Welcome to Morongo
Set at the foot of the beautiful San Gorgonio and San Jacinto Mountains, the Morongo Indian Reservation spans more than 35,000 acres and overlooks the vistas of the Banning Pass. Resilient and resourceful, the Morongo tribe has had to overcome many adversities.
Latest News
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Morongo Charity Golf Tournament Raises Over $150,000 for Groups Serving San Gorgonio Pass Youth, Preserving Native Culture
The annual tournament held at the championship Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon has provided more than $2.8 million to local non-profits over the past 28 years.
BEAUMONT, Calif. – Hundreds of golfers from across Southern California took to the fairways at the 28th Annual Morongo Charity Golf Tournament to raise money for local youth, and to help safeguard Indian children and tribal culture.
The two-day tournament kicked off Monday, October 21 at the beautiful Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon, raising $100,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass, $25,000 for the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), and $25,000 for California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at California State University, San Marcos.
(left to right) Dr. Joely Proudfit, CICSC Director; James Siva, Morongo Vice Chair; Jaylee Martin, CICSC student; Dr. Eric Tippeconnic, CSUSM AIS Faculty Member; and Mejaumi Franco-Rosales, CSUSM Tribal Liaison. “From creating positive pathways for local youth and families, to strengthening protections for tribal children and preserving the cultural history of local tribes, the organizations benefiting from this year’s Morongo Charity Golf Tournament each play a vital role in our communities,” said Morongo Tribal Vice Chair James Silva, co-chair of the tournament.
Megan Grisham, director of operations of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass, thanked Morongo for its ongoing support, saying “Morongo’s generous contributions to the Boys & Girls Clubs over these many years have helped thousands of local students and their families. We deeply appreciate the tribe’s support to those in need across the Pass.”
(left to right) Boys & Girls Club of the San Gorgonio Pass Director of Resource Development George Sinatra; Board member Steven Hovey; Chief Operating Officer Megan Grisham; Board member Linda Hanley; Chief Executive Officer David Epstein; and Morongo Tribal Councilman Brian Lugo The tournament was held at 36-hole Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon, the local home of the Southern California PGA and host to the annual IOA Championship on the Epson Tour, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA.
“The significant work of the Boys & Girls Clubs, the National Indian Child Welfare Association and the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center serve to strengthen our region’s future while also preserving our past,” said Morongo Tribal Council Member Brian Lugo, a co-chair of the tournament. “We are grateful to the players and sponsors whose participation ensured our 28th annual Charity Golf Tournament was once again a resounding success.”
Morongo Vice Chair James Siva and Tara Reynon, Senior Program Director at NICWA Launched in 1997, the Morongo Charity Golf Tournament has raised over $2.8 million to support dozens of local nonprofits that serve children, schools, veterans, and hospitals across the region.
About the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon
Set against a backdrop of breathtaking mountain views, the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon offers 36 world-class holes, state-of-the-art practice facilities, outstanding amenities, and professional, personalized customer service. Ranked among the best courses in Southern California, Tukwet Canyon remains the regional home for the Southern California PGA, and host to the SCPGA Professional Championship. Since 2015, Tukwet Canyon has hosted the Epson Tour, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA.
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Morongo-AMR Riverside Air Ground Tribal Alliance wins prestigious CAASE Service Excellence Award
Nation’s first-ever EMS-tribal partnership reduces emergency response times by 60%
In a groundbreaking achievement, the Morongo-AMR Air Ground Tribal Alliance — a pioneering partnership between American Medical Response (AMR) of Riverside County and the Morongo Reservation Fire Department, on behalf of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians — has been honored with the 2024 California Ambulance Association Service Excellence Award for Innovation.
This partnership, the first of its kind between a tribe and an EMS provider in the U.S., has reduced response times by an impressive 60%, dramatically improving access to emergency care for tribal members and the surrounding community.
