Background

Since time immemorial, the Palm Springs area has been home to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians for generations. Archaeological research has discovered that the Cahuilla have occupied Tahquitz Canyon for at least 5,000 years, mirroring the migration stories of the Cahuilla people.

The Cahuilla Indian name for the Palm Springs area was Sec-he (boiling water); the Spanish who arrived named it Agua Caliente (hot water). And then came the name "Palm Springs" in reference to both the native Washingtonia filifera palm tree and the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring. The Hot Spring waters provided the Cahuilla with clean water, a place for bathing, and a connection point with a spiritual underworld populated by nukatem, or ancient sacred beings. The hot spring waters were also utilized for healing purposes. The ceremonial life of the Cahuilla was a rich one. Elaborate ceremonies marked every important milestone in life. Today, remnants of the traditional Cahuilla society exist such as rock art, house-pits and foundations, irrigation ditches, dams, reservoirs, trails, and food preparation areas, which still exist in the canyons.

Crops in the Agua Caliente area were irrigated by water from nearby streams. Remnants of these rock-lined irrigation ditches from Tahquitz, Andreas, and Chino Creeks are still visible in areas untouched by development. Archival documentation from the mid-1880s tells of elderly Indians memories of parents working on these ditches when they were very young.

Women of the band were responsible for gathering all of the plants that were used for food. Some of the basic food plants were acorns, mesquite beans, seeds of all kinds, wild fruit, agave and yucca. In addition, the Cahuilla had an extensive trade system with neighboring tribes. Food, shells, animal and mineral products were traded with the tribes of the surrounding areas.

Background

Located in the mountain foothills of San Diego County, approximately 30 miles east of San Diego, the Barona Reservation spans 5,900 acres of flat and rocky terrain. The reservation was created in 1931 upon 5,900 acres purchased by the federal government for Kumeyaay tribal members residing on the Capitan Grande Indian Reservation.

The residents of the Barona Reservation, located in traditional Kumeyaay/Diegueño territory, are descendants of the Hokan-speaking peoples, an ancient language group found throughout California and on into southern Mexico. They are one of 12 bands of the Kumeyaay/Diegueño Tribe. The coastal country and the Salton Sea margins contain archaeological evidence suggesting that they are some of the oldest known Indian-inhabited areas in the United States; middens, or refuse heaps, have been found that date back some 20,000 years.

The Barona Reservation is currently governed by a seven-member elected tribal council, including a chairman and vice-chairman. Members of the council serve four years. The tribal council conducts all business for the band, including those activities related to planning and economic development. Decisions on land or other tribal resources are referred to the general council, composed of all the tribe’s voting members.

Background

The present-day reservation is located within the ancestral lands of the tribe on the site of an ancient community called Paui. The reservation was established by Executive Order on December 27, 1875. The acreage was increased on March 14, 1877, and was reduced two months later. The land base increased again with additions on April 14, 1926, and March 4, 1931, bringing the reservation to its present total area of 18,884 acres. All land is held in trust. Only 2,000 acres belong to the tribe in common; the remainder is allotted to individual members of the Cahuilla Band.

Members of the Cahuilla tribe have long resided in the area of southern California where the present reservation exists. The language of the Cahuilla people belongs to the Takic branch of the Uto-Aztecan greater linguistic family. Elder reservation residents continue to speak their ancestral language. Some forms of traditional music, such as Bird Songs and Peon Songs, remain important and are preformed regularly on social occasions.

Members age 21 or older make up the tribe’s general council, and they elect a tribal council every two years. Tribal council officers include a chairperson, vice-chairperson, a tribal administrator, and two council members. The tribal council also serves as the Overall Economic Development Committee. Additional committees are formed around issue-specific concerns such as personnel, economic development (Cahuilla Economic Ad Hoc Committee/C.E.A), housing (All Mission Indian Housing Authority/A.M.I.H.A), health (Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health), and education (Title V). The standing committees function within established policies and procedures. The tribe is organized under a non-IRA constitution which was revised in 1983. It is a PL-638 Tribe.

Background

The Campo Indian Reservation is located in southeastern San Diego County atop the Laguna Mountains. The reservation was established on 710 acres on February 10, 1893, following an Executive Order on January 12, 1891. Eighty acres were added on February 2, 1907, and 13,610 acres were added on December 14, 1911. Later additions brought the reservation to its current size. All land on Campo is tribal-owned land; there are presently no allotments or assignments.

