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- By Levi Rickert
This past April, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians formally reclaimed its ancestral name, now identifying as the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation.
The tribe highlighted its reclaimed name on a billboard along Interstate 10, a heavily traveled corridor, to raise awareness of the change.
Early on Thanksgiving Day, the billboard was vandalized with an anti-Indigenous message and an American flag draped over the left portion. The message read: "America is not on stolen land. Your ancestors were conquered. Happy Thanksgiving."
A tribal spokesperson issued the following statement to Native News Online on Saturday:
“Since time immemorial, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and other clans of Serrano Indians have called the sacred lands of Southern California home. We have endeavored to exist peacefully and cooperatively even while a young and growing country expanded westward. We believed then as we do now that we all have a right to exist with and through our unique cultures endowed by the Creator.
With this glimpse into our shared history, we were deeply disappointed by the vandalism of our billboard and the culturally offensive language used by those who choose not to reflect the values shared by most in our large Southern California community. Such actions stand in stark contrast to the values of respect and unity that have allowed not only the Yuhaaviatam, but local cities, counties, and communities of Americans, to grow and enjoy the blessings of America.
We are happy to engage in discussions about our shared history that has made our region a strong and forward-looking part of California. We invite you to join us as neighbors to strengthen our unity and elevate an expanded awareness of our shared history. This should be our way forward.”
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has opened an investigation. Maintenance crews restored the billboard later Thursday. No arrests have been announced.
The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation is based in San Bernardino, California. In 2021, the tribe’s San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority purchased the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas for roughly $650 million, becoming the first tribal entity to fully own and operate a casino in the city’s gaming industry. The move has earned Yaamava the nickname the “California to Vegas Connection.”
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