Golden Checkerboard
Encyclopedia
Golden 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 owned lands. The book portrays Indio Superior Court
Judge Hilton McCabe as a "Little White Father,"1 recalling steps purportedly taken by him to secure legislation that would endow the tribe with investment opportunities and economic self-sufficiency. The title of the book refers to the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation's checkerboard pattern, granted originally to the Southern Pacific Railroad
as an incentive to build rail lines through the region.
equalized allotted Indian lands, thereby setting the stage for development of Indian lands within the City of Palm Springs. This same legislation, however, recognizing the potential value of Indian lands within the boundaries of a world famous resort, also called for the appointment of conservators and guardians to "protect" Indians and their estates from "artful and designing persons"2 who might otherwise cheat them out of their properties, which could now be legally sold by the individual tribal members who owned them. By declaring Indians as "incompetent," court-appointed conservators and guardians took control of a majority of Indian estates. A major oversight of the program was the appointment of judges, lawyers, and business people as Indian conservators and guardians—the very people the program sought to protect Indians and their estates from. The program was administered by the Indio Superior Court's Judge Hilton McCabe, subject of Golden Checkerboard. McCabe concurrently acted as a conservator to a number of tribal members and an executor
, in addition to his administrative and legal roles.4
program fostered corruption among those conservators and administrators with their own economic agendas. A series of Pulitzer Prize
winning Press-Enterprise articles authored by journalist George Ringwald exposed such instances of excessive fees, fee-splitting, and other types of questionable conduct.3 The conservatorship program was officially ended in 1968 after the Secretary of the Interior's Palm Springs Task Force similarly exposed it as fraudulent and corrupt.4 Under scrutinous circumstances so potentially damaging to McCabe's career, as administrator of the program and as a conservator himself, it is not surprising that the arguably propagandist Golden Checkerboard should emerge in 1965 as a defense tool. Perhaps not coincidentally, McCabe gave up administration of the conservatorship program this same year.5
Indirect evidence, however, would seem to indicate that McCabe penned much of Golden Checkerboard himself. Comparison of McCabe's unpublished manuscript Land Problems and Solutions of the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians with text from Ainsworth's Golden Checkerboard reveals a substantial amount of content duplication:
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
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.-Reservation:...
of Palm Springs
Palm 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...
, 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...
and the history of the 99-year lease law which enabled them to commercially develop tribal owned lands. The book portrays Indio Superior Court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
Judge Hilton McCabe as a "Little White Father,"1 recalling steps purportedly taken by him to secure legislation that would endow the tribe with investment opportunities and economic self-sufficiency. The title of the book refers to the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation's checkerboard pattern, granted originally to the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
as an incentive to build rail lines through the region.
Historical Context
After Golden Checkerboard was published in 1965, its disparaging, paternalist tone so offended Agua Caliente tribal members that all available copies are rumored to have been collected and burned. Some historical context is useful in understanding Agua Caliente reaction to the book.Conservatorship Program
In 1959, a landmark decision by the Secretary of the InteriorUnited States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
equalized allotted Indian lands, thereby setting the stage for development of Indian lands within the City of Palm Springs. This same legislation, however, recognizing the potential value of Indian lands within the boundaries of a world famous resort, also called for the appointment of conservators and guardians to "protect" Indians and their estates from "artful and designing persons"2 who might otherwise cheat them out of their properties, which could now be legally sold by the individual tribal members who owned them. By declaring Indians as "incompetent," court-appointed conservators and guardians took control of a majority of Indian estates. A major oversight of the program was the appointment of judges, lawyers, and business people as Indian conservators and guardians—the very people the program sought to protect Indians and their estates from. The program was administered by the Indio Superior Court's Judge Hilton McCabe, subject of Golden Checkerboard. McCabe concurrently acted as a conservator to a number of tribal members and an executor
Executor
An executor, in the broadest sense, is one who carries something out .-Overview:...
, in addition to his administrative and legal roles.4
Corruption Exposed
Bolstered by the ability to control valuable Indian estates, the conservatorshipConservatorship
Conservatorship is a legal concept in the United States of America, where an entity or organization is subjected to the legal control of an external entity or organization, known as a conservator. Conservatorship is established either by court order or via a statutory or regulatory authority...
program fostered corruption among those conservators and administrators with their own economic agendas. A series of Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning Press-Enterprise articles authored by journalist George Ringwald exposed such instances of excessive fees, fee-splitting, and other types of questionable conduct.3 The conservatorship program was officially ended in 1968 after the Secretary of the Interior's Palm Springs Task Force similarly exposed it as fraudulent and corrupt.4 Under scrutinous circumstances so potentially damaging to McCabe's career, as administrator of the program and as a conservator himself, it is not surprising that the arguably propagandist Golden Checkerboard should emerge in 1965 as a defense tool. Perhaps not coincidentally, McCabe gave up administration of the conservatorship program this same year.5
Authorship in Question
Some scholars speculate that Hilton McCabe paid Ed Ainsworth to author Golden Checkerboard, though no direct evidence has substantiated this claim to date.Indirect evidence, however, would seem to indicate that McCabe penned much of Golden Checkerboard himself. Comparison of McCabe's unpublished manuscript Land Problems and Solutions of the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians with text from Ainsworth's Golden Checkerboard reveals a substantial amount of content duplication:
- The self-defensive theme "a person who was in a neutral position and had no ulterior motive [was required] to undertake the process [of obtaining long-term lease reform]"6 dominates both texts, lauding McCabe as a sort of messianic redeemer.
- Golden Checkerboards opening chapter describes McCabe as "rescuing" a homeless, unnamed Cahuilla family by providing them with a home.7 In Land Problems, McCabe recalls a similar story, describing the sale of an unnamed Cahuilla family's allotted land for the purpose of purchasing them a home.8
- Both texts take on a revisionist quality by failing to mention the roles tribal attorneys, local officials, developers, and tribal members themselves played in securing long-term lease legislation from official agencies in Washington D.C.
Sources
- 1Golden Checkerboard, The (1965), Ed Ainsworth.
- 2Land Problems and Solutions of the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians (1961), Hilton McCabe, Indio Superior Court.
- 3Agua Caliente Indians and Their Guardians, The (1968), George Ringwald, Press Enterprise.
- 4Final Report of the Palm Springs Task Force ("The Cox Report") (1968), Palm Springs Task Force (Secretary of the Interior).
- 5Agua Caliente Indians and Their Guardians, The (1968), George Ringwald, Press Enterprise.
- 6Land Problems and Solutions of the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians (1961), Hilton McCabe, Indio Superior Court.
- 7Golden Checkerboard, The (1965), Ed Ainsworth.
- 8Land Problems and Solutions of the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians (1961), Hilton McCabe, Indio Superior Court.
External links
- Take Back the Times, a blog on journalistic and political issues.