The Campo people are part of the Kumeyaay Indian Tribe, whose historic territory reached from northern San Diego County to the Salton Sea and 50 miles into Baja California. The Kumeyaays first encountered Spanish explorers in 1542. Over the next 200 years, the Spanish continued to arrive along the Pacific coast and venture inland. Contact between the Spanish and the Kumeyaays was violent, but the Kumeyaays managed to escape capture or confinement numerous times.

The tribe is organized under a non-IRA Constitution that established a legislative branch, an executive branch, and a judicial branch. The seven-member elected executive committee includes a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, and treasurer. Officers serve four-year terms. The executive committee serves as the overall economic development plan committee as well. The judicial branch represents the tribe in matters involving the BIA, the federal and state courts, and the tribal environmental court.

Background

The Chemehuevi Reservation is located on the shores of Lake Havasu, in southeastern California on the Arizona border; 25 miles of the reservation boundary run along the shores of the lake, and 27 acres are located on prime lakefront property. The Chemehuevi Reservation was established by an Executive Order in 1970.

The Chemehuevi people are considered to be the most southern group of the Southern Paiute Indians, who are linguistically related to the greater Uto-Aztecan language family which includes languages spoken by peoples from the Great Basin south into central Mexico. For subsistence, the Chemehuevis traditionally gathered seeds and, after the coming of the Spanish, planted wheat along the Colorado River.

The reservation is governed by a nine-member elected tribal council, with a constitution and bylaws drawn up under the Indian Reorganization Ace of 1934. The council includes a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and a secretary-treasurer. Tribal officers serve for three-year terms. In addition, various standing committees such as the resource development committee, the administration committee, and the human resource committee, report to the tribal council.

Background

The Colorado River Indian Tribes include four distinct Tribes - the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo. There are currently about 4,277 active Tribal members.

The CRIT Reservation was created in 1865 by the Federal Government for “Indians of the Colorado River and its tributaries,” originally for the Mohave and Chemehuevi, who had inhabited the area for centuries. People of the Hopi and Navajo Tribes were relocated to the reservation in later years.

The reservation stretches along the Colorado River on both the Arizona and California side. It includes almost 300,000 acres of land, with the river serving as the focal point and lifeblood of the area.

The primary community in the CRIT Reservation is Parker, Arizona, which is located on a combination of Tribal land, leased land that is owned by CRIT and land owned by non-Native Americans. There are other, smaller communities on the reservation, including Poston, located 10 miles south of Parker.

Poston was the site in World War II of one of the United States' largest Japanese internment camps, where thousands of Japanese-Americans were held over a three-year period. The camp sites are now home to a monument dedicated to those who died and suffered while in internment, and CRIT is currently in the process of creating a museum to commemorate the era.

The primary economic activity on the CRIT Reservation has always been agriculture, going back to the days when mesquite trees were plentiful along the banks of the river and were relied upon for everything from food to cooking to Tribal traditions and ceremonies. CRIT continues to have a strong farming and agricultural industry, including growing cotton, alfalfa and sorghum.

However, in recent years the Tribal economy has diversified greatly, and now includes forays and businesses in several different fields. Sand and gravel, real estate development and retail stores have all been part of the Tribes' economic development efforts. And over the past decade, a heavy emphasis has turned toward tourism, as CRIT opened the BlueWater Resort and Casino in Parker and has endeavored to attract both cultural and recreational tourists to the area.

Background

The Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians is a self-governing federally recognized Indian tribe exercising sovereign authority over the lands of the Ewiiaapaayp (Cuyapaipe) Indian Reservation. The Cuyapaipe Indian Reservation was stablished on February 10, 1891, following an Executive Order on January 12, 1891, and an Act of Congress.

The Mission Indian Relief Act of 1891 enacted recommendations of the Jackson-Kinney Report stating, “The history of the Mission Indians for a century may be written in four words: conversion, civilization, neglect, outrage… Justice and humanity alike demand the immediate action of Government to preserve for their occupation the fragments of land not already taken from them.” The late Tony J. Pinto (1914-2003), Ewiiaapaayp Tribal Chairman from 1967-2001, and his family members worked to preserve the cultural traditions of the Kumeyaays, including its Peon games and Bird Songs.

The Ewiiaapaayp Band’s tribal members govern themselves as a general council composed of all enrolled tribal members age 18 or above under its tribal constitution enacted and approved in 1973 and amended in 2002. Elected tribal officials are the chairman, vice-chairman, and treasurer/secretary.

