The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians made a significant announcement on October 14, as they donated $2.2 million to the UCLA School of Law to support tribal legal education and advocacy. This marks the third time in 20 years that the tribe has contributed to the law school.
In an interview, Lynn Valbuena, the Chair of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, expressed her pride in this longstanding partnership. “The tribal legal development education at UCLA has a profound impact on Indigenous communities,” Valbuena stated. “We are honored to collaborate with UCLA and are grateful for their commitment to educating and advocating for tribal sovereignty and legal issues affecting Native American tribes. This donation will fund a full-time scholar dedicated to Native American tribal law studies at UCLA for the next five years.”
The San Manuel Band resides in Highland, California, about 65 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, with a population of approximately 4,000 members. The UCLA School of Law has voiced its appreciation for the financial support received from both the community and private donors, which enables the school to expand its online education, create more public-facing research and publications, and offer training and career guidance to its students. The school also aims to seek diverse career development opportunities for students within Indigenous communities.
Over the past 20 years, the San Manuel tribe has consistently supported UCLA School of Law, with previous donations of $4 million in 2004 and $1.3 million in 2019.
