Months of involvement in required activities culminated in the Crowning event on Oct. 11 at the Soboba Sports Complex where the contestants were judged in front of a sold-out crowd that included family members, friends and many supporters.

The idea to bring back this program was proposed to Tribal Council by Iyana “Tot” Briones, a young Soboba Tribal member. Council Secretary Monica Herrera and Mojado worked closely with Briones, setting up the first meeting with the goal of establishing a committee. This took several months. All meetings were open to all Tribal members, who were notified via Korbyt.

Once the committee was established, bylaws were created, fundraising began and the Daughter of Soboba program received official Tribal recognition at a general council meeting. Members of the $ovóova Po’$wáamay Committee are Chair Geneva Mojado, Vice Chair Monica Herrera, Secretary Iyana “Tot” Briones, Treasurer Rhonda Valenzuella, Members at Large Andrea Relopez and Adona Salgado, Digital Media Officer Summer Helms, and Committee Members Carrie Garcia and Anthony “Bear” Vallez. Briones, Helms and Mojado took turns serving as emcees throughout the Oct. 11 event.

After delivering an introduction in their Native language, and sharing a little bit about themselves, Raya and Su’la were asked to provide a cultural demonstration and answer posed questions in a thoughtful way so judges could evaluate their poise, personality, intelligence, and knowledge of the topic being asked about. Earlier in the day, they performed a skill test of bow and arrow shooting which was filmed and played on big screens during the crowning event.

Selected through a lottery system, judges were Millie Arres, Mia Basquez, Lucille Briones, Stacia Maciel, Rosemary Morillo, Sherral Orosco and Becky Salgado with alternates Dwan Helms and Raina Maciel. Tabulators were Dione Kitchen, Julie Arrietta-Parcero and Andrew Vallejos.

Su’la Arviso is a proud Soboba tribal member from the Paa’ila and Soowut clans who comes from a long line of leaders and culture bearers. Inspired by her grandmother and other family mentors, she embraced leadership early, teaching Native traditions while attending Estudillo Elementary and founding the first Four Directions Native American Club there. Through middle and high school, Su’la served as vice president and president of Native clubs, maintained a 3.5 GPA, gave her school’s first land acknowledgement speech, and helped organize major cultural events including the “Gathering of the People.”

Beyond academics, Su’la has been a strong advocate for Native voices, working alongside Assemblymember James Ramos to advance accurate teaching of Native history. She has served as a youth intern for the Soboba Cultural Department, gained experience preserving and teaching traditions, and represented Soboba at major conferences such as UNITY and NCAI. Her journey reflects both academic excellence and a lifelong dedication to leadership, cultural preservation, and advocacy for California’s First People.

Raya Rain Salgado, from the Tuktum clan (Soboba) and the Nacutakiktum clan (Cahuilla), is a dedicated Soboba tribal member who also honors her Cahuilla heritage. Balancing academic excellence with community involvement, she maintains a 3.5-plus GPA, was named Student of the Year in 2024, and participated in Bill AB 1703, led by Assemblymember James Ramos.

Proud of her roots, Raya represents her people with gratitude and respect, strengthening her communication skills through volunteer work, cultural programs, and community service. She became a Soboba Fire Explorer at age 13, serves as Chairwoman of the Soboba Tribal Youth Council, and is Vice President of the Four Directions Native American Club at San Jacinto High School where she is a sophomore. Dedicated to preserving cultural traditions, arts, dance, and language while pursuing her education, Raya aims to inspire future generations and proudly represents Soboba, honoring her family and ancestors through unity and cultural pride.

Students from the Soboba Tribal Preschool took to the stage and sang three songs they had learned in the Luiseño language. Their performance was met with thunderous applause and a lot of smiles from the audience members.

The event’s keynote speaker was Tishmal Herrera, an enrolled member of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians. She was honored as UCR’s Powwow Princess in 2023-2024 when she was a junior. Tishmal works for her Tribe’s Education Program as both an aide and a cultural coordinator, where she continues to serve and uplift her community through leadership, education, and cultural advocacy.

