Tribal Chairman Richard M. Milanovich
Welcome to the home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the historic Palm Springs-based tribe with more than 400 members and a community base that includes families, businesses and civic organizations. As a Sovereign Tribal Government, the Tribe stewards more than 31,500 acres of ancestral land which includes cities, county and protected Bighorn sheep habitat. With nearly 2,800 Team Members working at Tribal developments, the Tribe understands how important families and communities are to its members and neighbors.
Within the community not only do we strive to maintain our cultural heritage and past, but we support and help develop the community around us which includes Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage and parts of Riverside County.
If you have a question about the Tribe, please contact us at tribalgovernment@aguacaliente.net or call 760-699-6800.
Tribe Mourns Passing of Former Tribal Councilmember Jeannette Prieto-Dodd
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., (July 8, 2010) — The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is mourning former Tribal Councilmember Jeannette Prieto-Dodd, 43, who passed away unexpectedly early today.
Prieto-Dodd, who served the Council until 2010, was first appointed in 2001 after serving as a proxy to the Council beginning in 1999. She was a tireless advocate for the Tribe, working behind the scenes to help support and guide sustained growth for the Tribal Government. Her goal was to provide a strong foundation for the Tribe’s future generations.
read more ...Message from Chairman Milanovich
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (April 6, 2010) — Chairman Richard M. Milanovich, recovering from surgery for liver cancer less than two weeks earlier, was back in Tribal Council Chambers Tuesday April 6 to attend the swearing in of the newly elected 2010 Tribal Council.
The Chairman, who presided over the meeting, will be working on a lighter schedule during his treatment and recovery. His prognosis is excellent.
read more ...Tahquitz Canyon legend lives on...
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (March 12, 2010) — Anthony J. Andreas, an Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Tribal Member who passed away in 2009, is featured in the biannual Journal of the Society for California Archaeology, California Archaeology, published in December of 2009.
read more ...Tribe Gets Nod to Issue Bond for Solar Facility
PALM SPRINGS, CA, (February 16, 2010) — The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians was granted the authority to issue tax-exempt financing of up to $11 million by the U.S. Treasury Department to develop a solar equipment manufacturing facility on reservation land near Thousand Palms, Calif.
read more ...Agua Caliente Tribe Captures Three Top Honors
RANCHO MIRAGE , CA (Jan. 27, 2010) — The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Tribe’s business developments captured three tops honors at the 2010 “Rammy” Awards held by the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce Jan. 27.
Tribal Chairman Richard M. Milanovich took the prize of Business Man of the Year and Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa captured the honor of Exemplary Hotel/Resort. For the second year in a row, the resort also received the Recycling Award, sponsored by Burrtec Waste and Recycling Services and the City of Rancho Mirage.
read more ...Traditional Bird Singing and Dancing Presented by Agua Caliente Cultural Museum
PALM SPRINGS, CA (January 5, 2010) — Agua Caliente Cultural Museum again hosts Singing the Birds (Wikitmallem Tahmuwhae): Bird Song and Dance Festival. This year’s event will be held Saturday, January 23, 2010, at the Palm Springs High School Gymnasium, 2401 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event celebrates traditional bird singing and dancing which have, through the ages, been an important part of Native culture for tribes in southern California and other regions of the Southwest. Singing groups and dancers travel from all over California and neighboring states to take part in this event.
Complete information on Singing the Birds (Wikitmallem Tahmuwhae): Bird Song and Dance Festival, and other Agua Caliente Cultural Museum exhibitions, classes, and programs can be found at www.accmuseum.org.
read more ...Tribal Chairman joins with City leaders to honor philanthropist
PALM SPRINGS, CA (January 4, 2010) — Agua Caliente Tribal Chairman Richard M. Milanovich helped to celebrate Palm Springs’ philanthropist Jackie Lee Houston, who was honored Jan. 4 at the dedication of the Jackie Lee Houston Plaza across from the Palm Springs Convention Center. Chairman Milanovich told the audience that Mrs. Houston has been singlehandedly responsible for supporting dozens of charities and encouraging others to "dig a little deeper," to help the community.
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Golf Tournament turns fun into cash for charities
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (June 16, 2010) — Four Coachella Valley Charities benefitting local kids took home an extra $80,000 when Richard M. Milanovich, Chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, presented each of the groups with the proceeds from the Tribe’s recent celebrity golf tournament.
read more ...Let the grownups play
Indian Canyons Golf Resort South and the Agua Caliente Tribe hosted a full slate of celebrity sports stars.
Palm Springs, CA (May 14, 2010) — A day of fun was the driving force behind the Agua Caliente’s first charity golf tournament Friday, May 14, bringing out a slate of some 20 pro sports celebrities, businesses and the Tribal Council to raise money for three top children’s charities.
read more ...American Indian College Fund
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., (April 27, 2010) — A representative from the American Indian College Fund, Eileen Egan (pictured right), along with Ollie Beyal of the Palm Springs office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, visited the Agua Caliente Tribal Administration Plaza in April to take applications and answer questions about the Anthony A. Welmas Endowment Fund, a new scholarship designed to help enrolled Tribal Members and lineal descendants pay for college. The scholarship, open to both ACBCI Tribal Members as well as those across the country, is the legacy of the late Anthony A. Welmas, son of Tribal Elder Renona Pennington, who was a strong believer in education as an essential element for the success of Native American people. The BIA was instrumental in helping to set up the scholarship, now being administered by the American Indian College Fund. For more information and to apply, go to www.collegefund.org.
Western Coachella Valley Police Activities League Honors
Pictured from left, Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit, Tribal Chairman Richard M. Milanovich, Vice Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe, Secretary/Treasurer Karen A. Welmas, wife of the late Supervisor Roy Wilson, Aurora Wilson, and Tribal Council member Vincent Gonzales III.
INDIAN WELLS, Calif., (April 25, 2010) — The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Tribal Council accepted honors from the Western Coachella Valley Police Activities League (PAL), Sunday, April 25, at the Indian Wells Country Club, receiving the "Roy Wilson Hero Award" for its longstanding support of PAL activities. The organization keeps local, low-income youth involved in leadership activities and mentoring through the Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs police departments.
New 2010 Tribal Council Sworn In
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (April 6, 2010) — The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Tribal Council was sworn in today, seating one new official and renewing the terms of longtime Chairman Richard M. Milanovich along with two-term Councilmember Vincent Gonzales III.
read more ...Groundbreaking to Celebrate Work on the New Interstate 10 Freeway Exchanges
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (Feb. 26, 2010) — A multi-agency groundbreaking to celebrate work on the new Interstate 10 freeway exchanges at Bob Hope Drive and Ramon Road was sponsored by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians on Feb. 26, 2010.
read more ...Joint Tribal / Palm Springs City Council Meeting
PALM SPRINGS CA, (October 28, 2009) — As part of their ongoing regular meeting schedule, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians met with the Palm Springs City Council at the Spa Resort Casino Hotel on Wednesday, Oct. 28, to discuss areas of mutual interest.
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