Following the establishment of the Reservation, the federal government would continue to make decisions on the Tribe’s behalf, dictating what they could and could not do as an independent nation. The Act of Relief for Mission Indians, passed in 1891, recognized the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians’ inherent rights to self-govern as a sovereign nation. This physical and cultural genocide has led to ongoing disconnection and disenfranchisement from their sacred spaces, culturally important plants/animals, the remains of their ancestors, and their traditional clan-based interactions. Long before the arrival of European settlers, their ancestors lived in harmony with the land in and between the southwestern Mojave Desert and Inland Empire region in what is now Southern California.Ĭontact with three different waves of European peoples and their governments led to the Tribe’s forced removal from their vast ancestral territory and the near extermination of them as a people. Tribal Historyįor generations, the Maara’yam (Serrano) Tribe has persevered through great change and extreme hardship. San Manuel exercises its inherent sovereign right of self-governance and provides essential services for its citizens by building infrastructure, maintaining civil services, and promoting social, economic and cultural development.Īs the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys, mountains and high deserts, the Serrano people of San Manuel have called this area home time immemorial and are committed to remaining a productive partner in the San Bernardino region. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (SMBMI) is a federally recognized Indian tribe located on the San Manuel Indian Reservation near Highland, California. Visit California Works to learn more about this series and read past and future profiles.

This article is a part of a series of profiles of CalChamber member companies that are contributing to the state’s economic strength and ability to stay competitive in a global economy.

Empire casino band for tyoday