East County News Service

August 8, 2019 (Lakeside) - The 49thtth annual Barona Powwow takes place Friday, August 30th through Sunday, September 1st at the Barona Sports complex on the Barona Indian reservation.

The public is welcome to come watch Native dancers and drummers from across the nation compete at the powwow, where you can also find craft vendors and food such as tacos made with Native American fry bread. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of California Missions Foundation

July 25, 2019 (San Diego) -- Soldados de Cuera, Native Californians and a Franciscan father depicting Saint Junípero Serra, came together on a hill high above San Diego  on July 16, at the original site of the first Mission and Presidio type garrison in Alta California – to commemorate what many call the Founding of California, exactly 250 years ago Tuesday. View video of the historic reenactment. 

The City of San Diego uses the date July 16, 1769 as its official birthdate, and  along with the rest of California, it celebrated its 250^th birthday. Not only was Alta California’s first Mission and Presidio founded on this date, but also came the official recognition of the adjacent ocean port and the seeds of a united California under the Spanish, and later Mexican and U.S. flags.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Xusha Brown, Jr., innocent victim of gangland shooting

July 25, 2019 (La Mesa) – “We will continue to fight until justice is done,” Deborah Flores, mother of slain Sycuan tribal member Xusha Brown Jr. said at a press conference in 2016, when the tribe boosted a reward to $100,000 to help find his killer. La Mesa Police also posted the reward information on freeway signs. Three weeks later, three men were arrested for the drive-by shooting of Brown, 22, which occurred on I-8 in La Mesa in 2013.

New Julian fire station No. 56 sits on disputed land

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

July 13, 2019 (Julian) – Following a firestorm of controversy over San Diego County’s takeover of the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District, the County may lose access to a new fire station. Theodore J. Griswold, attorney for the Kumeyaay Native American Land Conservancy, has filed an eviction notice with the San Diego County Fire Authority (SDCFA) that would force the SDCFA to abandon Julian Fire Station No. 56 within two weeks.

The future of Station No. 56,  located at 3407 State Route 79 just south of downtown Julian, has been a dicey subject from the onset of the county’s efforts to shut down of the Julian Cuyamaca Fire protection District (JCFPD), the county’s last volunteer fire department. Though the transfer of authority was approved by a majority of voters and the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), many area residents have fought strenuously to reverse the action, with litigation pending. 

East County News Service

June 21, 2019 (Jamul) – On Saturday, June 22, Jamul Casino will ring in summer by hosting an All-Star Block Party featuring casino promotions, live entertainment, and celebrity guests.  The all-day event will feature:

By Miriam Raftery

June 18, 2019 (Sycuan) – Members of sovereign tribes from across North America convened at the Sycuan resort in San Diego’s East County June 9-11 for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and Trafficking Awareness Conference.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Julian Rodriguez 

June 14, 2019 (In-Ko-Pah) – Native Americans running from the Fort Yuma Indian reservation in Arizona to the Sycuan reservation in San Diego’s East County, a 150 mile journey, sought  to draw attention to the plight of missing and murdered sovereign Native American women. On Friday morning, they wound up saving the lives of two women whose vehicle plunged off of I-8 east  into a rugged canyon.

East County News Service

May 26, 2019 (Alpine) - Viejas Casino is hosting a blood drive in partnership with the San Diego Blood Bank on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 from 10:00 am ‑ 3:00 pm.  The drive will take place in the casino’s Sycamore Room (5000 Willows Rd., Alpine).

Source:  SDG&E, San Diego County Fire Chief's Association, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians

April 16, 2019 (Alpine) - The San Diego County Fire Chiefs, in coordination with the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, will conduct their annual Wildland Fire Preparedness Exercise April 17-19, 2019. Numerous emergency service agencies from throughout San Diego County will come together to prepare for the upcoming fire season.

Source:  Pala Casino

April 3, 2019 (Pala) - Pala Casino Spa & Resort announces the addition of Kenny Loggins to the 2019 summer concert lineup in the Starlight Theater on Friday September 27, 2019 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets will go on sale, with no service charge, at 10 a.m., Friday, April 5, at the Pala Box Office, www.palacasino.com and 1-877-WIN PALA (1-877-946-7252). Tickets also are available atwww.startickets.com and 1-800-585-3737.

Source: Barona Cultural Center & Museum

March 17, 2019 (Lakeside) -- Two San Diego cultural institutions have been honored nationally by one of the country’s premiere federal arts organizations.  The Barona Cultural Center & Museum in Lakeside and the New Children’s Museum have been selected as two of 30 finalists for the prestigious National Medal for Museum and Library Service Award presented by the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS) in Washington, DC.

East County News Service

Watch video of the grand opening of Jamul Casino’s Poker Room:  https://youtu.be/mNBTA7mep8w

February 19, 2019 (Jamul) -- On Friday, Jamul Casino^® united hundreds of local poker players with celebrities and professional players vying for a $50,000 prize pool in the inaugural Golden Cap poker tournament.  Included in the celebrity line-up were Professional Poker Player Tiffany Michelle and legendary ESPN poker commentators Lon McEachern and Norman Chad, as well as numerous others.  The poker tournament was part of the Grand Opening celebration for the casino’s new Poker Room. 

Source: Jamul Indian Village

January 23, 2019 (Jamul) -- The Jamul Indian Village of California joined the ranks of other outstanding local organizations that contribute to the overall mission of Susan G. Komen® San Diego. 

In an effort to raise awareness and educate the community, the Jamul Casino established a fundraising effort and matched contributions from guests who supported Susan G. Komen San Diego.    Today’s presentation of a check for $10,000 was a culmination of these efforts showing strong community support for the mission.

East County News Service

Photo credits: San Diego Women’s March

January 22, 2019 (San Diego) — Kumeyaay women were among the groups participating in the 2019 San Diego Women’s March and program at Waterfront Park.

Virginia Christman, Kumeyaay elder and cultural educator from Viejas, offered a traditional blessing and bird song at the start of the program. Christman has also served over a decade on the Viejas Tribal Council, including a term as Vice Chairperson.

Source:  Cuyamaca College

Photo:  A participant in the 2018 Cuyamaca powwow

January 16, 2019 (El Cajon) - Native American tribes from throughout the West will be well represented at Cuyamaca College’s 5th Annual Powwow on Feb. 2 – a free, public event celebrating American Indian culture complete with bird singing, gourd dancing, storytelling, and more.