Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians

The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians is a federally recognized tribe. This means the United States government officially recognizes it. It belongs to the Luiseño people. Its headquarters are in Riverside County, California.

On June 18, 1883, the United States government set up the Soboba Reservation in San Jacinto.

There are five other federally recognized tribes of Luiseño people in southern California.

History

The Luiseño Indians first met Europeans who worked as missionaries. The Luiseño let them pass through their community because they could read and write. Writers traveled through the San Jacinto valley, where the Luiseño lived, and wrote down much of their culture.

Missionaries and soldiers were part of the 1776 Juan Bautista de Anza expedition. This group traveled over land to and through Las Californias for the Spanish monarchy. The Luiseño homeland was taken and claimed for the San Antonio de Pala Asistencia cattle rancho.

Father Jose Sanchez wrote about the area:

"Proceeding in the same direction, we stopped at Jaguara, so called by the natives, but by our people San Jacinto. This is the rancho for the cattle of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, distant from Temecula about eleven or twelve leagues."

Soboba reservation

The land was given back to the Luiseño people after the United States Government took control of California. An Executive Order created the Soboba reservation on June 18, 1883.

The members of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians have built a community that takes care of itself. They work in farming and entertainment. The businesses they started help the economy of Soboba stay strong. The tribe has built its own schools, including Noli Indian School, which teaches grades one through twelve. They have also started non-profit groups and a charity using money from their businesses.

Accomplishments and economy

The Soboba began their economy with farming, starting with apricots. Over time, they developed the land around their reservation. Some tribe members also worked outside their community in the citrus industry. Farming helped them build their economy and grow.

In the late 20th century, the Soboba opened a casino to earn money for their community and to support their people. Under California and federal gambling laws, they could run a gaming casino on their reservation, which is their own land. The casino is about 100 miles (160 km) from Los Angeles. It is the biggest source of income for the tribe. The Soboba also built a country club that hosts golf tournaments and a condominium resort, which opened in May 2008. From 2009 to 2012, the resort held the Soboba Golf Classic.

Tribal government

Membership in the tribe is passed down through birth. A member does not have to live on the reservation or be born there, but each member must be a documented descendant of another member. Members can vote in tribal government elections.

The government has five tribal council members. The tribal chairman is the leader and is chosen by a vote of tribe members. The vice chairwoman, secretary, treasurer, and member at large are chosen by the elected council. The tribal government makes business decisions and laws for the Soboba reservation. Elections work somewhat like general elections in the United States, and absentee ballots are available if they are approved in advance.