Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation recognized four outstanding nonprofit organizations who have made significant positive impacts in local and Indigenous communities at the 2025 Forging Hope Awards held at the Yaamava’ Theater at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel on April 22.
Honorees were recognized for their critical work in education, healthcare, essential services, and empowering Indigenous communities.
The 2025 honorees for the prestigious Yawa’ Award are:
- Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino (LASSB) – Since 1958, LASSB has provided essential pro bono legal services to low-income families across San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.
- UC Riverside Native American Student Program – The Native American Student Programs (NASP) office at UC Riverside offers vital educational, cultural and social support to Native American and American Indian students.
- St. Mary Medical Center – Providence St. Mary Medical Center has provided quality care to the High Desert community for nearly 70 years. From its humble beginnings in 1956, St. Mary has grown into a renowned 213-bed hospital, offering advanced medical services such as trauma care, cardiology, and obstetrics.
- Native American Land Conservancy (NALC) – Established in 1998, the NALC is dedicated to preserving sacred sites off-reservation in California’s ancestral territories and beyond. NALC works to protect cultural, biological and historical aspects of sacred lands.