Less than two decades after California voters approved Indian gambling, 61 of the state’s 109 federally recognized tribes operate gambling establishments of various sizes with combined revenue of about $7 billion annually.įor tribes that had been forced to live for generations in poverty on desolate lands, the booming casino industry has meant enhanced wealth and investment and improvements to tribal infrastructure, education and healthcare. Palm Springs Mayor Robert Moon says he is “super excited” about the cultural center, which will be surrounded by a $450-million redevelopment project that includes restaurants, shops and hotels.

“This museum,” he added, “is going to be a modern version of what our elders called the roundhouse - a special place to share our history, knowledge and culture with others.” “It’s important for the world to know who we really are: a people who lived here for centuries and prospered due to the strength and inspiration provided by our history, cultural traditions and spiritual connections to the land and water.” Grubbe, 40, chairman of the Agua Caliente tribe. “We’ll probably lose money on this project, but it’s a higher priority than building a hotel or another casino,” said Jeff L.

It will be funded by the tribe’s two casinos and other businesses in the area. The new museum is expected to open in 2020 on land owned by the federally recognized 480-member tribe, which controls half the property in Palm Springs and operates two 18-hole championship golf courses. The tribe is already preparing to swap collections with the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington and to create a Cahuilla Indian curriculum for the Palm Springs Unified School District. Last month, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians announced plans to build an $80-million cultural center in downtown Palm Springs, with a 48,000-square-foot museum, gardens, and a spa and bathhouse built over hot mineral springs.

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