Community Partner Spotlight: Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians

October 22, 2026

Last week, First Nations’ California Tribal Fund visited long-time community partner Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians in Santa Ysabel to see up-close the progress of their Ancestral Connections Program. The visit included a walking tour of lands that Mesa Grande envisions revitalizing through the “Roots and Relations: Riparian Restoration and Traditional Plant Stewardship at Hallyeyaaw Lane Park” project.  With support through California Tribal Fund’s focus on Stewardship of Ancestral Lands and Waters, Mesa Grande’s project will turn the park into a cultural gathering place, featuring Native-led stewardship, community engagement, and workshops on invasive species removal and traditional harvesting.

Lead Program Officer Ella Kohler (Sac and Fox Nation Tribe of Oklahoma) explains how the project builds on the tribe’s “Black Canyon Community Garden Expansion Program,” which the California Tribal Fund was honored to support in 2023. We thank Mesa Grande for their hospitality and outreach.