
- Details
- By California Indian Nations College
California Indian Nations College (CINC)
Palm Desert, California
Hundreds of Native and non-native families and individuals will gather in southern California’s Coachella Valley on Saturday, November 4, 2023 for the 5th annual Gathering (Under the Stars).
Established to spotlight and celebrate the cultures among local tribal communities, Gathering is California Indian Nations College’s (CINC) signature event during Native American Heritage Month. The evening will include traditional song, food, art, & dance and is a public demonstration of Native resilience, creativity, and cultural tradition.
The College was chartered by the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, with a mission of offering a culturally relevant academic curriculum rooted in Native American values and to provide personalized support to advance the success of Native and non-Native students. Founded in 2017, CINC enrolled 43 students that first fall semester, and this fall has a student enrollment of 149. With the generous support of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, CINC developed the Path Breakers Program which is dedicated to ensuring each student receives the individualized support necessary to ensure a successful transition to CINC and then on to four-year, or another advanced academic setting.
College collaborators include local Tribes, College of the Desert, University of California, Riverside, California State University, San Bernardino, the Theresa A. Mike Scholarship Foundation, and Native American educators. The College is pursuing institutional accreditation through the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges and will become the only accredited tribal college in California. To learn more, or to donate to support native education, please visit www.CINCollege.org
The Gathering will take place on the University of California, Riverside’s beautiful Palm Desert campus. Conveniently located one mile south of Interstate 10, the campus is at the intersection of Cook Street and Frank Sinatra Drive. Several major hotels are located nearby, and ample free parking surrounds the campus. Admission is free with gates opening at 4pm.
Please address questions and requests for vendor space to [email protected] or 760.363.4383.
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher