For Immediate Release

Contact:            Lynn Valbuena, TASIN Chairperson   877.378.2300

Pechanga Member Elected TASIN Secretary

Banning, CA – A member of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, Patrick Murphy Jr. was elected yesterday as Secretary of the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN) Executive Committee. The group held its elections at the Morongo Reservation.

“This is a tremendous honor for me,” Murphy said following the vote. “TASIN has been in the forefront of Indian cultural and gaming issues through the years and I look forward to working to protect and preserve the interests of Native Americans here in California.”

Murphy is one of four executive committee members for the organization. The group oversees all of TASIN’s cultural, educational and community events. As secretary, Murphy is responsible for recording the minutes and motions of all meetings and maintaining records for the organization. The other Executive Board members include Chairperson Lynn “Nay” Valbuena, a tribal member from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Vice Chairperson Barbara Lyons, Vice chairperson of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians; and Treasurer Mary Belardo, Chairperson of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla.

Murphy also serves on the board of the Pechanga Development Corporation, a position he has held for the past seven years. The group is in charge of generating and overseeing economic developments for the Pechanga Tribe. The group is responsible for the Pechanga Entertainment Center, which includes a casino and two restaurants.

TASIN recently held its Cultural Day celebration at the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Reservation. Funded by revenues generated from Indian gaming, the festival provided hands-on educational exhibitions of such native activities as the making of baskets, arrows arrowheads, and musical instruments made with gourds.

TASIN’s 14 member tribes are located within the Federal Central Judicial District of California and stretch from the Santa Barbara region in the north to the Colorado River in the southeast. The member tribes are the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Augustine Band of Mission Indians, the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, the Cahuilla Band of Indians, the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, the Ramona Band of Mission Indians, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the Santa Rosa Band of Mission Indians, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, the Soboba Band of Mission Indians, the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla, and the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians. The organization was created in 1995 to safeguard tribal sovereignty, government rights, cultural identity and interests of federally recognized tribes in the TASIN region.

“Patrick Murphy has been a true asset to our organization,” said Chairperson Lynn Valbuena. “His experience, dedication and energy make Patrick a strong fit for TASIN."