The
Cabazon Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe of
CahuillaThe Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...
Indians, located in
Riverside County, CaliforniaRiverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
.
Reservation
The
Cabazon Indian Reservation was founded in 1876. It occupies 1706 acres (6.9 km²) located seven miles (11 km) from
Indio, CaliforniaIndio is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, located in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. It lies east of Palm Springs, east of Riverside, and east of Los Angeles. It is about north of Mexicali, Baja California on the U.S.-Mexican border...
and 18 miles (29 km) from
Palm SpringsPalm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
. Population on the reservation is approximately 806.
Government
The tribe's headquarters is located in
Indio, CaliforniaIndio is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, located in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. It lies east of Palm Springs, east of Riverside, and east of Los Angeles. It is about north of Mexicali, Baja California on the U.S.-Mexican border...
. David Roosevelt is their current tribal chairman.
Programs and economic development
The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians introduced high-stakes bingo to their state, after they won the pivotal court case,
California v. Cabazon Band. The tribe has no unemployment.
The Cabazon Band owns
Fantasy Springs Resort CasinoFantasy Springs Resort Casino is a casino and hotel located south and west of Palm Springs, California near I-10 in Indio, California. It is owned and operated by Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized tribe. The hotel has 250 rooms...
, 250 room hotel, POM Restaurant, Pizza Kitchen, The Bistro, Fresh Grill Buffet, JOY Asian Cuisine, a Starbucks, and several casual dining areas, located in Indio. The resort also featured Eagle Falls Golf Course.
The Cabazon Cultural Museum is open to the public, free of admission, Mondays to Saturdays. Since 1981, the tribe has hosted the annual Indio
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, with dancing, Cahuilla bird singing, drum competitions, and peon games.
Controversy
The tribe first came to public attention in 1987 when they won
California v. Cabazon Band; however prior to the U.S.Supreme Court's decision , the tribe had developed a questionable background, a mysterious involvement with John Philip Nichols,
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, and with the June 29, 1981 triple homicides of Alfred "Fred" Alvarez, Patricia Castro, and Ralph Boger.
External links