November is National Native American Heritage Month, which is celebrated to honor traditions, culture, and achievements of Native Americans and the impact they have left on society throughout the years. Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Indians, and its 25,000-square-foot Spa Pechanga is influenced by Native American healing rituals and ingredients.

California Spa Guide: The Best Spas in Temecula

Throughout November, Spa Pechanga will offer three new treatment specials in honor of Native American Heritage Month. Inspired by the wisdom and beauty of ancient Native American remedies, these spa treatments honor Native American culture by incorporating herbs and botanicals traditionally used for their medicinal and purifying properties. These include:

• Native Cleanse & Renew ($470/100 min): Sage and hundreds of other native botanicals have been used by Native people for years for their medicinal effects. Sage was and still is used by Pechanga people for healing and purifying. The treatment begins with N8iV Beauty Moon Polish to gently exfoliate and reveal youthful skin. That’s followed by the N8iV Beauty Seaweed Gel Wrap to provide deep, lasting hydration and skin protection. The treatment continues with a neck and face massage and a scalp scrub. A relaxing full body massage using the guest’s choice of native botanical massage oils sets tension free.

• Native Kwílla Facial ($220/50 min): This rejuvenating experience starts with a Moómat-Ocean cleanser, followed by a Móyla Moon Polish to leave skin smooth and revitalized.

• Native Foot Delight ($130/50 min): This 50-minute service starts with sage-infused salt scrub, designed to purify and refresh tired feet. A deeply relaxing foot and leg massage using acorn-infused oil follows, combined with your choice of lavender, sweet grass or sage essence. Nails are trimmed, filed, and polished, completing the ultimate restorative treatment.

In addition to the above three specials, Spa Pechanga also offers five additional Native-inspired treatments that are available all year round, and each service provides a restorative retreat for the body, mind, and spirit. These include the Great Oak Signature Massage, Prickly Pear Scrub, Kwíila Renewal Body Treatment, Kwíila Foot Relief Pedicure, and Journey of the Payómkawichum.

Spa guests can experience Journey of the Payómkawichum, a 20-minute audio sound bath and meditation session, before their massage or treatment. The relaxing and sensory-rich audio journey takes guests on a path that would have been taken by the Payómkowichum (people of the West) thousands of years ago, from the Temecula Valley to the shores of Oceanside.

Spa Profile: Spa Pechanga at Pechanga Resort & Casino

After selecting a preferred native botanical scent and covering their eyes with an eye mask, guests wear special headphones to “hear” the journey, from walking along creeks and past towering oaks with leaves fluttering in the Southern California breeze, to the waves crashing on the shoreline. The soundtrack was also recorded in nature and mixed by Pechanga Resort Casino’s creative studios department, headed by a Pechanga Tribal member.  

For more information and to book a treatment, visit the resort’s website or call (877) 711-2946. Follow Pechanga Resort on Instagram: @pechangacasino

[Photos courtesy of Pechanga Resort Casino]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk