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Moreno Valley council adopts land acknowledgment and sends arts and veterans proposals to commissions
Summary
Council approved a tribal land acknowledgment to be read at meetings, and directed staff and the Arts Commission to review an arts-improvement zone while instructing staff to draft a Veterans Commission framework with two council liaisons to work on scope and return recommendations.
The Moreno Valley City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 3 to add a land acknowledgment to regular meeting procedures and directed staff and its advisory bodies to explore new arts and veterans initiatives.
City Manager Bridal Mohan said staff consulted with tribal representatives and proposed the acknowledgment language used previously at a State of the City address: “We wish to acknowledge that we are on the unceded lands of the Cahuilla and the Luiseño… who as original inhabitants and now as sovereign tribal nations have continued to live and thrive upon these lands.” Councilmembers discussed adding pronunciation guidance and inviting tribal elders to deliver the acknowledgment; staff said tribal representatives welcomed the language.
On arts policy, council directed staff and the Arts Commission to research previously established Postal/Sunnymeade arts-district materials, analyze why earlier efforts did not fully develop, and prepare recommendations that would prioritize equitable access across city districts. Council members emphasized the option of both place-based zones and citywide programs and asked staff to leverage existing Economic Development strategy elements.
Council also moved to establish a Veterans Commission under Policy 1.1’s advisory-board framework. Members described a commission focused on programming, benefits navigation and outreach to March Air Reserve Base. Council appointed two council liaisons to work with staff on drafting the commission scope (Council member Delgado volunteered; Mayor Pro Tem Gonzales volunteered) and asked staff to return with a framework for council action.
All three items were approved or referred by majority votes; the land acknowledgment passed 5–0. The arts and veterans items were directed to commissions and staff for follow-up and public input.
