The American Indian Chamber of Commerce of California awarded Soboba Tribal Council Chairman Isaiah Vivanco with the Warrior Award. This is one of the highest honors presented by the AICCCA. It recognizes individuals whose leadership, perseverance, and service have significantly strengthened Native American communities and advanced economic opportunity for Native-owned businesses throughout California.
AICCCA President Tracy Stanhoff said Vivanco was nominated for the Warrior Award by members of the Chamber and past Warrior awardees and finalized in selection for this honor by the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Recipients are typically Tribal leaders, business owners, executives, or community advocates whose efforts have created measurable, lasting impact.
Isaiah Vivanco, a proud Tribal Member of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, is currently serving his third term as Chairman for the Soboba Tribal Council. This is his eighth Council term overall, having served as Vice-Chairman for four terms and one term as Treasurer. He is a former Executive Board member for the Compact Tribes Steering Committee and was recently re-elected to his fourth two-year term as Treasurer for CNIGA to assist with its efforts to promote and protect Tribal sovereignty and gaming.
He is the current Pacific Region Delegate on the national Indian Gaming Association Board of Directors. In 2021, Isaiah was elected to the California Fee-to-Trust Consortium Board of Directors, which assists Tribes in reclaiming lands and placing them into trust status. For eight years he served on the Soboba Foundation and was Tournament Chair for the annual Soboba Foundation & Soboba Casino Resort Charity Golf Tournament. Since 2022, Isaiah has served as Chairman of the Tribal Nations Advisory Council for the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES). He is a member of the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA) and has been on the Riverside County District Attorney’s Tribal Advisory Board since 2023. He sits on the 7G Board of Directors as Vice President, supporting young Native athletes. He was elected to the First Nations Experience (FNX) Board of Directors, which supports television exclusively devoted to Native American and world Indigenous content.
Vivanco enjoys playing Peon and watching his children and now 10 grandchildren sing and dance at Bird Singing gatherings. He also likes golfing and fastpitch softball. Isaiah works hard to deliver strong leadership for his Tribe in promoting sustainable economic development. It is very important to him to provide for the current membership as well as future generations to come.
The AICCCA event took place during its 30th annual Native American Heritage Month Luncheon on Nov. 21 at the Disneyland Hotel/Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. At the luncheon, Vivanco was presented with its annual Warrior Award, which honors those who embody the spirit of a “warrior” in the contemporary sense—people who: champion Native entrepreneurship; advocate for Tribal sovereignty and Native economic self-determination; demonstrate exceptional dedication, courage, and integrity; serve their communities through mentorship, advocacy, and long-term commitment; and build meaningful partnerships between Tribes, Native businesses, and statewide industries.
The first person to speak as an introduction for Vivanco was Pechanga Tribal Member Andrew Masiel, who serves as a Pechanga Development Corporation Board member and has known Vivanco for a number of years. “As a young man growing up on the (Soboba) Reservation, he participated in a lot of activities with the Tribe,” Masiel said. “He exhibited a lot of ambition, a lot of desire and involvement.”
Tomas Tortez Jr., former Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Tribal Council Chairman, received the Warrior Award last year and said it was an honor to know Chairman Vivanco. “I’ve known him as a mentor during my eight-year chairmanship,” Tortez said. “I would see Isaiah in every aspect of advocacy for Tribal matters. I’d see him in Sacramento and Washington D.C. whenever there were legal battles to be held. It takes being away from the family to be there, so I appreciate that he not only spent time to do that but to talk to me about various issues, especially with us being a smaller non-gaming site. All events and activities and advocacy shared with Chairman Vivanco truly shows his worthiness of the Warrior Award. I think all the accomplishments he has done will carry on for generations. It’s more than showing up—you have to speak and be heard, which he articulates so well. When you’re running your government it takes a lot of dedication, a lot of time, a lot of effort—so thank you for all you do, Chairman.”
Audrey Martinez, Council Secretary for Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, said she has gotten to know Vivanco over the past few years and found him to be very dedicated with tremendous leadership skills. “And like Tomas said, he’s everywhere,” she said. “You need someone like that in these leadership positions. It takes a lot of time, dedication and effort when running your government. Thank you, Chairman, for all your hard work.”
Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena, who also serves as Chairwoman of TASIN said, “I concur with all the words that have been said by others. Chairman, thank you for all the years you’ve been doing this. We are very appreciative of all the sacrifices that our Tribal leaders make to be somewhere, and we always say if we didn’t have the support in the home, it’s not going to happen. When you have that support at home and have the passion to love what you do, you go out and do it as it comes to dedication and commitment. Chairman Vivanco sits on many boards and now with many steering committees with different organizations. We’re very honored to see you getting this award and we appreciate everything you do with your Tribe; the collaboration, the work and the long, long hours. Thank you again.”
Soboba Tribal Member and former Tribal Council Chairwoman Rosemary Morillo was the last to speak before inviting Vivanco to the stage. “Council always faces many challenges. It’s constant juggling with all that has to be done. In leadership, you have the oldest to the youngest you have to be responsible for on your reservation; you have to include their needs. We want to take care of what we have currently but also plan for the future. In leadership you have to think of all those things and have contingency plans in place and help everyone understand this is why we do this, this is the process. He has a long list of accomplishments and all he is involved in but there’s more to those boards you’re sitting on. It takes a lot of time away from your family and from everyone but there can be good that comes out of it all. It takes a lot to be standing in leadership; it’s a lot of weight on you.”
Chairman Vivanco thanked the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of California for the recognition. He also thanked those who offered such heartfelt words of support.
He praised his fellow Tribal Council members for being so engaged and active, which allows opportunity for him to serve, network, and maintain important relationships with various boards.
“Potential board appointments are discussed with our Council to weigh the pros and cons of how it will benefit Soboba,” Vivanco said. He was proud to be re-elected to the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) board by 57 California Tribes where he can continue to assist the group in its efforts to promote and protect Tribal sovereignty and gaming.
He said this is a critical time for all Tribes as the threat of illegal event contracts through prediction markets has never been more real or impactful. “CNIGA is at the heart of this fight and having a seat at that table is so important,” Vivanco said. “I’m grateful that we have such a strong Council that allows me to represent Soboba in trying to protect what we have.”
Serving on the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) board as Tribal Nations Advisory Council Chairman helps him keep pace with what is needed to ensure Soboba’s youth are getting the education and tools needed to have successful futures.
“If we do not continue to adapt to this rapidly changing, technology-driven world, we risk being left behind” Vivanco said.
Photos courtesy of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
