In this part of our guide to the American Indians, the focus will be on the Cahuilla people, consisting of related tribes living in the inland areas of Southern California.
The Cahuilla's ancestral territories were situated around the heart of Southern California. They were enclosed by the San Bernardino Mountains to the north, Borrego Springs and the Chocolate Mountains to the south, the Colorado Desert to the east, and the San Jacinto Plain and the eastern slopes of the Palomar Mountains to the west.
The native language of the Cahuilla language is in the Uto-Aztecan family There were thirty-five native speakers in 1990, but all of them were middle-aged or older. In their own language, they are known as ʔívil̃uqaletem, although they also refer to themselves as táxliswet, which means "person."
According to oral tradition, when the Cahuilla first came to the Coachella Valley, there was a large body of water there, which geographers refer to as Lake Cahuilla. Fed by the Colorado River, it dried up sometime before 1700 after a shift in the river's course.
The first recorded contact with Europeans was in 1774 when Juan Bautista de Anza was seeking a trade route between Sonora and Monterey in Alta California. As they lived inland from the Coast, the Cahuilla didn't have much contact with Spanish soldiers or missionaries. Europeans considered the desert areas as having little value.
It wasn't under the 1840s that the Cahuilla encountered European-Americans. Chief Juan Antonio, a leader of the Cahuilla Mountain Band, gave a white traveler, Daniel Sexton, access to areas near the San Gorgonio Pass in 1842, and the Band later assisted a U.S. Army expedition led by Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald Beale in defending against attacks by a band of Ute warriors.
During the Mexican-American War, Chief Antonio led a group of warriors to join a group of Hispanic Californians (Californios) in attacking their traditional enemy, the Luiseño. Their combined forces staged an ambush and killed thirty-five to forty Luiseño warriors, an action that became known as the Temecula Massacre of 1847.
The California Gold Rush in the 1850s brought increased pressure from European-Americans. After destroying the Irving Gang, a group of white bandits who had been looting the San Bernardino Valley, Chief Antonio led the Cahuilla east from Politana, toward the San Gorgonio Pass, settling in a valley that branched off to the northeast from San Timoteo Canyon, at a village known as Saahatpa.
Nevertheless, the 1850s were a time of conflicts with white miners, ranchers, outlaws, and Mormon colonists. In addition, they came into conflict with the Cupeño tribe, who inhabited areas to the west.
When the California Senate refused to ratify an 1852 treaty giving the Cahuilla control of their lands, some Cahuilla leaders resorted to attacks on encroaching settlers and soldiers, although Chief Juan Antonio did not participate in this.
To encourage the railroad, the U.S. government subdivided the land into one-mile-square sections, giving the Indians every other section, and, in 1877, the government established reservation boundaries that left the Cahuilla with only a small portion of their traditional lands.
Over the years, the Cahuilla have intermarried with non-Cahuilla, so a large portion of Cahuilla tribal members are of mixed ancestry, particularly Spanish and African-American. Today, individuals who have grown up in the tribe's ways and identify culturally with the Cahuilla may qualify for tribal membership, although each federally recognized tribe sets its own rules for membership.
Historically, the Cahuilla are divided into Mountain, Desert, and Pass/Western groups. Today, there are nine reservations in Southern California that are acknowledged homes to bands of Cahuilla. Sometimes referred to as villages, these are in Imperial, Riverside, and San Diego counties.
Pass or Western Cahuilla bands are on the San Gorgonio Pass, centered in Palm Springs and Palm Desert in Coachella Valley, north to Desert Hot Springs. They include the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Morongo Reservation, and the Mission Creek Band.
The Mountain Cahuilla are in Santa Rosa and the San Jacinto Mountains, and include the Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians of the Cahuilla Reservation, the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians of the Los Coyotes Reservation, the Ramona Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians, and the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians.
The Desert Cahuilla are in the deserts of northern Lake Cahuilla, and include the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, and the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians.
Recommended Resources
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
The Cahuilla Indians on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation are a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla, located in Riverside County, California. Created by an executive order signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, the reservation was originally 31,610 acres and was extended to 32,000 acres in 1877 and 1907. Since 6,700 acres are in Palm Springs, the tribe is the city's largest collective landowner. The tribal government and council are introduced, and tribal enterprises are highlighted.
https://www.aguacaliente.org/
Situated in Palm Springs, California, the museum focuses on the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Coachella Valley. Established in 1991, the 10,000-square-foot Permanent Gallery is divided into five exhibition areas, which are shown here, along with its 2,200-square-foot Changing Gallery, which showcases both traditional and contemporary Native American art, and Oasis Trail, a permanent outdoor exhibition. Its location, events, educational programs, group visits, and ticket sales.
