Cahuilla

The Cahuilla are Indigenous people of Southern California who historically inhabited the inland valleys and mountains of present-day Riverside, San Bernardino, and parts of San Diego counties, including the Coachella Valley, the San Gorgonio Pass, and the Santa Rosa Plateau. Their territory stretched from the western Mojave Desert to the foothills of surrounding mountain ranges. They lived in diverse environments, from valley floors to high country, and organized themselves into bands or villages connected by kinship and trade networks.

The Cahuilla language is a member of the Cupan subgroup of the Uto-Aztecan language family. It comprises several dialects that linguists often treat as distinct languages; today, revitalization efforts, elder fluent speakers, and community programs seek to preserve and relearn the language.

Traditional Cahuilla life depended on a seasonal round that included gathering acorns, seeds, roots, and other plant foods, hunting small game, and utilizing local resources. Acorns were a staple processed into meal. The people are renowned for their intricate basketry and other crafts. Social organization centered on kinship groups, ceremonial cycles, and intergroup exchange with neighboring communities across the region.

Contact with Spanish missions in the late 18th century brought disease and disruption, followed by land loss and changing governance under Mexican and United States authorities. In the 20th century, several bands established federally recognized reservations, including the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, and the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians.

Today, Cahuilla communities maintain cultural centers, language programs, and economic enterprises, while continuing to preserve traditional knowledge, ceremonies, and place names within a modern context.