George Ringwald and the Conservatorship Program

The Spirit
N EWSLE T T E R O F AGUA C ALI E N T E C ULT URAL M US E UM
Feature Article
George Ringwald
and the Conservatorship Program
New Online Exhibition
Crossroads
& Intersections
Through
you, my
ancient
people,
I am.
Vol. XV No. 4 June/July/August 2011
in this issue
Sharings & Observations
Feature Article
Exhibitions
Acquisitions
Special Events Spotlight
Educational Programs
Announcements
Contributors
pages 2–3
pages 4–7
pages 8–9
pages 10–11
page 12
page 13
page 13
pages 14–15
“We keep the spirit alive through exhibitions,
collections, research, and educational programs.”
This is the last sentence of the Agua Caliente
Cultural Museum mission statement. I bolded
“research” because it is the foundation for all that we
do as a museum. Objects in our collections without
historical context may be exquisitely beautiful, but
alas, they would be just objects. More important
are the people and the events that are part of each
object’s history. This information is gathered from
historical documents in our library and archives
and from oral histories conducted by Museum staff
and volunteers.
ON OUR COVER: Depiction of Moul by Stuart Funk, from the publication A Monument to Treasure. Courtesy of Stuart Funk. All Rights Reserved.
The library and archives are managed and preserved
by Jon Fletcher, Archivist. Overseeing the oral
history program from which we have gleaned much
information is Assistant Curator Dawn Wellman.
Together, these information resources have provided
us with windows into the past and new perspectives
for the present.
The most publicly active time for the Museum
is from September until May, with remaining
exhibitions open throughout the summer. The
summer is also a time when the staff gives special
attention to planning the next year’s calendar of
events. This issue of The Spirit focuses on what is an
ongoing aspect of the Museum – research into the
rich culture and history of the Agua Caliente Band
of Cahuilla Indians.
In this issue, we feature an article about George
Ringwald, a reporter for the Press-Enterprise
newspaper and one of the key non-Indian figures
during the time of the federal conservatorship
program in Palm Springs. This article uses a small
sampling of materials archived at the Museum. It
is equally as rich in information as our artifact
collections. I know you will enjoy and appreciate
the results of this illuminating research.
2
Michael Hammond, Ph.D.
Executive Director
&
Since our Museum was founded in 1991, we have
been working to build our collections, archives,
and research library. A core component of these
holdings is more than 150 oral histories – most
conducted by Museum staff and trained volunteers.
Ours is a culture in which oral tradition has
been the primary means of passing culture and
knowledge from one generation to the next. The
purpose of oral histories is to preserve the personal
stories of Tribal members and others in their own
words, so that a record of their unique perspectives
and life experiences will be available to future
generations. They capture invaluable traditional
knowledge that would otherwise be lost to Tribal
members and the public-at-large.
These interviews are also educational tools and
resources for developing exhibitions and other
Museum programs. They provide a wealth of
information to teachers, students, and scholars.
Museum staff and volunteers who conduct oral
histories receive an average of two days of training
with an experienced oral historian – learning
interview techniques, research and transcription
methods, and how to use recording and
transcribing equipment.
The body of information collected over the past 20
years has helped establish our “small-but-mighty”
Museum as a recognized regional and national
resource for Cahuilla, southern California, and
Native American research.
Millie Browne
Chairwoman, Board of Directors
Oral Histories
Pictured here are some of the
many tribal members and other
individuals who have shared their
knowledge with the Agua Caliente
Cultural Museum. By contributing
his or her unique perspectives,
stories, and memories in oral
history recordings, they enrich our
understanding of the Cahuilla story
and ensure that it can be told to
present and future generations.
Moraino J. Patencio, J.D.
Agua Caliente
Saturnino Torres
Torres Martinez
Cierra Teel
Agua Caliente
Daniel McCarthy, M.S.
US Forest Service tribal liaison
Diana Richards
Agua Caliente
Lowell J. Bean, Ph.D.
Anthropologist/ethnohistorian
George Valeur
Descendent of desert pioneer Nellie Coffman
Alvino J. Siva
Los Coyotes
Richard M. Milanovich
Agua Caliente
Bud Wellman
Mountain pioneer
Courtesy Palm Springs Art Museum, Photograph by Thomas Johnson
Anthony Joseph Andreas, Jr.
Agua Caliente
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Feature Article
George Ringwald and The Conservatorship Program
Backdrop
In 1876 and 1877, the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation was
created by presidential executive order. It is unique from
other Indian reservations. The reservation is non-contiguous
and consists of alternating sections of square-mile tribal land
that form a checkerboard pattern. On the remaining nonIndian sections, the resort city of Palm Springs was formed
and incorporated in 1938. This unique interlocking of resort
and reservation has resulted in reservation lands of great
potential value.
A related action by the Secretary of the Interior allowed
the appointment of conservators for adult Tribal members
determined to be “in need of assistance in handling their
affairs” – in other words, not competent at managing
their own estates. Children were assigned guardians.
Both guardians and conservators were placed under the
jurisdiction of the Superior Court in Indio. Conservators
were comprised largely of prominent area business leaders
and banks.
