Agua Caliente

Tribe Gives away $5,000 to Martha’s Village & kitchen

PALM SPRINGS, CA (July 1, 2009)–– The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has given Martha’s Village & Kitchen a $5,000 donation to help pay for medical services and operating expenses at its clinic in Indio.

Martha’s Medical Clinic serves some 4,700 uninsured and homeless patients annually. The organization provides diabetic care, medication, and eye exams to its clients.

"This kind of basic medical care is out of reach to so many people, and the problem is only getting worse," said Tribal Chairman Richard M. Milanovich. "The Tribe wanted to do something to support Martha’s Village & Kitchen because the shelter continues to fill a void in our society."

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Books Come Alive with Tribal Funding

PALM SPRINGS, CA (June 26, 2009)–– With the reopening of the Cathedral City Library this month, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians was pleased to help with a donation to keep kids interested in learning during the summer vacation months.

The Tribe donated support funds for the Books Come Alive program that offers live presentations on topics that provide children with free books. Cost of the program for three months was more than $2,700.

"We feel strongly that education is the bedrock of success, and this is a summer program that pays great dividends for Cathedral City families," said Tribal Chairman Richard M. Milanovich. "The prize for a child is keeping the book, but the real reward is a lifetime of reading skills."

Tribe Gives Away $3,000 to Support Project Lifesaver

PALM SPRINGS, CA (June 18, 2009)–– The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has given Project Lifesaver and the Palm Springs Police Department Citizens on Patrol a $3,000 grant to help pay for tracking devices that help find people whose medical conditions cause them to become lost.

Project Lifesaver is designed to help find local residents who wander away from their caregivers because they are suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s, Down’s Syndrome, Autism or other cognitive disorders. The organization reports that more than 60 people wander away from home in Palm Springs annually. In some cases, the results can be fatal.

Tribe goes Green at Indian Canyons

PALM SPRINGS, CA (June 15, 2009) –– Just as summer temps are pushing higher, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has gone green with a totally "off-grid" solar system at the Indian Canyons Trading Post.

The Tribe’s Trading Post gift shop in Indian Canyons, where hikers can stop to cool off with an ice cream or snack, has gone from a noisy propane generator to a new solar panel and battery system that runs completely independent of the energy grid.

Tribe Gives Away $5,000 to Support Joslyn Senior Center

PALM SPRINGS, CA (May 29, 2009)–– The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is giving $5,000 to the Joslyn Senior Center of Palm Desert, to help out the Meals on Wheels Program.

The Tribe has supported the program that helps seniors stay independent with more than $30,000 in grants since 2007. The Center’s program, which uses no government funding, has been in operation for some 20 years, and it’s the only program in the valley that uses all volunteer drivers, according to Executive Director Peter Rittenhouse. "We have 60 drivers delivering at least one route a week," he said.

Tribe Donates $5,000 to Palm Springs Boxing Club

PALM SPRINGS, CA (May 21, 2009)–– A boxing club "run on pennies" that trains Palm Springs area youth to reach for their dreams was the recipient of a $5,000 donation from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians this month.

The Tribe gave the money to the El Cielo Drive club, operating in a tiny building near the airport donated by the City of Palm Springs. Director Thomas Brooks said the 45 youth that train after school go through a screening that requires an ongoing commitment to excellence that includes good grades, no swearing, and hard work.

Tribe to Give Away $10,000 to Support Boys and Girls Club

PALM SPRINGS, CA (May 21, 2009) –– The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has given $10,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs, a youth development agency and after school program.

The Tribe has helped out the Boys and Girls Club previously, giving more than $45,000 since 2007. The program has a long history of success in mentoring youths with peer groups and career programs that help young adults step into the professional world.

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Tribe to Give Away $10,000 to Support Children

PALM SPRINGS, CA (May 13, 2009) – The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is giving $10,000 to the Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Foundation "Shoes That Fit" program this week, in an effort to help kids in need.

The Tribe has supported the shoe program with more than $250,000 in accumulated donations over the years, adding that this year’s donation will help families during economic hard times.

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Tribal Council Elections Announced

PALM SPRINGS, CA (April 7, 2009) –– The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians announced Tribal Council election results today, naming two new officials.

Karen A. Welmas was elected to the Tribal Council with a two-year term. She was appointed Secretary/Treasurer, replacing Moraino Patencio who has served in that role for eight years. In addition, Vincent Gonzales III was elected as a Tribal Councilmember, replacing Virginia Gillespie. He has previously served both in the Council and as a proxy, and is a manager in the Tribe’s Information Technology Department.

Governor taps Agua Caliente staffer to post with Colorado River Basin

TOM DAVIS NAMED TO WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD

Governor taps Agua Caliente staffer to post with Colorado River Basin water board

PALM SPRINGS, Calif., November 13, 2008 —Tom Davis, Chief Planning and Development Officer for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has been named by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Davis, a Republican, was reappointed after being first named to the board in 2007. He has worked with the Tribe since 1992, overseeing its environmental resources management and planning, as well as the expansion of its developments.

Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan information and the protection of Peninsular Bighorn Sheep

In October, 2006, the Bighorn Institute and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Tribal Rangers Released
two ewes in the Tahquitz Canyon

Q and A

What is a Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan?
A THCP is a voluntary action by the Tribe that allows it to maintain its traditional role as land steward and manager under the law. THCP streamlines the Endangered Species Act compliance and eliminates a piecemeal approach

What gives the Tribe the authority to administer its own plan?
Federal law recognizes the Tribe as the management authority over its reservation lands. That’s why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was not allowed to act as the authority over the Tribe’s land base by including Tribal lands in the critical habitat designation.

Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan information

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Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Unveils Peon Games Sculpture

Tribe celebrates cultural connection to Indian Gaming

Secretary/Treasurer Moraino Patencio, at the July 14 unveiling of Agua Caliente’s new peon games statues by artist Doug Hyde, explains why the games were significant. “It’s how we taught our people to gather knowledge and power.”

PALM SPRINGS, CA (July 15, 2008) – The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians have unveiled in Rancho Mirage a granite sculpture by renowned artist Doug Hyde depicting the traditional peon (pronounced pay-OWN) games played by Cahuilla people.

Tribal members gathered at sunset Monday, July 14, as Chairman Richard M. Milanovich unveiled the 16-foot sculpture depicting the popular game of chance historically played by Native Americans around a campfire. A plaque commemorating the sculptures was also installed at the corner of Bob Hope and Ramon in Rancho Mirage.

Tribe Releases Resource Plan to Public

Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan opens for 90 day review

PALM SPRINGS, CA – October 12, 2007: The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, after seven years of study, has released for public review its Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan (THCP) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which formally determines the conservation of the Tribe’s 31,500 acres of Reservation land in and around Palm Springs.

The Plan identifies plants, animals and habitat that need to be preserved or protected. It also lays out procedures for mitigation of future land development and determines under what circumstance an “incidental take” can be permitted on the Reservation.

“This is the culmination of a long effort by our planners that ensures the Tribe’s ability to manage its lands properly,” said Tribal Chairman Richard M. Milanovich. “Rather than hand over this job to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, we’ve taken the steps to guarantee the Tribe’s self-reliance, as well as our sovereignty.”

For the full story and access to Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan documents, follow the link below.