San Manuel Band Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena, center, presents check to FNX / First Nations Experience TV. Photo from Facebook

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California has invested $6 million in the FNX / First Nations Experience TV network.

The tribe's donation will enable FNX to expand its reach. The station, which went on the air in September 2011, will be adding more staff and content.

“The reason we’re here isn’t because of anyone on stage, it’s because of the elders,” said James Ramos, the tribe’s former chairman and a San Bernardino County supervisor, The San Bernardino Sun reported. “It’s their story that we want to get out to the people of California and to the nation.”

The station's daily viewership is 120,000 households, the paper said. It's carried throughout Southern California and in several states.

Bird singers, including former San Manuel chairman James Ramos (in dark suit), perform at the announcement. Photo from Facebook

“Gifts of this magnitude are extremely rare in public media and the fact that San Manuel is renewing their commitment with this second gift, is a massive vote of confidence in the exciting and innovative work that FNX is doing in public television," general manager Alfredo Cruz said in a press release. “This will help take FNX to the next level, allowing the network to continue growing in both reach and content to make positive impacts on more communities throughout the country.”

Get the Story:
Tribe's $6 million gift to help Native American network go global (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 1/27)
First Nations Experience in San Bernardino gets $6 million to expand (The San Bernardino Sun 1/27)