Background

The Santa Ysabel Reservation is located about 40 miles east of Escondido, on Highway 76, south of Los Coyotes Reservation. Santa Ysabel is situated on the slopes of the Volcano Mountains, at nearly 4,500 feet. The rugged, wooded area provides a sense of solitude for the reservation’s residents.

The Santa Ysabel Band is part of the Kumeyaay Nation, which extends from San Diego and Imperial counties in California to 60 miles south of the Mexican border. The Kumeyaays are members of the Yuman language branch of the Hokan group. Included with the Kumeyaays in the Yuman branch are the PaiPais, Kiliwas, Cocopas, Mojaves, Maricopas, Quechans, Yavapais, Havasupais, and Hualapais. The Hokan language group is wide ranging, covering most of the costal lands of southern California. It includes tribes as far north as the Kuroks of Northern California.

The tribe is governed by a council comprised of a tribe spokesman, a vice-spokesman, a secretary, a treasurer, a councilman, and a councilwoman. The tribe is in the process of developing a tribal court system. Its police department currently shares cross-jurisdiction with the county’s law enforcement officers.

Background

The Inaja-Cosmit Reservation is located 36 miles northeast of San Diego. It is accessible via Interstate 8 east and California Route 67 north. Tribal lands consist of two parcels of rather remote and somewhat inaccessible land at the base of Cuyamaca Peak. Deep winter snows and a lack of facilities make these locations inhospitable to all but the hardiest.

Members of the Inaja-Cosmit Band belong to the Kumeyaay Nation. Tribal lands of the Kumeyaay Nation extend from San Diego and Imperial counties in California to territories 60 miles south of the Mexican border. The Kumeyaays are members of the Yuman-language branch of the Hokan linguistic group.

The Inaja-Cosmits are governed by a tribal chairperson, and they maintain a tribal office in Escondido, California.

Background

Jamul Indian Village is a small reservation located in rolling hills about 10 miles southeast of El Cajon in southern California, along State Highway 94 in San Diego County. In 1912 the San Diego Diocesan Office of Apostolic Ministry allowed Jamul Indian Village use of 2.34 acres of land for a cemetery; however, the Diocesan Office still retains ownership of the land. The Delay Corporation of San Diego deeded an additional 4.0 acres. The residents of Jamul Indian Village attained federally recognized reservation status in 1981.

The Jamul Tribe is part of the Kumeyaay or Diegueño Tribe of southern California. Their language belongs to the Hokan language group; languages included in this group are spoken by peoples from southern Oregon to southern Mexico. The Kumeyaay people are related to the Colorado River people, who are believed to have been the first Native Americans in the Southwest to come into contact with Europeans. The area’s heavy concentration of Spanish missionaries, with their zeal for assimilation, adversely affected the Kumeyaay people’s Native language and culture retention.

The federal government recognized the Jamul Indian Village’s executive council as a tribal government in 1981. The Jamul tribal government operates under articles of association and bylaws that established an executive tribal council. The general tribal council is composed of the tribe’s entire voting membership, and an executive tribal council, whose members are elected every two years. The six-member tribal council includes a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and a secretary-treasurer plus three executive council members. The executive council meets regularly or as necessary to conduct urgent business. The tribal council, which usually meets monthly, handles health matters, social services, drug prevention, housing, childcare, education, job training, and infrastructure.

Background

The La Jolla Reservation spans 8,541 acres along the southern slopes of Mount Palomar and descends in cascading terraces to the cool forests of the upper reaches of the San Luis Rey River. The reservation is located off State Highway 76, 25 miles east of Escondido and 60 miles northeast of San Diego. The La Jolla Reservation was first established by Executive Orders on December 27, 1875, and May 15, 1876. An Executive Order on May 3, 1877, returned some land to the public domain. The present reservation was established on September 13, 1892. A subsequent allotment consisted of 634 acres. The La Jolla Reservation lies within traditional Luiseño territory.

Members of the La Jolla Band belong to the Luiseño Tribe. Tribal members have resided in the region for thousands of years. Luiseño traditional territory originally covered roughly 1,500 miles of southern California to the north of the Kumeyaays’ land, including most of the San Luis Ray and Santa Margarita drainages. The Luiseño language is of the Cupan group of the Takic language, a subfamily of the greater Uto-Aztecan linguistic family. The term Luiseño is derived from the San Luis Rey Mission and has been used in Southern California to refer to those Takic-speaking people associated with the mission.

