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 Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Historic Supreme Court Victory for Native Children, Families, and Tribal Sovereignty
Tribes assembled at the former St. Boniface Indian School and Cemetery to recognize the landmark ruling affirming the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
Morongo Tribal leaders and elders accept a resolution from state Assemblyman James Ramos. (BANNING, CALIF. June 15, 2024) – The Morongo Band of Mission Indians gathered with tribal members from across the Inland Empire at the ruins of the St. Boniface Indian School and cemetery to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that affirmed the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
In a ceremony imbued with renewal and resilience, tribal members recognized the June 15, 2023 victory for tribes, tribal families, and Indian children when the Supreme Court overwhelmingly rejected arguments that sought to dismantle ICWA and undermine tribal sovereignty. Morongo was one of five tribes in the nation who defended ICWA before the Supreme Court.
Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin discusses the importance of the Indian Child Welfare Act at an event celebrating the one-year anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding this crucial civil rights legislation. 
Morongo Tribal Councilmember Mary Ann Andreas recounts her memories of attending the former St. Boniface Indian School in Banning at an event celebrating the one-year anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act. “The watershed Supreme Court decision was a momentous victory for tribes, tribal sovereignty, and the best interests of Indian children,” said Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin. “It protected Native American culture and heritage, and it guaranteed that tribes will continue to have a voice in our children’s future.”
Before Congress passed ICWA in 1978, an estimated one-third of all Native American children were being removed from their parents, extended families and tribal communities by state child welfare and private adoption agencies – even when safe homes with relatives were available. ICWA sought to end these devastating practices.
Morongo Tribal Elder Ernest Siva provides a blessing for the ICWA Day celebration at the former St. Boniface Indian School in Banning. 
Kawiya Bird Singers from the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians help celebrate ICWA Day. St. Boniface was one of the 367 Indian Boarding Schools that operated in the U.S. between 1860 and 1978 under federal policies of forced assimilation that sought to eliminate Indian people and culture. Studies show that by 1926, more than 80% of Indigenous school-age children were attending boarding schools run by the federal government or religious organizations.
“As we honor the importance of ICWA and the Supreme Court decision, we should pause to honor the victims, survivors, and descendants of Indian boarding schools,” said Morongo Tribal Councilmember Mary Ann Andreas, a former St. Boniface student. “We should acknowledge the generational trauma of these federal policies and we should remember the children buried here who did not have the protections of ICWA, and the parents and tribes who lost their children.”
The St. Boniface school site, cemetery and the rubble of the former Catholic church are being transferred to Morongo in perpetuity for care and preservation.
California Tribal Families Coalition Legal Director Kimberly Cluff discusses the path forward for ICWA. 
Tribal members from Morongo and across the state take turns watering an olive tree planted at the former St. Boniface Indian School in Banning as a symbol of their commitment to nurturing and protecting Native children. The tribal celebration included the planting of an olive tree among the rows of olive trees that have grown at the school for generations. A procession of tribal members from Morongo and other tribes took turns watering the tree as a powerful reminder of their commitment to nurturing and protecting Native children.
“This tree symbolizes new life, new hope, and the enduring resilience of our people. It symbolizes our ongoing obligation to care for future generations, to safeguard the wellbeing of Native families and to protect tribal sovereignty,” Chairman Martin said.
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Weaving Energy Podcast May 1, 2024 “THE (Energy) Podcast for Tribes”
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Morongo Gives $500,000 to Non-Profit Organizations at 3rd Annual Community Outreach Awards Luncheon
Member of the Morongo Community Outreach Committee with Morongo Tribal Council Member Mary Ann Andreas and leaders of several non-profit organizations at the 3rd Annual Morongo Community Outreach Awards Luncheon. The Tribe provided grants to 79 organizations serving others in the San Gorgonio Pass, the Coachella Valley and across Riverside & San Bernardino counties.
MORONGO INDIAN RESERVATION – The Morongo Band of Mission Indians awarded a record $500,000 in grants to dozens of non-profit organizations serving local communities as part of the 3rd Annual Morongo Community Outreach Awards Luncheon, held Thursday, April 18.
The 79 non-profits groups receiving grants represented a wide array of organizations across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including those involved with Native American culture, social services, education, hospitals or health organizations, and groups supporting veterans and military families.
This year’s grants totaled $500,000 – the largest amount ever given through Morongo’s annual Community Outreach Awards program. In 2023, the program gave nearly $200,000 in grants.
“At Morongo, our commitment to giving has always defined our Tribe as we help address societal needs, foster a sense of community, and bring about positive change,” said Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin. “Our annual Community Outreach Awards program allows us to live our values by providing support to dozens of inspiring non-profit organizations who selflessly serve others in need throughout the Inland region.“
Morongo Tribal Council Member Mary Ann Andreas announces that the Tribe has awarded $500,000 to 79 non-profit groups at the 3rd Annual Morongo Community Outreach Awards Luncheon. Launched in 2022, the Morongo Community Outreach Awards Program supports the work of non-profit organizations across the Inland Empire and Southern California by providing grants of up to $5,000 each to recipient groups. With this year’s awards, the program has awarded nearly $900,000 in grants in three years.
“We are so thankful to the Morongo Band of Mission Indians for their generous support of our work to provide low and no-cost services to support local patients, care partners and families navigating the challenges of dementia-related conditions,” said Dominick Calvano, Board President for Alzheimers Coachella Valley.
“We are honored to receive the Morongo Community Outreach Awards Grant which will help us provide educational youth programs, social-emotional development, food outreach services, health and wellness resources, and creative arts to underserved communities,” said Brittany Hunter, Founder/CEO of Power Speaks Louder of Moreno Valley.
Groups that received awards from Morongo hailed from across the Inland region, ranging from Carol’s Kitchen in the San Gorgonio Pass communities to Rainbolt RiteCare Childhood Language Center in San Bernardino to the Galilee Center in Mecca to Olive Crest of Palm Desert and Angel View of Cathedral City.
Brittany Hunter, founder of Moreno Valley’s Power Speaks Louder, addressed those gathered at the 3rd Annual Morongo Community Outreach Awards Luncheon During the luncheon, award recipients were recognized for their exceptional service to strengthening the quality of life in the San Gorgonio Pass, the Coachella Valley and across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
“Morongo’s generosity will enable our group to continue our work to offer fun, welcoming activities to people with special needs in our community and their families to gather, socialize and support each other in a caring and safe environment,” said DeAnn Dobbins, president of DeAnn’s PAASS Kids in Banning, Calif.
Morongo’s Community Outreach Awards Program aligns with the Tribe’s ongoing philanthropic efforts. Over the past decade, the Tribe has provided more than $20 million to support local and national non-profit organizations that serve the San Gorgonio Pass and the surrounding regions, as well as greater Southern California.
For information about the 2025 Community Outreach Awards program, groups are encouraged to visit www.morongonation.org/donations/
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