Forging Hope Yawa' Awards
San Manuel Gaming & Hospitality Authority and Palms Casino Resort Honor Exemplary Southern Nevada Nonprofits with Forging Hope Yawa’ Awards
Vice Chair & Secretary Carla Rodriguez marked the third year of the annual ceremony with a special gift of $500,000 presented to Clark County School District Superintendent Jhone Ebert, to expand literacy education.
LAS VEGAS, NV (May 4, 2026) —Marking the third year of the prestigious Forging Hope Yawa’ Awards, San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority (SMGHA) and Palms Casino Resort leadership recently honored four Las Vegas nonprofits for exceptional contributions and their tangible community impacts. The invitation-only ceremony held inside KAOS at Palms celebrated organizations that uphold extraordinary community commitments and whose impacts exemplify the Tribe’s spirit of Yawa’— translated from the Serrano language as “acting on one’s beliefs.”
At the powerful intersection of tribal gaming, Native American culture and Nevada community spirit, this year’s ceremony was held on Tuesday, April 21, and occurred just days ahead of the fourth anniversary of the SMGHA’s purchase of Palms, becoming the first Native American tribe to wholly own and operate a casino resort in Las Vegas.
Since 2019, SMGHA and Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation have awarded $18 million in grants to the Las Vegas community, supporting four key giving pillars: Inspiring Our Future Through Education: Empowering Lives: Reinforcing Healthy and Resilient Communities, and Preserving Cultural Traditions and Empowering Indian Country.
Punam Mathur, longtime Nevada community advocate, returned as emcee for this year’s Yawa’ Award ceremony, which was attended by community organization representatives, nonprofit board members, education leaders, and elected officials, along with representatives from Nevada’s congressional delegation and local government.
The Yawa’ Awards honor excellence in each of the four giving pillars. Award honorees included Foster Kinship; Indigenous AF; Kline Veterans Fund and the Public Education Foundation. Each honoree received a $25K unrestricted gift and a handcrafted Serrano gourd designed by Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation tribal youth and was presented by Carla Rodriguez, SMGHA Vice Chair & Secretary.
In her remarks, Rodriguez expressed gratitude for community agencies and nonprofit organizations like those present for the Tribe’s resilience and strength. “Our ancestors faced impossible odds to get us to where we are today. We are grateful for the community partners who helped us envision a better future for our people. Today is a celebration of those Las Vegas partners who are compelled to act and who have done exceptional work in answering the call of Yawa.’ Hakup a’ ai (thank you) for sharing our passion and purpose.”
SMGHA also presented a special gift of $500,000 to Clark County School District Superintendent Jhone Ebert to support the Read With Me Nevada Literacy Initiative to increase literacy rates among pre-K through third graders.
About the 2026 Yawa’ Award Honorees
Foster Kinship - With over 30,000 children in kinship care in Nevada, Foster Kinship was created as the first and only organization in the state exclusively focused on supporting the children in non-parental care. Foster Kinship helps by supplying families with the tools and support to create a healthy and stable home environment, helping break generational cycles of abuse and neglect.
IndigenousAF - Native Americans across Southern Nevada can find community and support at IndigenousAF, a nonprofit that has created a space allowing those of Native American heritage to be seen and demonstrate their artistic excellence. IndigenousAF was founded to strengthen Indigenous cultures, knowledge, and identity through arts and education, including free public arts projects, event programming, and opportunities for local artists.
Kline Veterans Fund - Kline Veterans Fund works tirelessly to help the brave men and women who served this country get back on their feet and into safe, secure homes. Their program “Homes for The Brave” has helped over 12,000 veterans with housing, utilities, food, and transportation. In addition to homes, Kline supports veterans through scholarship funds for higher education, service dog training, and providing meals with over 14,000 served in 2025 alone.
Public Education Foundation – The Public Education Foundation partners with the community and the Clark County School District to meet immediate, critical education needs through a range of services including scholarships for higher education, mentorships for paraprofessionals and buying school supplies to placement services for educators and teacher apprenticeships in collaboration with UNLV.