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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

  • Morongo Provides 300,000 Thanksgiving Meals with Free Turkey Giveaway

    The Tribe’s 38th Annual Thanksgiving Outreach gave 15,000 turkeys to 120 nonprofit organizations to provide holiday meals to families, seniors and veterans in need.

    Volunteers help package 15,000 holiday turkeys donated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians to non-profits and churches across the region.

    MORONGO INDIAN RESERVATION – The Morongo Band of Mission Indians gave away 15,000 free turkeys this week to non-profit groups, churches and charities across the Inland Empire and Southern California as part of its 38th Annual Thanksgiving Outreach program.

    The turkeys donated this year will provide nearly 300,000 holiday meals to families, seniors and veterans in need from the Coachella Valley to Los Angeles. Over the course of the program’s history, Morongo has contributed almost 215,000 turkeys, which have helped provide an estimated 4.1 million holiday meals.

    “The roots of Morongo’s Thanksgiving Outreach program stretch back decades to a time when our tribe sought to help others even as we ourselves faced adversity,” said Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin. “This year, we continue our Tribe’s legacy of giving to others by providing tens of thousands of holiday meals to those who are struggling across the region.”  

    Tribal members and volunteers gathered at the Morongo Community Center on Nov.18 and Nov. 19 to distribute the 15,000 Thanksgiving turkeys to 120 nonprofit organizations, including food pantries, churches, senior centers, schools and veteran groups from across the Inland Empire and Southern California. Groups receiving turkeys hailed from Banning, Beaumont, Riverside, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Temecula, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, Redlands, Los Angeles, and other communities.

    Morongo Tribal Fire Department Captain Jonathon Mainhart helps volunteers package 15,000 holiday turkeys donated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.

    The groups will use the turkeys to provide hot holiday meals to those in need or will distribute the birds in holiday meal gift baskets with additional side dishes to help feed thousands of people who otherwise would not have been able to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner this year.

    Family Services of the Desert in Desert Hot Springs received 300 turkeys to help families in the Coachella Valley this holiday.

    “Morongo’s donation of 300 holiday turkeys truly exemplifies the Tribe’s constant commitment to uplifting our community,” said Dana Johnson, Director of Family Services of the Desert in Desert Hot Springs. “This generosity enables our organization to bring joy and the spirit of the holiday season to over 600 families who are facing challenges. By giving these dinners to families, we’re doing more than just providing food, we’re fostering hope at a time when it’s most needed.”

    Pastor Victor Archuleta of Victory Outreach Church in Banning said the 300 turkeys provided by Morongo will help struggling families enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner together.

    “Morongo’s generous support has made a remarkable difference in our community, and we are truly grateful,” Archuleta said. “The holiday turkeys we receive from the Tribe not only provide nourishment but also bring joy and warmth to the families we serve, helping to create cherished moments during this festive season.”

    Participating groups submitted applications to the Tribe and were notified over the summer that they had been selected. For organizations interested in receiving turkeys next Thanksgiving, applications for next year are due in Spring 2025.

    Pastor Victor Archuleta of Victory Outreach Church in Banning helps load 300 turkeys donated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians to his group.
    The Morongo Band of Mission Indians donated 15,000 holiday turkeys this week to 120 non-profits and churches across the region.
    Martin Orlando of Family Services of the Desert helps load 300 turkeys donated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians to the Desert Hot Springs non-profit group.
  • 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.

  • 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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