Morongo’s Chief Administrative Officer Jason Carrizosa initiated the collaboration to address the challenges of providing EMS coverage in the rural Morongo Reservation. “This partnership has been instrumental in ensuring our community receives faster, more efficient emergency care,” Carrizosa said. “By bringing together the expertise of the Morongo Fire Department and AMR, we’ve developed a model that can transform EMS response in underserved regions.”
The alliance features a ground ambulance stationed on the reservation and staffed by Morongo Fire Department employees. It works alongside Morongo’s first responders, significantly enhancing the speed and quality of care. The partnership also includes an air ambulance dedicated to serving the San Gorgonio Pass region, with plans to relocate it onto tribal land for even greater impact.
Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin emphasized the lifesaving benefits of the collaboration.
“The historic partnership between Morongo and AMR is saving lives on our reservation and across the San Gorgonio Pass by delivering immediate emergency medical care to the injured and ill,” said Martin. “We are humbled that the California Ambulance Association has recognized this collaboration, which we believe can serve as a nationwide model for future partnerships between tribes and forward-thinking EMS providers like AMR.”
The California Ambulance Association Service Excellence Award recognizes ambulance operators across California for excellence, innovation and resourcefulness in four categories: Community Impact Program, Clinical Outcome Project, Innovation in EMS and Employee Programs.
To view the partnership announcement video, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xim6rspz7Ug
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Riders, Ropers Stampede into 11th Annual Morongo Rodeo
Yellowstone star Mo Brings Plenty was on hand for the free celebration of Morongo’s cattle ranching history on Saturday Oct. 12 at the Morongo Indian Reservation.
MORONGO INDIAN RESERVATION – Amateur and professional ropers and riders competed for cash prizes at the 11th Annual Open Ranch Rodeo, a celebration of Morongo’s cattle ranching history, held Saturday, October 12 at the Morongo Indian Reservation.
Mo Brings Plenty (center, hat), star of the Yellowstone TV series, with Daughters of Morongo (left to right) Ciara Leyva and Elka Waters, and Warriors of Morongo Sebastian Castello and Lawrence Castello III at the 11th annual Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo on Oct. 12 Mo Brings Plenty, star of the hit Paramount Network series Yellowstone, greeted the crowd to kick off the day’s events. An enrolled Lakota who hails from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, his traditional name — given to him as a young boy — is Ta Sunke Wospapi (“catches his horse”); which befits a man who enjoys spending more time on his horses than anywhere else.
Opening ceremonies at the Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo. 
Team roping at the Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo. “The Morongo Rodeo is an amazing experience that holds true to the legacy of Indian ranching and celebrates our deep connection to horses and riding,” said Mo Brings Plenty, who chairs the board of the non-profit Bronc Riding Nation. “Rodeos hold a special place in our culture, symbolizing the rugged and enduring spirit of Indian Country. They embody time-honored values such as strength, perseverance, and the importance of resilience in the face of challenges.”
Morongo Tribal Council Member Brian Lugo, the rodeo president, thanked Mo Brings Plenty for being part of the annual Morongo Rodeo, and all of the riders, ropers and spectators who came to the event.
“Morongo’s annual rodeo is always an exciting event that commemorates the long history of cattle and horse ranching on our reservation that began generations ago and continues to this day,” Lugo said.
The free, daylong event was open to the public as riders and ropers competed for thousands of dollars in prize money in a variety of events, such as open and team roping, Calcutta, ribbon roping, and ranch-style steer stopping. Youth riders also joined in the fun with competitions like mutton-busting and youth barrel racing.
A youth tries his hand at mutton-busting at the Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo. 
Barrel racing was one of the many events at the 11th Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo. 
A rider competes at the 11th annual Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo on Oct. 12. “As always, this year’s Morongo Rodeo was a great event that gave fans a chance to see some of the best riders and ropers in the country,” said Aaron Tsinigine, a 2015 PRCA Team Roping World Champion. “The Morongo Rodeo is one of my favorite stops as the Tribe always puts on an awesome event.”
The annual rodeo is hosted by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the Morongo Cultural Heritage Department.
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- There are no upcoming events.