In the mid-20th century, termination policy came to be
promoted by the federal government. Termination sought
to remove the trusteeship status of Indians and their
reservations, thereby allowing reservation lands to pass out
of Tribal hands. Although the Agua Caliente Band and its
reservation were never terminated, a termination-style court
order calling for the allotment of reservation lands did take
place. Allotment removed most corporate Tribal ownership
of the reservation as a whole and passed ownership of
parcels to individual Tribal members. Parcel owners were
then allowed to sell or develop land at their discretion.
As time passed, the conservatorship program – its aims,
methods, and results – came to be suspect among various
groups. One individual by the name of George Ringwald,
a writer for the Press-Enterprise (Riverside, California)
newspaper, took a particularly keen interest. His investigative
research and reporting of the conservatorship program,
which would result in the award of the Pulitzer Prize for
Meritorious Public Service to the Press-Enterprise newspaper in
1968, unearthed and exposed a network of corruption and
unethical practices that bilked many Agua Caliente Indians
of much of their estates. In some cases, it even left them
“underwater” financially. Secretary of the Interior Stewart
Udall once deemed this program “intolerably costly to the
Indians in both human and economic terms.”
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The 1968 Palm Springs Task Force Report
from museum archives
George Ringwald being interviewed by Eric Abrahamson
from museum archives
GeorGe rinGwald
Press-Enterprise journalist George Ringwald’s assignment to
expose the underbelly of the conservatorship program
ran for 12 months and produced more than 100
articles. Some were a continuing series resulting from
the newspaper’s own probe; others covered aspects of a
tandem Interior Department investigation known as the
Palm Springs Task Force.
Ringwald’s career began in Riverside (California) when
he accepted a position with the Press-Enterprise in 1948,
making $25 a week. It was his first position with a
newspaper. As an Army veteran, he supplemented his
income with G.I. Bill funds. His involvement in the
military was, in fact, how he came to be associated
with the Press-Enterprise. A war buddy had recommended
Ringwald for the position, with no other qualifications
other than a high school journalism class. He would
remain with the Press-Enterprise for 20 years.
The paper’s coverage of Palm Springs affairs got a boost
in the mid-1950s when Ringwald became bureau
chief of a one-man Press-Enterprise office located in Palm
Springs. Ringwald ran the bureau himself for a number
of years. It is recorded that Hilton McCabe – Indio
Superior Court judge and original administrator of the
conservatorship program – once walked into Ringwald’s
office wishing to speak about the conservatorship
program. When asked by Ringwald why Indians couldn’t
manage their property “…the same as any other people,”
McCabe is said to have replied (quoted by Ringwald in an
oral history interview): “You call those things walking the
streets people?” Such was the mindset and racist backdrop
behind the program and its lead figure. This encounter
was relayed to Tim Hays, Jr., editor of the newspaper, who
suggested that Ringwald look more deeply into the program.
Ringwald then proceeded to “hole himself up” at the
Supreme Court in Indio, going through records in the clerk’s
office and documenting case after case – records that were
fortunately open to the public. This research and Ringwald’s
copious notes formed the basis for what would become
the newspaper’s series of whistle-blowing articles on the
conservatorship program. He detailed ways the program –
administered through the Supreme Court – scammed and
absconded Agua Caliente estate funds.
In developing his series of articles, Ringwald also drew
from information provided by Tribal members themselves
– notably from case examples provided by Pete Siva. Siva
Continues
5
Feature Article: George Ringwald and the Conservatorship Program (continued)
was open with Ringwald about his feelings regarding the
conservatorship program. He felt that his conservator
was “ripping him off ” by fee-splitting and other means.
Ringwald’s article Conservator Was Just a Hindrance recounts how
Siva’s income was routinely parceled out to conservators and
lawyers in the form of excessive fees; in 1963, for example,
his conservator received a fee of $9,000 – the same year
in which Siva’s gross income amounted to $9,189.73. Siva
was later successful in his bid for termination of his own
conservatorship, only to be confronted with an attorney’s
petition for its reinstatement. Ringwald once recalled a
telling quote by Siva: “It’s not just the money. It’s the yoke
around your neck that is hell.”
Ringwald recalled, in an oral history interview conducted
by the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, that reaction against
his work on the conservatorship exposé came in both subtle
and direct forms. He noted that The Desert Sun, the primary
media voice for Palm Springs news, took a contrary view.
In one editorial quoted by Ringwald, editors of The Desert
Sun framed the probe in terms of a modern day witch
hunt (targeting conservators and guardians). And when
the Press-Enterprise was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the same
newspaper described the series as “an exposé of corruption
in connection with the handling of estates and property of
an Indian tribe,” mentioning neither Palm Springs nor the
Agua Caliente Band by name.
Attempts to silence the Press-Enterprise were made by
the Association of Conservators and Guardians and by the
Superior Court at Indio itself. On one occasion, court judge
Merrill Brown sought to bench warrant or subpoena PressEnterprise editor Howard Hays, Jr., so he could be questioned
about the investigative series. (The Riverside County Clerk,
however, refused to issue arrest warrant.) Supporters of
Ringwald’s investigative efforts existed as well, including
congressman John Tunney (who pushed for the elimination
of conservatorships) and Robert Cox (lead investigator
of the Department of the Interior investigation of the
program). Tribal members offered their support by, among
other methods, sharing their stories and personal views
of the program with Ringwald. Ringwald also alludes to
a key government document provided by Tribal members
for the purpose of getting out from under the yoke of the
conservatorship program.
