Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians

A nation today

Monzogranite walls and Joshua trees ringing the Hidden Valley loop in Joshua Tree National Park.
Photo by Joshua Tree National Park / NPS · public domain · Public Domain

Background

The Band is Desert Cahuilla, and its own history describes a Cahuilla people divided into two moieties, Wildcat, or Tuktum, and Coyote, or Istam, with each person taking the moiety of their father. The moieties were made up of sibs that could number up to 2,000 and lived in clusters of villages; a village held up to 200 people across three to ten lineages, kept its own territory for gathering and hunting, and handled its own disputes. The Desert Cahuilla dug their own water wells, which the Band calls temakawomal, or earth olla, descending in a series of stair-steps as the water table dropped. A renewable energy operation begun in 2008 grew from a 1.1 megawatt photovoltaic plant at the Augustine Solar Energy Park to about 25,000 panels with a capacity above three megawatts, and the Band also farms 33 acres of tribal land organically.

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A timeline in the Nation's own words

  1. 1820

    Captain Vee Vee Augustine is born

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  2. mid 1800sCulture

    The Tribe flourishes: 22 villages recorded, population estimated in the thousands

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  3. 1856Recognition

    US Land Office surveyors record a Cahuilla village that later becomes the Augustine Reservation

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  4. 29 December 1891Recognition

    Congress formally establishes the Augustine Reservation

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  5. 1900sDispossession

    The Augustine Band of Mission Indians struggles for existence and is almost eradicated from disease brought by Europeans

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  6. 1951Dispossession

    The remaining members of the Tribe decrease to only 11

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  7. 1972Dispossession

    Roberta Augustine, Captain Vee Vee's great-granddaughter, is the last surviving adult Tribal member; she has three children, Mary Ann, Gregory and Herbert

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  8. 1988Recognition

    Mary Ann, Gregory and Herbert sign a resolution that forms, recognizes and sets the terms of the General Council of the Augustine Band of Mission Indians

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  9. 1994Dispossession

    Gregory and Herbert pass away, leaving Mary Ann as the sole adult Tribal member

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  10. 2002

    Augustine Casino opens

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  11. 2004Name changed

    A resolution changes the legal name of the Tribe to the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  12. 2008

    The Tribe develops a renewable energy operation grown to 25,000 solar panels, more than three megawatts

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  13. 2014

    Grading and farm work begins for a 50-acre sustainable farm

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  14. 2016

    Mary Ann's daughter Amanda Vance becomes Tribal Chairperson; son William Vance appointed Vice-Chairperson and Treasurer; daughter Ronnie Vance appointed Secretary

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  15. 2016

    The Tribe launches a $5 million casino enhancement project

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  16. 2017

    Mary Ann Martin passes away

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  17. 2018

    Tempalpakh Farm Market construction begins

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  18. 2018

    Victoria Martin is appointed Tribal Secretary

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  19. 2019

    The Tribe grows to 16 members

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  20. July 2021

    Construction begins on the Tribal Headquarters and Administration Building

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  21. September 2021

    The Tribe announces Hero Pay for frontline employees who worked during the COVID pandemic in 2020

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  22. November 2021

    Tempalpakh Farm and Market open to the public

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  23. January 2022Recognition

    The new Tribal Council is established: Amanda Vance Chair, Victoria Martin Vice-Chair, William Vance Treasurer, Geramy Martin Secretary, Ronnie Vance Member

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

  24. January 2022

    The Tribe launches Three7Nine Enterprise Management Corporation

    Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, published timeline plaques (read 2026-10-03)

Visit and learn

Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians's own site

Tribal lands have their own laws. Check the nation's site before you visit.

Parks on its homelands

Monzogranite walls and Joshua trees ringing the Hidden Valley loop in Joshua Tree National Park.Joshua Tree National Park

Congress set aside the Augustine Reservation on December 29, 1891, and the band's own history says the Cahuilla were the first known inhabitants of the Coachella Valley more than 3,000 years ago. The band descends from Captain Vee-Vee Augustine, born in 1820. Source

Programs

  • Tribal Environmental Protection Agency

    The Band established the TEPA to protect human health and the environment on its lands while allowing sustainable economic development, drawing on federal and tribal funding to build capacity. It runs three programs: a General Assistance Program with components in administration, training, outreach, inter-departmental assistance, climate change resiliency, drinking water source protection and waste management; a Clean Water Act Section 106 program monitoring water quality in selected locations such as shallow groundwater; and a Clean Water Act Section 319 program monitoring and reducing non-point source pollution, including invasive species that raise fire risk, reduce soil cover and add sediment to runoff.

    https://tribe.augustinetribe-nsn.gov/tribal-epa/·land

  • Land stewardship: solar energy and organic farming

    The Band says its solar project, approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2008, was the first major solar energy project in Southern California to win BIA approval, and that the Augustine Solar Energy Park now runs some 25,000 panels capable of producing more than 5,000 megawatt hours a year, the equivalent of the power used by 500 homes. Its organic farming operation covers 33 acres of tribal land and grows crops from romaine lettuce to medjool dates.

    https://tribe.augustinetribe-nsn.gov/stewardship/·land

Sources

Checked September 2026.

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