| Total population |
|---|
| 8 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| United States (California) |
| Languages |
|
English |
| Related ethnic groups |
|
other Cahuilla tribes |
The Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians is a federally recognized Cahuilla band of Native Americans based in Coachella, California. They have the distinction of being the smallest tribal nation in the United States, consisting of only eight members, only one of whom is an adult.[1]
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The tribe is descended from Desert Cahuilla Indians, who lived along the Colorado River and in the Mojave Desert, including the Santa Rosa Mountains and the Coachella Valley. The tribe had a dozen patrilineal clans and were divided into the Wildcat and Coyote moieties.[2]
On April 13 , 1956 the Commissioner of Indian Affairs approved a census roll of the tribe, documenting 11 living members.[2] Roberta Augustine, the last original enrollee, died in 1986.[1] The reservation of the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians is a one-square-mile tract of land, located in Riverside County, California at . Thermal, California and the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians are both nearby. The land was left vacant for half a century, until Chairman Green moved there in 1996.
Mary Ann Green née Martin, born in 1964, decided to rebuild the tribe and resettle the reservation.[3] On 29 December 1981, the August Band of Mission Indians was established by an Executive Order.[2] Green was elected chairperson in 1988 and has held the position since. The tribal government was established in 1994 and currently employs 8 people.
Traditional Cahuilla singer, Tony Andreas, grew up on the Augustine Reservation in the 1930s and 1940s.[1]
The tribe has developed plans for both cultural revival and economic sustainability.
Improvements to reservation lands include adopting a zoning code and removing illegally dumped garbage.[3] During the 50 years the land was vacant, trash, commercial wastes, carcasses, and thousands of tires were dumped on the land. The monumental cleanup task started in 1994, when the tribe partnered with the US Environmental Service, the California Conservation Corps, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.[2]
The tribe owns the Augustine Casino in Coachella.[4]
The Augustine Band built the first photovoltaic renewable energy system on Indian land in California. The system is expected to produce 1,900 megawatts of solar energy annually.[5]