Pechanga muffins in The Simpsons

Sunday's episode of The Simpsons (airdate: 3/28/10) featured yet another reference to Indians. Here's the story:

The Greatest Story Ever D'ohedNed Flanders invites the Simpson family to join him a church retreat to Jerusalem. Homer is unappreciative of the culture, until a tour guide starts taking him around the city and Homer deludes himself into thinking he is the Messiah.When the Americans arrive in Jerusalem, Homer convinces them that a breakfast buffet is more interesting than the city's sights. The following exchange occurs:MRS. LOVEJOY:  These blueberry muffins are bigger than the ones we had at Pechanga.

REV. LOVEJOY:  Finally, something you like better than Pechanga.Comment:  As long-time readers know, I work for a Pechanga Indian on the PECHANGA.net website.

This is a minor reference, to be sure, but it's notable for several reasons:

Following Hopi Project in The Simpsons and Koyaanis-Scratchy in The Simpsons, it's the third Native reference in three weeks. This may be a record for a network entertainment series with no regular Indian characters or storylines.

It's the fourth Simpsons reference to Indians this season, which isn't a record but is pretty good.

This makes three nonstereotypical references in a row: no chiefs, teepees, or other Plains stereotypes.

This also makes three references in a row to tribes other than the usual ones: Lakota, Cherokee, Navajo, or Apache.

It's a rare instance of a real tribe's being mentioned by name. It's all the more unusual because the tribe is one of two or three dozen in Southern California. I can't recall any instances of a network entertainment series naming a tribe south of the Chumash in Ventura County.

It's possibly the first mention of Pechanga in any network entertainment series.

It's a reference to a gaming tribe without some snide or stereotypical comment about Indian casinos.

Clearly someone on the staff is trying to include Native references in The Simpsons this year. Let's hope it continues.

For more on the subject, see Indians in The Simpsons.