Cal State San Bernardino and officials from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians held a ceremony Monday in honor of the tribe's $3 million donation to the university.

Each side had something to celebrate.

The university gets some much-needed cash during the state budget crisis and the tribe will see a building named after one of its revered leaders.

About 75 campus officials and tribal members converged at the Cal State San Bernardino student center, which will soon be renamed the Santos Manuel Student Union after the historic leader of the San Manuel tribe.

Manuel led the Serrano Indians of the San Bernardino Valley to safety during a month-long campaign by settlers to kill all Indians in 1866.

Tribal and campus leaders praised the partnership between the university and tribe aimed at promoting awareness of California Indian history and culture.

"This day is special because it ensures the legacy of our tribe will live on, long after our children are grown up, long after their children are grown up," said James Ramos, coordinator of the Tribal Unity and Cultural Awareness Program. "The name Santos Manuel will live on forever."

The tribe's donation comes at a crucial time for the campus, which is facing cuts next year because of the shrinking state budget. The university approached the tribe about the donation in exchange for the naming rights to the building, according to Cal State San Bernardino President Al Karnig.

The campus is more than doubling the size of the student union from 40,000 square feet to 84,000 square feet. The university expects to break ground on the expansion next fall, and the building should be finished within two years.

One million dollars of the tribe's donation will pay for expansion of the cross-cultural center, which is in the student union. The center offers multicultural programs for students and the community, and it helps organize the annual California Indian Cultural Awareness Conference.

The other $2 million will be placed into an endowment and used for student scholarships and internships, Karnig said.