“You can literally do anything you set your mind to,” she told the contestants. “I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and take healthy risks. Talk to others and don’t be shy—you will be the first person, voice and representative of your Tribe. You guys are amazing, and I know you’ll do great.”

As part of the competition, Su’la and Raya took part in bird dancing while the Torres Martinez Inter-tribal birdsingers took the stage. Later that evening, audience members were asked to join in when they returned to sing again.

Raya’s cultural demonstration included her reading the introduction from a book she is writing about the personal stories shared with her by Tribal members. She said the purpose of her book is “to honor those that have come before me and hopefully to inspire those who will come after me.” She then shared the Creation story and how to make yucca cordage that has many practical uses and is also used to play traditional Cat’s Cradle games.

Before she began her demonstration, Su’la served a plate of wewish to each of the judges that she had made earlier. She then proceeded to show the time-consuming process of preparing acorns after gathering them by cracking them, cleaning them, grinding them and then leaching out the tannins through boiling and soaking several times. The remaining “meal” can then be used in various dishes or spread on a tortilla with some beans. “It’s a lengthy process but in the end it’s worth it,” she told the audience.

Another portion of the competition involved questions that were chosen at random and presented to each contestant by committee member Summer Helms. When asked “What changes have you noticed in areas where you gather cultural materials and what steps would you suggest we take to preserve them?” Raya replied that she thought it would be good to do prescribed burns like it was done in the past. Su’la suggested that people stop littering. “We need to care for Mother Earth because she takes care of us,” she said.

When asked about their opinion on what they felt were the most important steps to cultural revitalization and how it could be incorporated at Soboba, Su’la stated, “I would start with the youth at the preschool; I believe identity does start with our youth and we need to implement those cultural practices at a young age.” Raya feels it can be done through learning Native languages and she has already begun sharing Native words on social media that has earned a large engagement.

Briones made the official announcement of Su’la Arviso as the 2025-2026 $ovóova Po’$wáamay. She was immediately congratulated by Virginia Duenaz, who was the final Soboba Fiesta Maiden in 1969-1970.

The unique crown that Su’la will wear at upcoming events such as the Tribe’s annual Trunk or Treat community event on Oct. 30, was made by Marizol Carrillo, a master Kumeyaay weaver. The committee helped design it and turned over their ideas to Carrillo’s cousin Eva Salazar a couple of years ago. She was able to draw it out for Carrillo, who then worked on it for eight months.

In addition to the crown and sash, Su’la received a $1,500 scholarship sponsored by California Tribal Fund. As an Early Childhood Education major at Mt. San Jacinto College, she hopes to work at the Soboba Tribal Preschool in the future. The committee intends to continue to fundraise on her behalf to help fully fund future travel expenses.

“We look forward to being able to honor our newly crowned $ovóova Po’$wáamay at all Native and non-Native events where she will represent the Tribe,” Mojado said. “A few winter powwows and gatherings are approaching.”

Herrera said the committee and volunteers have held numerous fundraisers and informational booths at Tribal events throughout the year, and the community has always shown great support.

“It is because of that love and support the committee was able to host this event since the majority of the expenses were covered with fundraised monies,” she said.

The committee’s mission is to support, empower and enhance the wellbeing of its Native Women through achieving emotional, social and economic self-sufficiency. Further, the committee intends “to create opportunities for women to connect, share, and learn from one another; to promote and preserve the culture and heritage of the Tribe in supporting Tribal and Community Cultural Educational programs and activities; to encourage our young women to utilize their voice to promote the needs of Native Indian Women. Our young women are the baskets of our community, who carry family and cultural tribal traditions, and are the strength of the community. $ovóova Po’$wáamay shall be an esteemed role model, honoring her Tribe and Native people.”

Mojado said the committee plans to start accepting applications for next year’s competition after the first of the year. “We hope to grow Daughter of Soboba into a group of gals and girls to connect and share from one another,” she said. “My favorite part of being involved with this program has been the opportunity to mentor these girls. It was also great to see our community get involved and show so much support for them.”

