To reach Councilwoman Chacon:
Please contact Executive Assistant: Vanessa DelgadoEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Councilwoman Catalina Chacon is a respected tribal leader and advocate whose work advances tribal sovereignty, protects Native children and families, and strengthens the role of Native women in leadership. Elected to the Pechanga Tribal Council in 2012, she has dedicated her career to serving tribal communities and ensuring that tribal nations retain the authority to protect their citizens, preserve their cultures, and determine their own futures. Through her leadership with the Pechanga Band of Indians and her service on regional, state, and national policy initiatives, Catalina brings a powerful and informed tribal voice to issues affecting Native people throughout California and across the nation.
Catalina’s commitment to tribal service began in 2006, when the Pechanga General Membership elected her to the Pechanga Enrollment Committee. In 2007, her fellow committee members elected her Chairperson. During her tenure, the Enrollment Committee developed and implemented a federally recognized tribal identification card, providing Pechanga citizens with a legal alternative to a state-issued identification card.
In 2008, the Pechanga General Membership elected Catalina to the Pechanga Election Board, where her fellow Board members elected her Chairperson. In 2010, she was elected to the Tribal Official Code of Conduct Enforcement Task Force and was again elected Chairperson by her fellow members.
In July 2012, Catalina was elected to the Pechanga Tribal Council, where she continues to serve. Her tenure on Tribal Council has been defined by a commitment to effective governance, tribal sovereignty, and strengthening the future of the Pechanga people.
In 2018, Catalina was elected by her fellow tribal leaders to the executive committee of the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN), an intergovernmental association representing federally recognized tribal governments in Southern California.
In 2022, Catalina began serving on the Board of the California Tribal Families Coalition (CTFC), where she advocates for the protection of tribal children and families and the preservation of tribal sovereignty. That same year, she became the first enrolled California Native appointed to the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, bringing Native representation to a statewide body focused on issues affecting women and girls.
Catalina has also brought her advocacy directly to the California Legislature, including testimony and policy advocacy concerning the protection of Native children, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). Her work reflects her belief that tribal voices must be present wherever decisions are being made that affect Native people, families, children, and tribal sovereignty.
In 2025, Catalina began serving as a sitting Board Member of the University of California President’s Native American Advisory Committee (PNAAC), where she brings a tribal perspective to matters involving Native communities and higher education.
Catalina’s leadership and advocacy have been recognized nationally and throughout California, including with the Guardians of ICWA Award from the National Indian Child Welfare Association for her work on behalf of tribal children, as well as recognition from Leadership California for her role in advancing women in leadership.
For Catalina, leadership is rooted in service—to her Tribe, to Native families, and to future generations. She often draws upon the words of Deepak Chopra: “Success comes when people act together; failure tends to happen alone.” That philosophy guides her commitment to collaboration, strengthening tribal communities, and ensuring that tribal nations have the authority and resources necessary to protect their citizens and build a self-sufficient future.
Catalina is a member of the Pechanga Band of Indians and lives on the Pechanga Reservation, where family and community remain at the center of her life and service.