Graton Rancheria donates $4.2 million to UCLA Law, endowing 2 faculty chairs

The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria donated over $4 million to UCLA Law, endowing two new faculty chairs, the tribe announced Monday.

The donation establishes two faculty positions in honor of Distinguished Professor Carole Goldberg and Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Tribal Chairman Greg Sarris, according to a joint statement form the tribe and university.

The tribe, a federation of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo groups, has donated to UCLA before.

A $15 million donation back in September, 2020 endowed 15 full-tuition scholarships for students interested in pursuing tribal law. It marked the largest-ever donation a tribe has made to a law school and was among the biggest tribal donations to a university, according to the statement.

“The establishment of these two important chairs reflects our tribe’s commitment to supporting and defending the legal standing and rights of Native Nations,” said Sarris the statement. “This gift enshrines UCLA Law’s commitment to advancing the rights of Native American people and to help ensure that Native American law remains a central priority for the school.”

The tribe’s public relations firm, Landis Communications Inc., declined a Press Democrat request to interview Sarris for further comment on the donation.

"(W)e could not be more thankful for the sustained generosity of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria,” said Russell Korobkin, interim dean of UCLA Law, according to the statement. “(T)hanks to this visionary donation, our community will grow to include more faculty members committed to the rights of Native Americans.”

You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8511 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @alana_minkler.