San Manuel Custom Book

their governments and build strong, diversified economies. San Manuel has done just that. The tribe has used revenues from its San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino to create a vast business portfolio of hotels, a water bottling plant, a shopping center and commercial and industry real estate. But equally important, San Manuel, after generations of poverty and Federal government neglect, is rebuilding its government, providing tribal history and culture, revitalize the Serrano language and provide the physical infrastructure needed to maintain a viable community on the reservation. A STORIED PAST A clan of the greater Serrano Nation, San Manuel’s ancestral lands encompass most of present-day San Bernardino County. In their native language, they call themselves Yuhaviatam, or People of the Pines. Prior to Spanish and European settlement, the Yuhaviatam was a thriving people, engaging in trade and commerce with other Native nations. The San Manuel reservation was not established until 1891 and at this time was recognized as a sovereign nation by the federal government. The many of those services non-Indian communities take for granted. An independent and sovereign nation, San Manuel has created a system of governmental units and agencies headed by a team of capable, experienced leaders. The tribe operates and oversees the Department of Health Services, the Department of Public Safety, San Manuel Fire Department, the Department of Project/Construction Development, the Gaming Commission and Education Department. Revenue generated from the casino and other tribal enterprises support governmental operations and provide for the general welfare of the tribe and its citizens. That includes efforts to preserve tribe is named after Santos Manuel, a respected tribal leader. Until gaming, San Manuel was a poor community lacking resources to provide government services to its citizens. In the mid-1980s, the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians invested in a high-stakes bingo operation. The gaming facility expanded in 1994 to include a card room and additional video machines. With gaming and other enterprises, the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians is one of the largest employers in the Inland Empire with more than 3,000 employees. San Manuel’s business ventures and strong selfgovernance has enabled it to develop strong gov- 19

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of San Manuel Custom Book

San Manuel Custom Book Contents Editorial Chapter One: A Tribe with a World View Three Fires Make History with Sacramento Marriott San Manuel Village Nears Completion Giving is the Serrano Way Chapter Two: San Manuel Firefighters Prove Their Mettle A Day at the Office Chapter Three: San Manuel Outreach Cal State University at San Bernardino Operation Phoenix Loma Linda University Medical Center Chapter Four: Building a Tribal Government on San Manuel Behind the Scenes Frances 'Tu Tu' Morongo

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