Herrera said the experience thus far has been great and that despite its slow start, everyone remains committed to the program. “One of the goals was to bring all our tribal women together; elders to infants, bridging gaps and building friendships through culture. This group of women has tirelessly contributed their time, in an effort to lay a positive solid foundation. I hope the young ladies feel appreciated and supported in this group.  We are constantly mentoring and learning.”

A men’s Peon tournament began after a final honor song was performed by the Inter-tribal birdsingers and that stretched into the night.

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Soboba Tribal Member Rose Salgado was among the nine Class of 2025 honorees. Her sister Frances Diaz and sister-in-law Claudia Salgado accepted the posthumous award on her behalf. Rose, who passed away in 2021, was a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and Tribal leader, born and raised on the reservation of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, of which she was a member and where she served on the Council for 28 years. She served on numerous nonprofit and educational boards as an advocate for educational equity for American Indian students. She was a Trustee of the San Jacinto Unified School District.

“Our family was very honored to witness this plaque being awarded to my sister Rose,” said Diaz. “She comes from a family of many leaders and throughout her lifetime followed in their footsteps. This event was very emotional for me, always reminding me of the loss I feel with her moving on in her journey.”

 “The honor that was granted to Aunt Rose was very emotional,” said Baseemah Arlene Salgado, daughter of former Chairman Robert J. Salgado Sr. who was Rose’s brother. “Her work ethic and dedication to the community have been inspiring. To also have the honoring in the Assembly as ‘something’ passed by a landslide 71 yeas 0 nays, I was honored to be in the presence of such an incredible day.”

Also attending the ceremony were Soboba Tribal Chairman Isaiah Vivanco, Vice Chairwoman Geneva Mojado and Secretary Monica Herrera.

“I was honored to be a part of the whole floor ceremony; recognizing the different individuals made it an awesome event,” Vivanco said. “I’ve been invited multiple times but always had something going on. But this time having one of our own being recognized, I wasn’t going to miss that.”

He said it was a very proud moment to have a Soboba Tribal Member recognized for their contributions over the span of a very accomplished career.

“I was even more proud because Rose was someone I served alongside for many years and being able to witness firsthand her will to make things better for all is something I will never forget,” Vivanco said. “So, couple this with the opening of a new school in her name just a couple weeks ago, I’d say her legacy is having a pretty good year.”

On Aug. 1, San Jacinto Unified School District held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Rose Salgado Elementary School, which saw its first 450+ students on campus, Aug. 7. It honors Salgado’s profound impact and legacy in education, especially for Native American students.

The California Native American Legislative Caucus is chaired by Assemblymember James C. Ramos. Among the goals and objectives of the Caucus are to increase awareness and education among non-Californian Native American legislators about California Native cultures, history, and social impacts; to identify and prioritize issues for joint advocacy that the California Native American Legislative Caucus members, representing California Native American constituents, and tribal governments, can bring before the state legislature; to support the establishment and maintenance of the tribal-state communication and policy processes; to encourage open dialogue, understanding, and cooperation between the sovereign California Native American governments and state governments based on respect for individual and sovereign rights; and to work with the California Tribal governments, state and other governments, legislative caucuses, and issue-focused organizations on issues of mutual concerns.

The proclamation cited the commitment of California Indian tribes to contribute to the educational curricula provided by the State because they believe in providing new and improved educational resources about the varied cultural histories of, and governance models used by, California Native Americans. It further mentioned the cultural and governmental contributions of the Native people of California that have shaped the course of the State throughout history.

The document also served to officially recognize the importance of California Native American Day, celebrated this year on Sept. 26, and the annual California Indian Cultural Awareness Conference to the enhancement of awareness of California Indian culture.

Starting at 5 p.m. on Aug. 18, the sixth annual California Indian Cultural Awareness event began with a Land Acknowledgement and a Blessing at the Native American Monument in Capitol Park, honoring the history and enduring presence of California’s Native communities. Assemblymember Ramos was instrumental in the establishment of the monument.

