Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band and California Botanic Garden formalize partnership

The Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians and California Botanic Garden signed a memorandum of understanding in Claremont, California, on Aug. 11, 2026, formalizing years of collaboration on native plant stewardship, education and cultural preservation. The agreement sets up joint programs, with the first public event planned for September 2026.

Why it matters: - The memorandum of understanding gives the Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians and California Botanic Garden a formal framework for joint work on native plant conservation and Indigenous ecological knowledge. - The agreement strengthens efforts tied to ancestral Tongva homelands, where land stewardship and cultural preservation are closely linked. - The partnership is expected to support public education, community engagement and sustainable use of California native plants.

What happened: - The Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians and California Botanic Garden signed a memorandum of understanding in Claremont, California. - The signing ceremony and celebratory gathering took place Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at California Botanic Garden's Forest Pavilion. - The agreement was announced as a formal step in a long-standing relationship between the Tribe and the Garden.

The details: - Chief Anthony Morales said the agreement reflects years of working together in mutual respect and shared commitment to ancestral lands. - California Botanic Garden Executive Director Dr. Lucinda McDade said the agreement creates a firm basis of mutual understanding and respect for shared work on California native plants. - The MOU covers collaborative public messaging, cultural programs and ongoing dialogue on native plant stewardship. - The two organizations have already worked together on native plant conservation, educational outreach and traditional land care practices. - California Botanic Garden describes itself as the largest botanic garden dedicated to California native plants. - The Garden's collections include more than 22,000 California native plants, including rare and endangered species. - CalBG operates on 86 acres in Claremont, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles. - The Garden also runs a graduate program in botany with Claremont Graduate University, the largest seed bank devoted to California native seeds, an herbarium, plant anatomy and molecular genetics labs and a large production nursery. - The Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians represents the First People of the greater Los Angeles and Orange County Basin and Southern California Channel Islands. - The Tribal Council focuses on cultural preservation, education, community leadership and protection of ancestral lands, sacred sites and traditional ecological knowledge. - The Tribe provided contact information and social links, including its website and Instagram. - California Botanic Garden also listed social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Between the lines: - The MOU turns an existing relationship into a more durable partnership, which can make future programming easier to plan and publicize. - The focus on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and ethical gathering protocols shows the collaboration is about both conservation and cultural continuity. - The Garden gains a clearer cultural framework for its native plant work, while the Tribe gains a formal venue for sharing knowledge with the public.

What's next: - The first official collaboration under the MOU is scheduled for September 2026. - Naturalist Seth Johnson, an enrolled member of the Gabrieleno San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, will lead a group discussion at CalBG. - Johnson is expected to share Traditional Ecological Knowledge, teach ethical gathering protocols, introduce plant identification and share California native plant recipes for participants to try at home. - Both organizations are expected to continue joint projects tied to public messaging, cultural programs and native plant stewardship.

The bottom line: - The agreement formalizes a partnership that links Indigenous cultural preservation with California native plant conservation, and it gives both groups a public platform for future collaboration.