Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians
Encyclopedia
The Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians is a federally recognized Cahuilla
band of Native Americans
based in Coachella
, California
. They have the distinction of being the smallest tribal nation in the United States, consisting of only eight members, only one of whom is an adult.
Indians, who lived along the Colorado River
and in the Mojave Desert
, including the Santa Rosa Mountains
and the Coachella Valley
. The tribe had a dozen patrilineal clans and were divided into the Wildcat and Coyote moieties.
On April 13 , 1956 the Commissioner of Indian Affairs approved a census roll of the tribe, documenting 11 living members. Roberta Augustine, the last original enrollee, died in 1986. The reservation of the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians is a one-square-mile tract of land, located in Riverside County, California
at 33°39′01"N 116°11′27"W. Thermal, California
and the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
are both nearby. The land was left vacant for half a century, until Chairman Green moved there in 1996.
Mary Ann Green née Martin, born in 1964, decided to rebuild the tribe and resettle the reservation. On 29 December 1981, the August Band of Mission Indians was established by an Executive Order. Green was elected chairperson in 1988 and has held the position since. The tribal government was established in 1994 and currently employs 8 people.
Traditional Cahuilla singer, Tony Andreas, grew up on the Augustine Reservation in the 1930s and 1940s.
Improvements to reservation lands include adopting a zoning code and removing illegally dumped garbage. During the 50 years the land was vacant, trash, commercial wastes, carcasses, and thousands of tires were dumped on the land. The monumental cleanup task started in 1994, when the tribe partnered with the US Environmental Service, the California Conservation Corps
, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
The tribe owns the Augustine Casino in Coachella.
The Augustine Band built the first photovoltaic
renewable energy system on Indian land in California. The system is expected to produce 1,900 megawatts of solar energy annually.
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...
band of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
based in Coachella
Coachella, California
Coachella is a city in Riverside County, California; it is the easternmost city in the region collectively known as the Coachella Valley...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. They have the distinction of being the smallest tribal nation in the United States, consisting of only eight members, only one of whom is an adult.
Background
The tribe is descended from Desert CahuillaCahuilla
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, who lived along the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
and in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, including the Santa Rosa Mountains
Santa Rosa Mountains
Santa Rosa Mountains may refer to the following mountains in the United States of America:*Santa Rosa Mountains *Santa Rosa Mountains Other similar names include*The Santa Rosa Range in northern Nevada...
and the Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
. The tribe had a dozen patrilineal clans and were divided into the Wildcat and Coyote moieties.
On April 13 , 1956 the Commissioner of Indian Affairs approved a census roll of the tribe, documenting 11 living members. Roberta Augustine, the last original enrollee, died in 1986. The reservation of the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians is a one-square-mile tract of land, 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,...
at 33°39′01"N 116°11′27"W. Thermal, California
Thermal, California
Thermal is a census-designated place located approximately 25 miles southeast of Palm Springs and about 9.5 miles north of the Salton Sea. Although one can find sunny skies most days, residents occasionally endure strong winds and sizzling summer temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The...
and the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla Indians, located in Riverside County, California.-Reservation:The Cabazon Indian Reservation was founded in 1876. It occupies located seven miles from Indio, California and from Palm Springs...
are both nearby. The land was left vacant for half a century, until Chairman Green moved there in 1996.
Mary Ann Green née Martin, born in 1964, decided to rebuild the tribe and resettle the reservation. On 29 December 1981, the August Band of Mission Indians was established by an Executive Order. Green was elected chairperson in 1988 and has held the position since. The tribal government was established in 1994 and currently employs 8 people.
Traditional Cahuilla singer, Tony Andreas, grew up on the Augustine Reservation in the 1930s and 1940s.
Current projects
The tribe has developed plans for both cultural revival and economic sustainability.Improvements to reservation lands include adopting a zoning code and removing illegally dumped garbage. During the 50 years the land was vacant, trash, commercial wastes, carcasses, and thousands of tires were dumped on the land. The monumental cleanup task started in 1994, when the tribe partnered with the US Environmental Service, the California Conservation Corps
California Conservation Corps
The California Conservation Corps, or the CCC, is a department of the government of California, falling under the state cabinet-level California Resources Agency...
, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
The tribe owns the Augustine Casino in Coachella.
The Augustine Band built the first photovoltaic
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
renewable energy system on Indian land in California. The system is expected to produce 1,900 megawatts of solar energy annually.
Other Cahuilla tribes
- Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation
- Cabazon Band of Mission IndiansCabazon Band of Mission IndiansThe Cabazon Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla Indians, located in Riverside County, California.-Reservation:The Cabazon Indian Reservation was founded in 1876. It occupies located seven miles from Indio, California and from Palm Springs...
- Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians of the Cahuilla ReservationCahuilla Band of Mission Indians of the Cahuilla ReservationThe Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians of the Cahuilla Reservation is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla Indians, who are Mission Indians located in California.-Reservation:...
- Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla & Cupeno Indians of the Los Coyotes Reservation
- Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Morongo Reservation
- Ramona Band or Village of Cahuilla Mission Indians of California
- Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla IndiansSanta Rosa Band of Cahuilla IndiansThe Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla Indians, located in Riverside County, California.-Reservation:...
- Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla IndiansTorres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla IndiansThe Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla and Chemehuevi Indians, located in Imperial and Riverside counties in California...