Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Encyclopedia
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla
Indians, located in Riverside County, California
.
city limits, the tribe is the city's largest collective landowner. The tribe owns Indian Canyons, located southwest of Palm Springs. The canyons are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. They also own land in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
.
. They ratified their constitution and bylaws in 1957, gaining federal recognition. Their current tribal council is as follows:
were relocated, the other being the Morongo Indian Reservation. Pass Cahuilla is an extinct dialect found within the Cupan branch of Takic languages
, part of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Though revitalization efforts are underway, all dialects of Cahuilla are technically considered to be extinct as they are no longer spoken at home, and children are no longer learning them as a primary language. The last speaker of Pass Cahuilla died in 2008.
The Jane Augustine Patencio Cemetery provides burial services. (Palm Springs artist Carl Eytel
is one of two non-Indians buried in the cemetery.)
. The resort at Rancho Mirage also includes a hotel, fitness center and spa, the Canyons Lounge, and seven different restaurants. The Spa Resort Casino, opened in 2003, features gaming, a hotel, the Cascade Lounge, and four restaurants.
Cahuilla
The Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...
Indians, located in Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
.
Reservation
The Agua Caliente Indian Reservation was founded in 1896 and occupies 31610 acres (127.9 km²). Since 6700 acres (27.1 km²) of the reservation are within Palm SpringsPalm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
city limits, the tribe is the city's largest collective landowner. The tribe owns Indian Canyons, located southwest of Palm Springs. The canyons are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. They also own land in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is a National Monument in Southern California. It includes portions of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountain ranges, the northernmost ones of the Peninsular Ranges system...
.
Government
The tribe's headquarters is located in Palm Springs, CaliforniaPalm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
. They ratified their constitution and bylaws in 1957, gaining federal recognition. Their current tribal council is as follows:
- Chairman: Richard M. Milanovich
- Vice Chairman: Jeff L. Grubbe
- Secretary/Treasurer: Karen A. Welmas
- Member: Anthony Andreas III
- Member: Vincent Gonzales, III
Language
Agua Caliente is one of two reservations where speakers of the "Pass" dialect of the CahuillaCahuilla language
Cahuilla is an endangered Uto-Aztecan language, spoken by the Cahuilla tribe, living in the Coachella Valley, San Gorgonio Pass and San Jacinto Mountain region of Southern California. Cahuilla call themselves Iviatam, speakers of 'Ivia' - the 'original' language. A 1990 census revealed 35 speakers...
were relocated, the other being the Morongo Indian Reservation. Pass Cahuilla is an extinct dialect found within the Cupan branch of Takic languages
Takic languages
The Takic languages are a group of Uto-Aztecan languages spoken by Californian Native Americans in southern California.-List of Takic languages:*Cahuilla language*Cupeño language*Luiseño language*Serrano language*Tongva language*?Tataviam language...
, part of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Though revitalization efforts are underway, all dialects of Cahuilla are technically considered to be extinct as they are no longer spoken at home, and children are no longer learning them as a primary language. The last speaker of Pass Cahuilla died in 2008.
Tribal programs and family services
Tribal Family Services was established in 2003 to support social and educational programs for tribal members. Other services include cultural preservation, child development, and scholarships.The Jane Augustine Patencio Cemetery provides burial services. (Palm Springs artist Carl Eytel
Carl Eytel
Carl A. Eytel was a German-American artist living in Palm Springs, California, known for his paintings and drawings of desert landscapes.-Life:...
is one of two non-Indians buried in the cemetery.)
Agua Calente Cultural Museum
The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum in Palm Springs was founded by the tribe in 1991. It houses permanent collections and archives, a research library, and changing exhibits, as well as hosting an annual film festival.Casinos
The tribe owns two major casinos, the Spa Resort Casino located in downtown Palm Springs and the Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage in Rancho Mirage, CaliforniaRancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is a resort city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal population can exceed 20,000. In between Cathedral City and Palm Desert, it is one of the eight cities of the Coachella...
. The resort at Rancho Mirage also includes a hotel, fitness center and spa, the Canyons Lounge, and seven different restaurants. The Spa Resort Casino, opened in 2003, features gaming, a hotel, the Cascade Lounge, and four restaurants.
See also
- CahuillaCahuillaThe Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...
- Mission IndiansMission IndiansMission Indians is a term for many Native California tribes, primarily living in coastal plains, adjacent inland valleys and mountains, and on the Channel Islands in central and southern California, United States. The tribes had established comparatively peaceful cultures varying from 250 to 8,000...
- Golden CheckerboardGolden CheckerboardGolden Checkerboard is a biographical novel by Ed Ainsworth; its subject matter concerns the mid-20th century economic conditions of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of Palm Springs, California and the history of the 99-year lease law which enabled them to commercially develop tribal...
, a novel about the tribe. The title refers to the checkerboard patterned division of Palm Springs real estate, wherein the tribe retains ownership of alternating "squares" of the city.
External links
- Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, official website
- Aqua Caliente Cultural Museum
- The Limu Project language and cultural revitalization