“The highlights from the cultural awareness event being at the Native American Monument in the Capitol Park included Assemblymember Ramos having local Native Tribal representation to be a part of the ceremonies and to share their songs,” Baseemah Arlene Salgado said. “There was also representation of the Southern California Intertribal Birdsingers and dancers. One dancer was from Soboba, Su’la Arviso, and a local resident, Art Lopez, Torres Martinez tribal member. The words spoken by all the speakers were very inspiring. It was a proud moment. The resilience of our people had a strong presence that could be felt.”

Other Class of 2025 California Legislative Native American Caucus Honorees are Judge Abby Abinanti, a citizen and Chief Judge of the Yurok Tribe; Councilwoman Catalina R. Chacon, a citizen of the Pechanga Band of Indians, where she has served on the council since 2012; Chairman Frederick Quinton “Bo” Mazzetti was born, raised, and lived on the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indian Reservation, where he served as Tribal Chairman since 2007 (posthumous); and Clovis Unified School District graduates from the Class of ‘25, Bella Garcia, Ethan Molina, Jesse Reza, and Lily Hawkins—and Class of ’24 graduate Jennie Rocha displayed courage and persistence as they sought to exercise their right as Native American students to wear adornments and regalia representing their distinct tribal cultures during their high school graduations.

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Silvas, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art and Design, was asked to create a design for the event by Dakota Kidder, Tribal Nations Student Services Program Coordinator, and she was happy to do so. Her design beautifully captures the event’s spirit and purpose.

“I like helping out in any way I can,” she said. “And drawing things about the culture makes me feel good about it.” An added bonus is that Silvas works for the men’s basketball team as a manager.

Silvas said she draws inspiration from her cultural heritage. Her work blends traditional and contemporary elements, celebrating and uplifting Indigenous perspectives. These themes are central to her design for the Tribal Nations Night logo, which features the iconic Vandal logo intertwined with symbolic feathers representing strength and resilience. A basketball motif connects the design to the athletic focus of the event, visually uniting sport and culture.

Through her thoughtful design, Silvas has created a visual identity that embodies the pride, community and excellence celebrated during Tribal Nations Night. The logo is more than just an image – it’s a symbol of unity, honoring both the athletic accomplishments of Native players and the rich traditions of Tribal communities that inspire them.

Tribal Nations Night, established in 2016 as a collaboration between UI Athletics and the UI Native American Student Center, began as a way to honor Native American athletes on the basketball team. Over the years, it has evolved into a cherished tradition that not only highlights Native athletes’ achievements but also reaffirms the University of Idaho’s commitment to respecting Tribal sovereignty and amplifying Native voices through teaching, research and programming.

Other Tribal Nations Night activities included a drum group singing, the Tribal flags entrance at the girls’ game for the opening, and dancers and drum group singing at halftime for both games. Playing against the Eastern Washington Eagles, the Vandals’ teams came out victorious in front of a crowd of nearly 2,500 fans.

Silvas’ design was reproduced on shirts and stickers, warm-up shirts for the players, a banner above the scoreboard and multiple fliers.

Her goal after graduation is to become an animator. “I would like to work for either Pixar, Disney, or DreamWorks, whoever will hire me,” she said. “I want to help out with the Tribe and other Tribes by using some of the cultures in my work to show and teach other non-Natives about the culture around the world. I want to share my ideas and stories.”

Although she did not grow up on the Soboba Reservation, Silvas spent many spring breaks and summers there. She grew up in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, not too far away from the University of Idaho. The granddaughter of Leandro “Tato” Silvas and daughter of Daniel and Kassie Silvas, Mary appreciates the support she receives from her friends and relatives, which includes her older brothers David, Kanan and Michael Silvas and their families.

“I try my best in the art classes I take and see this moment as a good opportunity to learn and grow from experience,” she said.

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Preschool Director Dianne King said the children always enjoy making crafts and necklaces to wear for the event. This year, things had to be done a bit differently.