The reservation is a PL-638 tribe governed by general council composed of all tribal members age 21 and older. The five-member elected tribal council includes a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and a secretary-treasurer. The tribal council meets monthly and serves two-year terms. The tribe is organized under a non-IRA Articles of Association that was approved in 1962. The La Jolla Tribal Government developed one of the first tribal employment rights offices in California. Government departments include education and culture. The tribe does not maintain its own law enforcement department. However, it is in the process of developing a program through contracts with the BIA and the county sheriff’s office currently provides services.

Background

The La Posta Reservation spans 3,556.49 acres and is located in the Laguna Mountains, 56 miles east of San Diego and 46 miles west of El Centro. Located just west of the Manzanita and Campo Indian Reservations, the reservation is bordered on the southwest corner by Interstate 8. The reservation was established on February 10, 1893, under the authority of the Act of January 12, 1891.

The residents of La Posta Reservation are members of the Kumeyaay Tribe. The group’s language belongs to the Yuman branch of the greater Hokan linguistic family. The Kumeyaays’ traditional territory encompassed what is now San Diego County.

The La Posta Reservation is governed by a general council. Elected council members include a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and a business manager. Elected members serve two-year terms, and the general council meets twice a year. The band is organized under an IRA constitution that was approved on March 5, 1973.

Background

The Los Coyotes Reservation is located approximately 70 miles from San Diego, between the Cleveland National Forest and the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, in scenic forested hills and valleys east of Mount Palomar and adjacent to a number of hot springs. An Executive Order on May 5, 1889, set apart lands for this reservation, but it was not established until June 19, 1900, under the authority of an act on January 12, 1891. An Executive Order on April 13, 1914, transferred lands from the Cleveland National Forest to the Los Coyotes Reservation.

Members of the Los Coyotes Band of Indians are descendants of the Cahuilla and Cupeño tribes. Ancestors of these groups originally occupied two village sites in the vicinity of the area’s hot springs. Although from distinct tribes, both groups spoke a language belonging to the Takic branch of the larger Uto-Aztecan linguistic family; peoples speaking languages of these families live in areas of the Great Basin into central Mexico. While the Cupeños lived along what came to be known as Warner’s Hot Springs, the Cahuillas resided in the hills to the immediate east. The latter location represents the present site of the Los Coyotes Reservation.

The Los Coyotes Reservation is governed by a general council, consisting of all members at least 21 years old; the tribe is organized by customs and traditions. Tribal officers include a spokesperson and five committee members. Tribal officers are elected for one-year terms. The tribal government is not organized under the Indian Reorganization Ace of 1934. The tribe is a PL-638 tribe.

Background

The Manzanita Reservation is located in southeastern San Diego County, California. Manzanita adjoins Campo Indian Reservation on the south and La Posta Reservation on the west. It is about 67 miles east of the city of San Diego on Interstate 8; the town of Boulevard is six miles away. The reservation lies within 10 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. The reservation was established on 640 acres in 1893 under authority of an Executive Order of 1891. The land base was increased by Departmental Order in 1907, and it is held in trust by the U.S. government.

Members of the Manzanita Band belong to the Kumeyaay Nation. The Kumeyaays’ traditional territory extended north and south of the Mexican border from the Pacific coast almost to the Colorado River. The Kumeyaays are speakers of the Yuman branch of the greater Hokan linguistic family.

All tribal members 18 years and older make up the general council which governs the tribe. An executive committee, which consists of the tribal chairman, two committee members, and a secretary-treasurer, is elected by the general council to run the routine activities of the tribal government. The tribe is organized under an IRA constitution and bylaws approved in 1976. In addition to the administrative department, the tribe maintains a housing committee and grants management office.

Background

The Mesa Grande Reservation is located on 1,803 acres in southern California. In 1998 the tribe purchased an additional 883 acres of land to be used for the construction of tribal housing. The reservation was established in 1875.

The reservation is situated in a remote region of the hills above the forests of Black Canyon, within the Cleveland National Forest. Elevations range to 3,500 feet above sea level.

The tribe is governed by a tribal council that consists of a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and three council members. Government departments include administration, housing, environmental protection, education, Indian Child Welfare services, and repatriation.

