Casino tribe gives $4 million to UCLA Law School

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Flush with casino wealth, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians gave $4 million Wednesday to the law school at the University of California, Los Angeles to support American Indian studies.

It was believed to be the largest donation ever given by a tribe to an educational institution.

"It's what's going to provide future leadership for us," tribal chairman Deron Marquez said after ceremonies at the Westwood campus.

The UCLA School of Law will use the money to establish the Tribal Learning Community and Educational Exchange Center for students recruited from Southern California tribes and others already enrolled at the campus.

Marquez said the center will bring attention to the often-ignored history and legal disputes surrounding American Indians and set a precedent for other tribes to show their commitment to those issues.

The San Manuel tribe operates a casino on a 740-acre reservation near Highland, north of San Bernardino. Last year, the tribe gave $3 million to California State University, San Bernardino.

The new center will be administered by the UCLA Native Nations Law and Policy Center. Interim Dean Norman Abrams said the university was grateful for the contribution.

"The tribe's donation will provide this institution with the means to implement our commitment to American Indian legal studies," he said.

UCLA is the first law school to have a juris doctorate/master of arts in American Indian Studies.

Descendants of the Serrano Indians, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians inhabited a territory spanning the San Bernardino Mountains and adjoining areas for centuries.

While accepting the tribe's $3 million donation last year, California State University trustees renamed the student union at the San Bernardino campus after Santos Manuel, who safely led the Serrano Mission Indians to a new settlement in 1891.

The tribe gave the school $2 million for endowed scholarships, internships and support for cross-cultural programs. Another $1 million was earmarked to expand the building that houses the cross-cultural center from 650 square feet to 4,600 square feet.