News from: Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians

The Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians announced a partnership between Temalpakh Farm Education Center and Climate Science Alliance and will mark the occasion with an educator training day on Thursday, February 22.

The Temalpakh Farm Education Center, located next to the Temalpakh Farm Market on the Augustine reservation, will provide an interactive learning experience about the Cahuilla people, organic farming, environmental sciences and sustainability. Geared towards K-12, the sustainability programs are designed to educate youth and the local community on the effect climate change is having on our planet “and develop a mindset of stewardship to rebuild the planet for future generations,” said Ronnie Vance, Tribal Council Agricultural Liaison.

The Temalpakh Farm Education Center has teamed up with Climate Science Alliance – Climate Kids Initiative on the Traveling Trunk program. This program is an interactive way of educating youth on climate change and empowering them to create solutions that lead to improvements in our environment. Each Trunk contains NGSS-aligned curricula that can be used and adapted for grade levels K-12. On February 22, the Education Center will host two training courses for educators to view and learn how to use the Traveling Trunks in their curriculum: one at 10 am and one at 1:30 pm. To register for one of the trainings, please contact Tribal Educator Adrienne Edmondson at EducationCenter@augustinetribe.com or (760) 398-4722 ext. 7460.

Temalpakh Farm Education Center will begin offering educational tours in March of this year. For more information, please visit https://www.temalpakhfarm.com/education-center.

The Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians Reservation is nestled in the shadows of the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains, only three miles east of PGA West. Temalpakh Farm Market is the latest addition to the reservation, which includes Augustine Casino, the Augustine Gaming Commission and a three-megawatt solar field run by the Augustine tribal entity.

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History

One of the smallest tribes in the country, the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians struggled for existence in the early 1900s. By 1972, Roberta Augustine was the last surviving adult Augustine tribal member. In 1988, her three children signed a resolution forming and recognizing the Tribal Council of the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians. Today, the Tribe consists of 19 members, seven of which are adults. https://augustinetribe-nsn.gov/history-heritage/

Tribal Council

Amanda Vance – Tribal Chairperson
William Vance – Tribal Treasurer
Ronnie Vance – Tribal Council Agricultural Liaison

Business Ventures

Augustine Casino – 2002 https://www.augustinecasino.com/
Solar Farm – 2008
Three7Nine Enterprise Management Corporation – 2021 https://379emc.com/
Temalpakh Farm – 2021 https://www.temalpakhfarm.com/

In The Press

https://www.vogue.com/article/augustine-band-of-cahuilla-indians-sustainability
https://ictnews.org/news/augustine-band-rebounds-with-business-ventures
https://nbcpalmsprings.com/2023/04/20/augustine-band-of-cahuilla-indians-receive-50k-grant-for-temalpakh-farm/
https://tgandh.com/news/tribal-stories/augustine-band-of-cahuilla-indians-awarded-50000-grant-for-temalpakh-farm/
https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/augustine-band-cahuilla-indians/
https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/2022/01/18/augustine-tribes-temalpakh-farm-market-opens-coachella/6564953001/
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/2022/01/11/augustine-band-cahuilla-indians-open-farmers-market/9178236002/
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/coachella/2021/08/30/augustine-casino-essential-employees-receive-retroactive-hero-pay-working-2020-amid-pandemic/5655785001/
https://kesq.com/news/2021/08/30/tribal-government-and-casino-employees-were-presented-with-a-surprise-hero-pay/
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/coachella/2019/05/02/how-one-americas-smallest-tribes-survived/3280808002/
https://www.desertsun.com/picture-gallery/news/2019/05/02/augustine-band-cahuilla-mission-indians-history-and-future-tribe/3649127002/