Each month, various offices and departments across campus host events such as beading circles, talking circles, book clubs and meet-and-greets to bring together students, staff and faculty. Many of the events are organized by the Native American & Pacific Islander Student Association. The student association holds regular meetings at the First Peoples' Center in the Santos Manuel Student Union, and plans campus events, supports fellow CSUSB students, and volunteers in tribal communities.
Peer Mentoring Program
Peer mentors are available to support Native American students Monday-Friday in the First Peoples' Center. Peer mentors first meet students during our First Peoples Coyote Rising summer bridge program. The summer bridge program is designed for incoming Native American students to support their adjustment into CSUSB. Peer mentors work with our Native American and Pacific Islander students throughout their time at CSUSB to build community, navigate the higher education system, access on-campus supports, and provide safe cultural spaces for learning and growth.
Graduate Horizons
The Office of Tribal Relations works with various programs, including Graduate Horizons to support students with gaining access to GRE resources, and to provide training and guidance through the application process for graduate and doctoral degrees. To learn more about the Graduate Horizons program, please visit the Graduate Horizons website.
San Manuel Powwow
CSUSB staff, students and faculty support this event through volunteering. In the past, this event has been held on the CSUSB campus or the 66ers Staduim in San Bernardino.
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians continues its celebration of Native American culture with this annual event. The Powwow is a three-day event of music and dance that is both a celebration and competition with participants vying for prizes and honoring enduring Native traditions.
For more information on the annual San Manuel Band of Mission Indians powwow, please visit SoCal Powwows.
Native American Heritage
Each November, CSUSB celebrates Native American Heritage with thoughtful, insightful and respresentative activities, events and guest speakers structured to provide a safe place for our Native American students, staff, faculty and surrounding communities to continue to have their voices heard and perspectives felt across campus. This month is significant to the CSUSB community because it is a time to reflect on the past and to pay respect to Native American history, traditions and culture. Below, is a flyer of the previous year’s heritage month events.
Native American Speaker Series
Each year, CSUSB seeks to highlight the contributions of members of our Native American communities through the President’s Native American Speaker Series. This speaker series brings the campus and wider community together to participate in lectures from prominate Native Americans on a wide variety of Native American specific topics. Past honored guests have included Charlene Teters and Billy Mills.
Each year, CSUSB seeks to highlight the contributions of members of our Native American communities through the university’s Native American Speaker Series. This speaker series brings the campus and wider community together to participate in lectures from prominent Native Americans on a wide variety of culturally specific topics.
CSUSB’s Native American Speaker Series helps to illuminate the outstanding achievements of distinguished Native Americans in the arts, media, culture and academia by featuring speakers from diverse tribal backgrounds who share a common commitment to advocating for Native people, creating opportunities for tribal communities, advancing social justice, and supporting the rights of Indigenous people.
Charlene Teters, the inaugural speaker in 2019, took the audience on an audio and visual journey when she discussed her experiences as a child, student, parent, artist and activist protesting the use of Native Americans as sports mascots.
Native American Graduation Recognition
At the end of the spring each year, the Office of Tribal Relations, the Santos Manuel Student Union, the Native American & Pacific Islander Student Association, and Outreach and Student Recruitment hosts CSUSB’s Native American Graduation. The graduation is a celebration of the acheivements of our Native American graduating students and the local tribal communities that help support their efforts.
California Native American Day / California Indian Cultural Awareness Conference
Since 1968, the fourth Friday of September in California has been recognized for Native Americans. For more than 20 years, that week has also corresponded with the California Indian Cultural Awareness Conference, which is held at Cal State San Bernardino. The conference teaches elementary students about California Native American history and its culture. It was founded in 1999 by Assemblymember and CSUSB alumnus James C. Ramos ’02 as a yearly gathering for tribes across California.
James C. Ramos
Assemblymember and CSUSB alumnus James C. Ramos ’02, is a tribal member from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, and is the first California-born Native American elected to the state Assembly. He is the great-great grandson of Santos Manuel, the leader of the Yuhaviatam clan of Serrano people, who in 1886 led his people to safety from the San Bernardino Mountains to the valley to escape militia forces that killed many tribal members. CSUSB named its student union in honor of Santos Manuel.
In June 2019, Ramos held a community swearing-in ceremony in CSUSB’s Santos Manuel Student Union to celebrate the historic achievement and milestone as the first California-born Native American elected to the state Assembly.
Ramos represents the 40th Assembly District, which encompasses the San Bernardino County communities of Highland, Loma Linda, Redlands, and parts of Rancho Cucamonga and the city of San Bernardino.
First Peoples Coyote Rising Summer Bridge Program
The First Peoples Coyote Rising is our summer bridge program designed specifically to support Native American students transitioning into CSUSB. The program focuses on aiding students to connect with Native American peer mentors, build community with campus supports, engage and network with Native community partners and members, and access valuable resources to promote a positive and strong student experience.
The First Peoples Coyote Rising program will take place virtually from June 6 – June 11, 2021. This program is free of charge and we invite you to join us as we build our community around Native American perspectives.
If internet or computer access is a concern, we are here to help. Contact us on how we can support you to participate in the program.
We look forward to your participation and welcoming you into the Coyote Pack!
#Coyote4life
For additional information please contact Marisol Lopez at marisol.lopez@csusb.edu.