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Environment

In addition to a common language base, the other factor these early Cahuilla held in common was the influence of the their natural environment. Life in the desert is very different than survival in the heavily forested northern California mountains.

The desert environment that is east of Mt San Jacinto, stretching to the Arizona border, may appear sparse in trees and vegetation, but it holds a secret that allowed native life to flourish. Beneath the surface of the desert is a plentiful source of water - called an aquifer. And due to the geology of the region, there are many small earthquake faults that have cracked the bedrock beneath the sand and have created fissures where the water table's aquifer can bubble up near the surface. It was, and still is, this secret underground lake of water that allows the desert dwellers to survive and thrive.

We can today see many oases in the region and this is proof of the underground lake and its ability to bubble right up to the surface and support beautiful cool pools that then support animal, plant, and human life nearby. But still beneath the surface, where we cannot view it, there are other water sources that allow the mesquite trees to grow, and that support plant and animal life. For example, before the Salton Sea was formed, the early native people were able to live in that area because its low elevation enabled the mesquite roots to reach water easily.

Another interesting aspect of Cahuilla life is that they had the ability to share resources with villages that were in the high mountains, in the mountain passes, as well as on the desert valley floors. This enabled them to trade for resources - like acorns or pine nuts that could not grow in the desert, but did grow in the mountains. In turn, the desert dwellers could offer mesquite beans, their local version of acorns, baskets and pottery.