https://www.accmuseum.org/
Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians
Based in Coachella, California, the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians is a federally recognized Cahuilla band of American Indians. According to various reports, there are 16 to 20 enrolled members, making it one of the smallest tribal nations in the United States. Although their reservation land is only one square mile, the tribe owns the Augustine Casino, Synergy Blue (a slot machine company), and Temalpakh Farms. The Band built the first photovoltaic energy system on Indian land.
https://augustinetribe-nsn.gov/
Tribally owned and operated by the Cabazon Band of Cahuilla Indians, also known as the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, the Cabazon Tribal Utility Authority (CTUA) was incorporated under a tribal ordinance authorized by the CBMI Business Committee in 2018. The Utility provides electrical, water, wastewater, and fiber optic services on the reservation and within its sphere of influence, covering more than 1,600 acres along the Interstate 10 corridor. Contacts are published on the website.
https://cabazon-tu.com/
The Cahuilla Band of Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla people who came originally from the Coachella Valley, through San Gorgonio Pass, to the San Jacinto Mountains, then relocated to Anza in 1875. Their reservation is 18,884 acres, 16,884 of which belong to individual members of the tribe. The tribal council, tribal court, gaming agency, tax commission, and economic development agency are introduced, with contacts, a calendar of events, and other information.
https://cahuilla-nsn.gov/
Owned and operated by the Cahuilla Band of Indians, responsible for regulating all gaming activities at the gaming facility. The Cahuilla Band of Indians is one of 22 tribes currently operating 25 Southern California casinos. Its slot, table games, and promotions are featured, along with the hotel accommodations, online bookings, on-site dining facilities, event spaces, a travel center, and a description of its Club Elevate member rewards program, with online sign-up.
https://cahuillacasinohotel.com/
Formed by the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuillo and Cupeńo Indians, the Cahuilla Band of Indians, the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, and the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Consortium advocates for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex/human tracking since 2010. Each tribe is represented by one member on its advisory committee, which includes a representative from California Indian Legal Services and a representative from the local Indian Health Clinic.
https://www.cahuillaconsortium.org/
Falling Rock: The Art of Gerald Clark
Gerald Clark is a sculptor, installation, conceptual artist, and a member of the Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians. Gerald's father was born Cahuilla. At age 3, his parents divorced, and he moved with his siblings and mother to Orange County, spending time with his father on the reservation on weekends. With the death of Gerald Clarke Sr. in 2003, Clarke moved with his family to the Cahuilla Band of Indians reservation, where he continued his art and tribal activities.
https://geraldclarkeart.com/
The Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla and Cupeño Indians, who were previously Mission Indians in California. Of 400 enrolled tribal members, about 150 reside on the reservation in northeastern San Diego County. Directions to the reservation are provided, and its policies on camping and hiking on reservation land are included, including a campground. Contacts for the tribal government and recreation department are included.
https://www.loscoyotestribe.org/
Established in 1964, the museum highlights the Cahuilla people. Its permanent exhibits consist of various artifacts, including baskets, pottery, and tools used by the native tribes of southern California, as well as a native plant garden exhibit. Temporary exhibit space is also available. Its programs and events include lectures, workshops, classes, agave harvest, roast, and various seasonal activities and celebrations. A photo gallery, journal, and a museum store are available.
http://malkimuseum.org/
Founded in 1893, the Ramona Band of Cahuilla is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla Indians in Riverside County, California. The 560-acre reservation is in Anza, at the foot of Thomas Mountain. The tribe's history, tribal council, and staff are introduced, along with its mission statement, departments, and projects. The reservation's location is shown on a map, and the address, policies for visiting, telephone number, and email address for the tribal office are listed.
https://ramona-nsn.gov/
Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians
Not to be confused with the Santa Rosa Rancheria (home to the Tachi Yokuts tribe), the federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla Indians is in the Santa Rosa Mountains in Riverside County. The 11,092-acre reservation was established in 1907; however, most registered members do not reside on the reservation. The tribal government, including the tribal council, boards, committees, administration, and departments, is introduced, with contacts and a calendar of events.
https://santarosa-nsn.gov/
Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians
Situated in Imperial and Riverside counties, the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians are a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla Indians. Established in 1876, the federal reservation has a total of 24,024 acres and was named for the village of Toro and the Martinez Indian Agency. In 1970, the tribe had 217 enrolled members, 42 of whom resided on the reservation. According to the 2010 census, the population of 5,594. The tribe owns the Red Earth Casino in Salton City, California.
https://torresmartinez.org/
