James Siva serves as the elected Vice Chair for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians in Cabazon, Calif. Now in his fourth term on the Morongo Tribal Council, Siva helps advance new economic development opportunities for the tribe and implements tribal policies that guide the 36,000-acre Morongo Indian Reservation. Born and raised on the Morongo Indian Reservation, Siva credits his family for instilling within him a deep commitment to serving his tribe and preserving its rich culture. His mother served on the Tribal Council in the 1990s. Dedicated to the idea that the tribe’s core values should guide its business activities, Siva has played key roles in Morongo’s pursuit and establishment of new economic development projects that align with the tribe’s principles of self-reliance and self-determination. Siva is also active in efforts to expand Morongo’s retail, service, hospitality and dining offerings along Interstate 10 as part of a master-planned development that will further diversify and strengthen the tribe’s portfolio of business enterprises. Siva graduated cum laude from Columbia University with a bachelor’s degree in Ethnicity and Race Studies. He was the inaugural recipient of Columbia's Native Alumni Seven Generation Award for Outstanding Community Service. He currently serves as the chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA), a non-profit organization of federally recognized tribal governments. Siva and his wife, Christina, have three young children. He volunteers at the First Congregational Church of Fullerton, where his wife serves as pastor, and he is active in the church’s Crop Walk and Hot Meals Ministry, which both provide food to those in need.