Background

Set at the foot of the beautiful San Gorgonio and San Jacinto Mountains, the Morongo Indian Reservation spans more than 35,000 acres and overlooks the vistas of the Banning Pass. Resilient and resourceful, the Morongo tribe has had to overcome many adversities.

Established in 1865, the Morongo Indian Reservation was one of nine small reservations created by President Ulysses S. Grant by executive order in 1876. In 1983, the path of Morongo’s future changed when tribal members started a modest bingo hall. From this building evolved one of the oldest and most successful Indian gaming facilities in California. The present $250 million destination which opened in late 2004, the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, is one of the largest tribal gaming facilities in the nation.

Background

The Pala Reservation is located in southern California. It was established by the Executive Order of December 27, 1875. Executive Orders of May 3, 1877, and July 24, 1882, restored portions of it to public domain. A Congressional Act of May 27, 1902, appropriated $100,000 for the purchase of land for California Mission Indians. An Act of March 31, 1903, permitted the use of part of this money for removing the Indians to the purchased land. The Executive Order of December 20, 1973, returned the Mission Reserve, formerly controlled by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, to the Pala Band of Mission Indians. The rancheria encompasses over 12,000 acres, including 4,000 acres of forests, 6 acres of wetlands, 8 acres of lake, and over 38 miles of streams. The San Luis Rey River courses through the center of the reservation.

Members of the Pala Band belong to the Kuupangaxwichem, or Cupeño, and Luiseño tribes. The Pala Reservation represents one of the communities of Indians who were forced together by Spanish Franciscan missionaries during the 1800s. Although descendants of the Cupeño people form the majority, there has been a large degree of cultural integration between the groups.

The general council, composed of all adult members 18 years and older, governs the Pala Reservation. The council meets monthly, or the executive committee may call a special meeting. Executive committee members include a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer. Members of the executive committee serve two-year terms. Tribal members must be at least 21 years old to run for office. The tribe is organized under Articles of Association approved in July 1961. These articles were amended in 1973 and 1980.

Background

The Pauma and Yuima Reservation lies in the northeastern corner of San Diego County, California, against the foothills of Mount Palomar. It is composed of four separate tracts of land totaling 5,877.25 acres. The residential portion of the reservation, 225 acres, is located 65 miles from metropolitan San Diego. The reservation was established on August 18, 1893, by an Executive Order. The Pauma Reservation proper totals 225 acres and serves as the community center for the reservation. Two 12.5-acre tracts located on the slopes of Mount Palomar are referred to as Yuima tracts 1 and 2. These tracts are approximately five miles from the main reservation and have tribal housing. In 1973 the Secretary of the Interior instructed the Bureau of Land Management to issue a trust patent to the Pauma Band of Mission Indians for the nearby Mission Reserve. This 5,627-acre parcel of land, composed of undeveloped wilderness, became the fourth tract of land in the Pauma Reservation.

The Pauma and Yuima Indian Reservation is one of the homes of the Luiseño Tribe. Originally, the tribe occupied about 1,500 square miles of coastal southern California. Their language belongs to the Cupan group of the Takic language, a subfamily of the greater Uto-Aztecan linguistic family.

The Pauma Band of Mission Indians is governed by custom and tradition. The band is organized under the non-IRA Articles of Association, adopted by the group on March 17, 1966, and approved by the BIA on June 28, 1966. The general council serves as the reservation’s governing body, and it consists of all enrolled members at least 21 years old. Elected tribal officials include a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, a secretary-treasurer, a tribal administrator, and a tribal council member.

Background

The Rincon Indian Reservation is in the northeastern corner of San Diego County, California, along the San Luis Rey River. The Rincon Reservation was established by an Executive Order on December 27, 1875. A second Executive Order on March 2, 1881, increased the land area of the reservation. The reservation was officially established on September 13, 1892, under the authority of the Act of 1891. Tribal headquarters are located in Valley Center, adjacent to Harrah’s Rincon Casino.

Members of the Rincon Band belong to the Luiseño Tribe. Since the founding of the Rincon Reservation more than a century ago, residents have utilized their fertile soil for agriculture and livestock. By 1910 the average annual income of the reservation matched or exceeded that of local non-Native famers.

The tribe is organized under Articles of Association that were approved on March 15, 1960, by the secretary of the interior. A general council and a tribal business committee oversee the governing of the Rincon Reservation. The five-member elected business committee includes a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and three committee members. Council members serve two-year terms. Tribal government programs include an education committee and Indian Child Welfare Act Committee.

