San Fernando, CA. On Tuesday, July 16, 2019, the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the City of San Fernando jointly hosted a press conference to celebrate the newly awarded $1M Youth Reinvestment Grant (YRG).

The funding will be used over a three-year period to implement the Tribe’s YRG Program, called “TUTCINT*: Tarahat Uplifting Trauma-Informed Community-led Interventions for Native Teens,” which is a diversion program offering an alternative to arrest or incarceration for San Fernando and nearby youth between the ages of 13- 17 who are suspected of committing low-level offenses.

*Tutčint is the Serrano word for youth. Tarahat is the Fernandeño word for people.

The event’s masters of ceremonies were Eric Sanchez, Executive Director of Pukuu Cultural Community Services, and Nick Kimball, San Fernando City Manager. The gathering was held at Las Palmas Park in the City of San Fernando, where the program will be housed.

Attendees gather to view the room that will house TUTCINT staff. On the wall are traditional words for local animals and plants, and a map of native Los Angeles County.

In March 2019, San Fernando City Council approved a partnership with the Tribe to apply for a Youth Reinvestment Grant (YRG) from California’s Board of State Community Corrections (BSCC) in partnership with Education and Cultural Learning Department and Pukúu Cultural Community Services, the Tribe’s non-profitorganization.

In June 2019, the City received notification from BSCC that the grant application was approved for a total of $1 million in funding over the three-year program term.

Tribal President Ortega Jr. and Vice President Villaseñor
open the celebration with a traditional song.
City of San Fernando Mayor Joel Fajardo shares his support of the Tribe.
Anthony Vairo, San Fernando Chief of Police, expressing his support of Tutcint.
  • San Fernando City Manager Nick Kimball, Assemblymember Lus Rivas, and Tribal President Ortega Jr.
  • San Fernando City Manager Nick Kimball, Anthony Garcia District Representative, Senate Majority Leader
    Robert M. Hertzberg, President Ortega Jr.
  • Reymundo Armendariz, Community Policy Associate, National
    Youth Law Center
Benita Trujillo, LA County District Director of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, discusses the program’s name, Tutčint, with Tribal President Ortega Jr. and Eric Sanchez, Executive Director for Pukuu.

Through this partnership, the City will host the program at the Las Palmas Park facility and the Tribe will provide case management and programming with three goals: 1) increase cultural competency, 2) reduce incarceration and recidivism, and 3)improve academic success. TUTCINT provides a continuum of direct and indirect services to each individual youth, family, and community. These services include: academic education, mental health, behavioral health, and mentoring. TUTCINT will recruit through school, city, and county referrals. The YRG funds extend from July 1, 2019 through February 8,2023.

The City of San Fernando and the Tribe’s partnership marks a historical relationship between the City and the Tribe on behalf of the mutual interests of the community.

For more information about the program, please contact the Tutčint Program Director at makha.bluwakpa@tataviam-nsn.us