sage blessing
blanket ceremony
outreach
equity center elder blessings
equity center elder blessing 2First Peoples Native Center
The First Peoples Native Center serves first as a dedicated support program for American
Indian and Alaska Native students, while also functioning as a cultural hub for the
campus. Grounded in culturally responsive and student-centered practices, FPNC supports
students’ academic, personal, and cultural well-being by creating space for belonging,
community connection, Native American-centered programming, and access to essential
campus resources.
Through academic support, cultural programming, and connection to campus and community
resources, FPNC recognizes that cultural identity, belonging, and representation are
essential to student success. The center also supports campus learning by deepening
understanding of Native American histories, communities, and traditional knowledge.
By connecting students to support while honoring Native American identity and community,
FPNC helps American Indian and Alaska Native students thrive academically, culturally,
and personally while strengthening pathways of resilience, leadership, and success.
Click on the link below if you are interested in staying connected and keeping involved with the First Peoples Native Center community.
Would you like to donate to the First Peoples Native Center? Visit our Foundation website to learn about financial opportunities and donate to our First Peoples Native Center scholarship or donate to our Center.
The Native American Student Support & Success Program (NASSSP) Grant is a state funded grant program under the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.
Mt. SAC Land Acknowledgement
Mt. San Antonio College acknowledges and recognizes that the land in which we occupy is the unceded ancestral territory of the Gabrielino-Shoshone, Gabrielino-Tongva, and Gabrielino-Kizh nations, the Indigenous peoples of this region since time immemorial. Mt. San Antonio College is located near the Gabrielino village of Pemookangna, known today as the city of Walnut.
We recognize the Gabrielino people have suffered an immense loss of their people, culture, lands, water, and other natural resources due to the theft, murder, kidnapping, and enslavement. These injustices started with colonization, and most Indigenous people consider colonization a current and ongoing process.
Despite the atrocities and injustices committed against the original caretakers of this land, the Gabrielino remain to be a thriving community and continue to practice their traditions, heritage, sovereignty, self-determination, and spiritual relationship to their land. The nations that make up the Gabrielino community continue to work to protect their sacred ways and homelands for future generations. Their descendants are a testament to the resilience and strength of the indigenous peoples that call this land their ancestral home.
The Gabrielino view this land as a source of healing, nourishment, and protection. As students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Mt. San Antonio College, we honor the Gabrielino people by acknowledging their legacy and current lived experiences.
We recognize this land acknowledgement as an opportunity for Mt. SAC to advocate for Indigenous students through support of the First Peoples Native Center and continued learning and shared knowledge for Native American and Indigenous peoples.
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- Mt. San Antonio College First Peoples Native Center, https://www.mtsac.edu/fpnc/ | fpnc@mtsac.edu
- Jamie Rocha, Gabrielino-Shoshone Nation of Southern California | jrocha@gabrielinoshoshone.org
Updated June 2025
Fall & Spring Semester Hours:
M-Th 8:00A.M. - 5:00P.M.,
Fri. 8:00A.M. - 4:30P.M.
Seasonal Hours:
M-Th 8:00A.M.- 5:00P.M.,
Fri. Closed
Building 16E, 1132
(909) 274-4429
fpnc@mtsac.edu
www.mtsac.edu/fpnc