Background

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located near the city of Highland, Calif. San Manuel is one of several clans of Serrano Indians, who are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys mountains and high deserts who share a common language and culture. The San Manuel reservation was established in 1891 and recognized as a sovereign nation with the right of self-government. Since time immemorial, the San Manuel tribal community has endured change and hardship. Amidst these challenges the tribe continued to maintain its unique form of governance. Like other governments it seeks to provide a better quality of life for its citizens by building infrastructure, maintaining civil services and promoting social, economic and cultural development. Today San Manuel tribal government oversees many governmental units including the departments of fire, public safety, education and environment.

Over time, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has made progress toward becoming a self-sufficient tribal government with an established economic and social outlook. San Manuel is active in supporting projects in neighboring communities. Nearby cities and towns receive support from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in the way of monetary donations for cultural, social, and economic projects to benefit the common good of the communities in which they live and work.

The reservation which was established in 1891 is home to the Yuhaaviatam Clan of the Serrano Indians who are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys and mountains who share a common language and culture with other clans of the Serrano people. The reservation is named after Santos Manuel, a great tribal leader, and is located in southern California, in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountain region, just north of the city of Highland. It consists of just over 900 acres of mostly mountainous land.

Background

The current San Pasqual Reservation is comprised of five separate, noncontiguous tracts of dry, scrub-oak hill country in southern California. It adjoins the rural community of Valley Center approximately 40 miles north of San Diego, 12 miles from Escondido, and 25 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. The original reservation was established July 1, 1910, under authority of an Act of January 12, 1891, as amended and supplemented. An Executive Order issued on April 15, 1911, set aside land for the reservation site, with an annex in 1972.

Residents of the San Pasqual Reservation are members of the Kumeyaay Tribe. Their language belongs to the Yuman branch of the Hokan language family, other languages that are spoken by peoples from southern Oregon to southern Mexico. In 1769 Kumeyaay territory extended 50 to 75 miles both north and south of the Mexican border and from the California coast east nearly to the Colorado River. Prior to European contact, the tribe was divided into as many as 50 bands, but two tribal chiefs served to maintain cohesive intertribal relations.

The San Pasqual Tribal Government operates under a constitution and bylaws approved January 14, 1971. The tribe is organized under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The general council consists of all members 19 years of age and older; members elect a business committee which serves two-year terms and is comprised of a spokesman, a vice-spokesman, a secretary-treasurer, and two at-large members.

Background

The Santa Rosa Indian Reservation is located in Riverside County, between Palm Springs and Anza, and occupies 11,021 acres of land.

The Reservation is composed of four non-contiguous parcels; the largest being located in the area of Sew’ia, or New Santa Rosa (Vandeventer Flat) where residents of the Reservation reside. The three remaining parcels, which include Toro Peak where the Tribe operates a telecommunications relay station, are located east of the main parcel. Elevation ranges from 4,200’ elevation at Sew’ia (Cahuilla name for “New” Santa Rosa) to 8,700’ elevation at Toro Peak.

Currently, there are 118 recognized Tribal Members (18 and over). Approximately 70 individuals live on the Reservation.

The General Council (which consists of adult members 18 years of age and older) elects a Tribal Council for two-year terms. The Tribal Council consists of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and three Council members.

The people of Sew’ia are one of eight Cahuilla Bands which include Cahuilla, Ramona, Los Coyotes, Torres-Martinez, Augustine, Cabazon, Agua Caliente, and Morongo.

Background

Since time immemorial the descendants of the Soboba people are those whom have lived on and occupied the land that is presently known as the cities of San Jacinto, Hemet, Valle Vista and Winchester.
Today the Soboba Indian Reservation lies in the lower reaches of the San Jacinto Mountains, across the San Jacinto River from the city of San Jacinto.

Soboba’s Tribal members have a rich and diverse Tribal history as members come from both Cahuilla and Luiseño ancestry. Prior to both Mexican and American settlement in the valley the people of Soboba were virtually self-sufficient. The Soboba people farmed land that was irrigated with surface water from the San Jacinto River, two of its tributary streams, Poppet and Indian Creeks, and from more than forty perennial springs. These water sources sustained gardens, animals and orchards.

