Barbara "Bobbie" Lucille Banda (c. 1947 – May 4, 2013) was an American

Juaneño The Acjachemen (, alternate spelling: Acagchemem) are an Indigenous people of California. They historically lived south of what is known as Aliso Creek and north of the Las Pulgas Canyon in what are now the southern areas of Orange County and t ...

tribal elder, activist, and a member of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians. Banda successfully championed efforts to introduction Native American

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

, including

Juaneño language The Acjachemen (, alternate spelling: Acagchemem) are an Indigenous people of California. They historically lived south of what is known as Aliso Creek and north of the Las Pulgas Canyon in what are now the southern areas of Orange County and t ...

courses, into the

public school system State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...

s around

San Juan Capistrano, California San Juan Capistrano (Spanish for "St. John of Capistrano") is a city in Orange County, California, located along the Orange Coast. The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census. San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St. ...

, during the 1970s. The curriculum is still taught in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

public schools today. Banda was a ninth generation member of the Rios family. The Rio family has lived in the area since before the establishment of the

Mission San Juan Capistrano Mission San Juan Capistrano ( es, Misión San Juan Capistrano) is a Spanish mission in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California. Founded November 1, 1776 in colonial ''Las Californias'' by Spanish Catholic missionaries of the Franciscan O ...

in 1776. Banda was raised in the Little Hollywood neighborhood, located within San Juan Capistrano's Los Rios Street Historic District. She attended the city's San Juan Elementary School. Banda was a member of the now defunct Capistrano Union High School class of 1964, which was the last class to graduate from the high school. Banda was hired by the

Capistrano Unified School District Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) is the largest school district in Orange County, California, United States. It is the 8th largest district in the state and the 78th largest in the country. The district currently has 54,036 students an ...

as a teacher's aide immediately after her high school graduation. She later worked for Endevco Aerospace for twenty-eight years. Bobbie Banda actively campaigned for the creation of Native American courses and programs at the Capistrano Unified School District during the 1970s. She successfully lobbied for U.S. federal funding to establish the educational programs. The programs created by Banda represented a major step toward Native American education in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

. The programs, led by her son, Nathan Banda, are still taught as part of the curriculum today. Banda was active in Juaneño politics as well. She served as the co-director of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians' elders committee for six years, until her death in May 2013. In 2013, Banda campaigned on behalf of the six candidates for the Juaneño tribal council. All six candidates endorsed by Banda were elected, leading to the first all female tribal council in Juaneño history. Bobbie Banda died from a series of strokes on May 4, 2013, at the age 66. She was survived by her husband, Frank, whom she had been married to for 48 years, as well as their four children - Frank Jr., Monica Clifton, Erika Zammoron and Nathan. Her funeral was held at the

Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano is a Catholic parish in the Diocese of Orange in California. The parish church is located just northwest of Mission San Juan Capistrano in the city of San Juan Capistrano, California, United States. Complete ...

References

1940s births 2013 deaths Acjachemen Native American activists Native American women in politics People from San Juan Capistrano, California Activists from California 21st-century American women 21st-century Native American women 21st-century Native Americans {{NativeAmerican-politician-stub