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Today

Today the descendents of these early Cahuilla are living on reservation lands that represent about 2/3s of their original lands. The United States Government took over a portion of their lands to encourage a railroad to be built; the remainder of the lands are laid out in a checkerboard pattern. The tribal groups are developing independent of one another, and have been modernizing by forming rural cooperatives and by entering into the casino business. What they offer us today, that is a true gift, is continued access to the ancient Indian Canyons with ancient trails, springs, and petroglyphs that allow us to experience life as it may have been for the Cahuilla hundreds of years ago. These canyons are recognized on the National register of Historic Places, and are still held as sacred lands by the Cahuilla Agua Caliente Band of Indians. If you can visit one of these beautiful backcountry desert oases, sit quietly, and listen to the animals and sounds that fill the canyon. The wind will rustle through the palm fronds, the dragonflies will zig, zag, and dip to the waters surface, and the birds will sing a song they have sung since ancient times. But remember, the Cahuilla did not live right in the actual palm oasis - they considered them a special place for visitation not for habitation. Some people say they thought they were haunted… others say they knew fire was a danger around the dried and fallen palm fronds. There certainly is a spirit to the place even today …


Cahuilla Territory
Map Source: Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 8: California. Smithsonian Institution