During the Spanish and Mexican rule in California, the Soboba Indians were recognized as an established Indian community. In approximately 1815, Mission San Luis Rey established Rancho San Jacinto as their furthermost cattle ranch and Luiseño Indians were brought with them as laborers for the ranch. Some of the original Cahuilla inhabitants of the valley who were present in the valley during this time intermarried with the Luiseños.

After the missions were secularized the San Jacinto Rancho Viejo was granted to José Antonio Estudillo in 1842, with a stipulation that the new land owner “shall not in any manner prejudice the Indians who are established on said land.” For as long as he lived Jose Antonio Estudillo and Jose Antonio Estudillo Jr. respected the rights and well-being of Soboba Indians. Starting in 1868 the heirs of the Estudillo family began selling various portions of the Rancho San Jacinto Viejo and by 1880 most of the rancho lands had been sold and the Soboba people were left with no legal claim to their land or water.

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Background

Sycuan Reservation is located in southern Californian, six miles from El Cajon and within 20 miles of San Diego, off Highway 8 east. An Executive Order on December 27, 1875, set lands apart for this reservation. The secretary of the interior enlarged the Sycuan Reservation by 89.15 acres in November 2001 when it placed the Bradley and Big Oak Ranch properties into deferral trust.

Residents of the Sycuan Reservation are members of the Kumeyaay Tribe. Their language belongs to the Yuman branch of the Hokan language family. Other languages are spoken by peoples from southern Oregon to southern Mexico. The Kumeyaays are also known as Diegueños, named after the mission within their territory.

The Sycuan Reservation is governed by the seven-member elected Sycuan Business Committee. Tribal officials include a spokesperson, a vice-chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer. The tribe is organized under Articles of Association approved in 1972. The tribe is a self-governing PL-638 tribe. The departments are: administration, accounting, construction, community development, environmental, landscape and janitorial, medical administration, senior citizen programs, medical and dental clinic, human resources, gaming commission, file department, Kumeyaay Community College, learning center, daycare center, insurance and medical claims, tribal police, and the Sycuan Tribal Development Corporation.

Background

The Cahuilla people have inhabited the Martinez Canyon since the early 1800’s. In May of 1876 an Executive Order by President Ulysses S. Grant created the Torres and Martinez reservations. Under the Relief of Mission Indians Act of 1891, the Torres and Martinez reservations were combined. In December 1906, the U.S. Department of the Interior authorized funding for a new reservation school building. The new school building benefited tribal kids tremendously because it eliminated an eight-mile walk to the Thermal school. The school building and a small cottage (used as a teacher or agent residence) were finished in August 1907. Later, the school was used for religious services and tribal gathering.

The area geology ranges from fine sand at the north end to rocky terrain at the southern end, excluding the area that surrounds the sea. The climate is arid with very little rain. The average high temperature year round is between 80 and 90 degrees and sometimes reaches 120 degrees in the summer.

The tribe is governed by constitution and bylaws adopted by the general membership. There are eight Tribal Council members, who are elected every two years by the general membership. The general membership meets on the second Saturday of each month to go over activities involving the tribe. Rules and/or procedures for the conduct of the tribe are established by the general membership through appropriate ordinance or resolution. Business can only be conducted by the General Council at a duty called meeting with a quorum of at least 21 members present.

Background

The Viejas Reservation is located in southern California, 35 miles east of San Diego, north of interstate 8 and the city of Alpine, approximately 30 miles north of the Mexican border. It is surrounded by the Cleveland National Forest. The reservation was established by an Executive Order in 1934.

The Viejas Band of Mission Indians is part of the Kumeyaay Indian Nation of southern California. Their language belongs to the Hokan language group; languages included in this group are spoken by peoples from southern Oregon to southern Mexico. The Viejas Band is one of 12 Kumeyaay bands. Traditionally, the Kumeyaays depended upon the land for their subsistence, not only gathering the area’s native plants and hunting wild game, but also farming within a complex system of agricultural landholdings. The area’s heavy concentration of Spanish missionaries, with their zeal for assimilation, adversely affected the Kumeyaay people’s Native language and culture retention.

The Viejas Band is governed by a bi-level tribal government. The general council is comprised of all the tribe’s adult voting members. The general council elects officers for the tribal council and votes on all land-use decisions. The tribal council is composed of a chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary, and a treasurer, each elected to two-year terms. The tribal council serves as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the tribal government, and it serves as the director for the tribe’s economic enterprises. The tribe is organized under a constitution drawn up under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.