Traditional music and dances will be the focus of the California Native American Day at Cal State San Bernardino on Friday, Sept. 28, hosted by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.The program will take place on the patio area between the Student Health Center and the building formerly known as the Commons. The family-friendly event, presented on the fourth Friday of every September, is the concluding event of the annual California Indian Cultural Awareness Conference held for area school children. More than 1,500 elementary school children and their teachers from throughout the Inland Empire are expected to visit CSUSB and learn about California’s Native American culture, history and customs. The five-day conference, which was led by tribal educators from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and across California, took place in the university’s Santos Manuel Student Union. Students learned firsthand from tribal members and elders about Native American traditions including basketry, plants, music, language and history including Native American accounts of the mission period of the state’s history. California Native American Day is a day to honor California’s indigenous people, an opportunity to learn about Native American culture and a time for people of all cultures to reflect on and remember their traditions. The celebration will feature traditional Northern California brush dancers, Southern California bird singers, a traditional Native American theater company performance featuring all-ages dance groups from Central and Northern California, food and demonstrations of traditional life ways and knowledge. The event is free and open to the public. Complimentary parking will be available in Lot D.For more information on California Native American Day, call (909) 537-7204 and visit the California Native American Day website. About the San Manuel Band of Mission IndiansThe San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located near the city of Highland, California. The Serrano Indians are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys and mountains who share a common language and culture. The San Manuel reservation was established in 1891 and recognized as a sovereign nation with the right of self-government. Since time immemorial, the San Manuel tribal community has endured change and hardship. Amidst these challenges, the Tribe continued to maintain its unique form of governance. Like other governments it seeks to provide a better quality of life for its citizens by building infrastructure, maintaining civil services and promoting social, economic and cultural development. Today San Manuel tribal government oversees many governmental units including the departments of fire, public safety, education and environment. For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit inside.csusb.edu.