hunting quail on the San Manuel Reservation when he was a child. To honor him, she makes Roast Quail for friends and family. Destiny often serves this entrée with Sauteed Zucchini and Sweet Corn Risotto, sides that riff off of traditional Indigenous ingredients while nodding to her mother’s Italian heritage. This meal is best enjoyed on a chilly night.

ROAST QUAIL WITH COMPOUND BUTTER

Quail, four

1 stick butter, softened ½ tablespoon - 1 tablespoon of each:

Fresh sage, minced

Fresh rosemary, minced

Fresh thyme, minced

Garlic, minced

Dried Italian seasoning

Salt Pepper

Paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add fresh herbs, dried herbs, garlic and seasoning to butter; add salt and pepper to taste. Combine well and cover quail. Place in baking dish with a slice of butter. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.

For generations, our Tribe has answered to Yawa’—the call to act on one’s beliefs. It’s the reason we donated $300M over the last 20 years and why we continue to partner with communities across California. Because when we work together, we all prosper.