As of January 2022, there are 1,250 members enrolled in the Tejon Tribe, a vast majority residing in in Kern County, many life-long residents in the Bakersfield area.

Today, all members of the modern Tejon Indian Tribe easily trace our ancestry back to tribal members identified on the 1915 census by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the 1933 California Indian Roll.

The Tejon Indian people are of the Kitanemuk nation, we lived at the most Southern tip of the San Joaquin Valley as well as the Tehachapi mountains. They share bloodlines with tribes of the region, including bands of the Chumash, Tataviam, Tubatulabal, Paiute, and Yokuts.

Tejon tribal members, past and present, have seen many changes to traditional lifestyle over the years, by maintaining their heritage by passing down teachings generation to generation it will assure that the Kitanemuk traditions continue.

In this present time, we find Tribal members serving as elected council members, tribal committee members and tribal volunteers. They assist the tribal government in its ability to function and govern as a sovereign nation.

Tribal members are also active in many local community organizations and non-profits, such as the Kern Economic Development Corporation, Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce and Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Eligibility for membership in the Tejon Indian Tribe requires direct descent from the documented membership of the historic “El Tejon Band,” which is the Bureau of Indian Affairs 1915 census of Tejon tribal members. It listed 81 tribal members. The Tribe also uses the “California Indian Roll,” which was prepared in 1933 by the Department of the Interior at the direction of Congress.

Currently, the Tribe’s cultural work involves the reclamation of the Kitanemuk language. The language itself is called Kitanemuic, efforts to learn Kitanemuic by tribal members began in 2010.  The language had not been spoken since 1940.

HARD ROCK CASINO

On November 13, 2025, Tejon celebrates the grand opening of the Hard Rock Casino located in Kern County. The iconic Hard Rock guitar and marquee rises proudly over the Hard Rock Casino Tejon - a powerful symbol of partnership, progress and pride. For the Tejon Indian Tribe, this moment represents generations of perseverance and the realization of a long-held dream. This marks a new era of opportunity, growth, and shared celebration.