“During a normal school year, we explain how these activities were used by their ancestors, such as pottery-making, beading, cooking and other Native traditions,” King said. “With our distance learning program, we sent the crafts home for the students with their weekly homework packets. This opens up an opportunity for each parent or grandparent to share their knowledge of Native history with their child in addition to the instruction from the teacher. It should be a great talking point for the whole family!”

The “Twos” classroom activities were created by teachers Anita Gutierrez and Lenora Mojado. One was the Little Bugs beading necklaces where the child takes a bead and puts it on a string which helps with fine motor skills to strengthen the small muscles in their little hands. Another one was making a small clay pot.

“One activity was making a drum, although the Luiseño Indians did not use drums but rather gourds/rattles,” Gutierrez said. “But this was a good way for children to hear the drum make some noise and talk about other Natives that use the drum for healing.”

Lastly, the children made dream catchers from paper plates and string, with beads attached. The parent-guided activity asked the child to lace the paper plate and add beads in the shape of a star to “catch bad dreams while someone sleeps” when it is hung near their bed.

“We could not get into much detail of their Luiseño Native traditions like making baskets or picking out a gourd and making a rattle, but we did simple projects for the two-year-olds to make and learn about other Native cultures and traditions,” Gutierrez said. “As a teacher at the preschool for five years, the curriculum was developed throughout previous years. I was always in charge of the pottery clay and Ms. Lenora, my co-teacher, was a part of the necklace beading. She has been at the preschool for two years and is a Tribal Member from the Soboba (Band of Luiseño Indians).”

Both teachers agree that it is great to be able to teach their students about different cultures while learning more about their own.

“Culture is a big part of the Soboba Tribe and it is a big part of me now that I’ve been here so long,” Gutierrez said. “And I enjoy working alongside a Tribal Member who is so passionate about her culture.”

For the three-year-old preschoolers, teachers Ana Garcia and Melissa Arviso sent home materials for children to do the following: create their own dream catcher, make small pots with modeling clay and complete a sand art project.

“As teachers, we had to get creative and come up with age-appropriate curriculum,” Garcia said. “Normally, we would concentrate on California Natives, but this year Ms. Melissa got creative and involved Tribal customs from around the entire country.”

Pre-kindergarten students got to make a dream catcher by coloring and lacing a mini-paper plate and adding feathers to the bottom of it. Teachers Amanda Vallin and Denise Acedo also provided modeling clay for the children to make their own pots and three coloring pages with Luiseño words of an eagle (a$wut), turtle (paa’ila) and bear (hunwut).

“We have two Native stories we read and uploaded to a video for the children to watch,” Vallin said. “We are trying to work on teaching the children more of their Luiseño language this year by including it in their learning of basic words based on the classroom’s weekly theme, colors, shapes and numbers. We also try to incorporate Native American music and dancing.”

Kindergarten teacher Cindy Lee said the online teaching format led her and Instructional Aide Antonia Venegas to rethink all the activities they would normally offer at this time.

“Usually we do crafts, stories and games,” she said. “This year, we did three crafts, one game and Ms. Antonia’s sons came in to rattle for bird singing. The three crafts were a clay pinch pot, dream catcher and a woven round basket. We picked activities that represented several Native American Tribes or were common among them.”

Lee said dream catchers have different origins and she shared one during class time that was from the Lakota Tribe. She said clay was used to make pottery by many tribes but mostly woodland Native Americans. It is also a natural resource that Natives could easily find and use. She said the children used paper to make their baskets as weaving baskets is a long-held tradition among the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians.

“Our game was based on a common hand game (like Peon) and we simplified it by dividing the class into two groups (Ms. Cindy and Ms. Antonia groups),” Lee said. “We then used four circular pieces of wood with a happy or sad face drawn on each one. I went first and the other team had to guess what hand the happy face was in. If they guessed right, they won a stick. Ms. Antonia hid her happy/sad face and my team guessed and would earn a stick for a correct guess. The first team to win 10 sticks won the game. It was a bit challenging but fun to do online.”

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