The conservatorship program began to be dismantled in
1968 when President Johnson removed Indian estates from
6
the control of the Indio Superior Court. It was formally
ended in 1972 with the Conservatorship Act. A book
entitled Golden Checkerboard by Ed Ainsworth was published
in 1965, roughly coinciding with the first of a series of
investigations into the conservatorship program. Golden
Checkerboard portrayed Superior Court judge Hilton McCabe
as a messianic “little white father,” lauding him for singlehandedly resolving Palm Springs Indian land leasing and
development issues. Although authored by Ainsworth,
it is interesting to note that the manuscript’s content
substantially mirrors much of the content found in Hilton
McCabe’s own unpublished manuscript entitled Land Problems
and Solutions of the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians housed in
the University of Southern California archives. A fascinating
letter found in the same collection, authored by a Supreme
Court of California justice and addressed to Hilton McCabe,
declines McCabe’s request for a personal introduction to
Golden Checkerboard. Was McCabe the book’s ghostwriter? Was
the book commissioned? Scholars continue to debate these
questions and form their own opinions.
Ringwald was digging through files at the courthouse in
Indio when he was informed that the Press-Enterprise had won
the Pulitzer Prize. When he returned to the main office in
Riverside mid-day, there was instant outbreak of applause.
A banner which read “George Ringwald, We Love You” met
his eyes as colleagues poured champagne. After being called
into editor Howard Hays, Jr.’s office (known only as “the
Old Man”), he was informed that while only individual
Pulitzer Prize winners were awarded $1,000 prizes and not
organizations, the newspaper had decided to pay him the
same amount in gratitude for his work on the story. He later
went on to accept a position with Business Week magazine.
George Ringwald’s series of articles exposing
conservatorship program injustices were a contributing
factor behind the demise of the program. But he did
not act alone. Other forces were at work at roughly the
same time. There was an unpublicized and unactedupon investigation in 1965-66. In May 1967, Secretary
of the Interior Udall announced that it was opening a
more complete investigation. Tribal members themselves
fought the conservatorship program in a variety of ways
and means. In 1964 the Agua Caliente Tribal Council sent
to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs a lengthy list of
grievances which charged the Bureau of Indian Affairs with
“unwarranted abdication” of its federal trust responsibility
in favor of the Superior Court.
major findinGs
sources and additional research
The Press-Enterprise exploration of the conservatorship
program spanned more than one hundred articles and
disclosed to the public a program rife with questionable
conduct. Major stories included announcements that:
ɶ The judge who originally administered the
guardianship-conservatorship program, Hilton McCabe,
collected fees of nearly $20,000 for serving as executor
of wills of Indians who had been under his jurisdiction;
he had encouraged guardians and attorneys to have
Indians make out wills and had let attorneys know that
he was available to serve as executor;
ɶ Judge McCabe was awarded a $25,000 fee by a
fellow judge of the Superior Court for serving as
co-conservator of an estate closely related to the
Indian guardianship program under Judge McCabe’s
jurisdiction;
ɶ Merrill Brown, Judge McCabe’s successor as
administrator of the Indian affairs program, once tried
to sell land he owned to an Indian conservatorship
under Superior Court jurisdiction;
ɶ A judge of the lower Municipal Court at Palm
Springs, Eugene Therieau, in a former capacity as
attorney and guardian for Indian estates, was awarded a
fee of $25,000 for real estate broker services, although
he was not licensed as such and thus not legally entitled
to such a fee. Judge Therieau received fees of nearly
$250,000 in the years he represented 33 Indians under
the guardianship program;
ɶ The newspaper investigation uncovered evidence
of: unethical fee splitting by real estate brokers and
conservators; conflicts of interest among attorneys
who had been awarded fees from non-Indian lessees
of Indian land while being paid to represent the Indian
lessors; double payments to guardians or attorneys for
the same services;
ɶ The investigation disclosed that some Indian estates
were depleted through land sales, questionable business
ventures, and the payments of the non-Indian business
managers with fees sometimes as high as 250% of the
Indian’s income and frequently amounting to more
than 50%.
The following sources are recommended for additional
research on George Ringwald and the conservatorship
program:
Agua Caliente Indians and Their Guardians: Selections from Pulitzer Prize
Winning Entry for Meritorious Service, ND. Press-Enterprise
(Riverside, California)
George Ringwald Oral History Interview, Item #2007.072.001,
August 2002. IQ Magic Oral History Collection, Agua
Caliente Cultural Museum Archives
Letter, Roger J. Traynor (Supreme Court of California) to
Hilton McCabe (Superior Court at Indio), January 26, 1965.
Hilton McCabe Collection, University of Southern California
Archives
Land Problems and Solutions of the Agua Caliente Band of Mission
Indians, Unpublished manuscript, ND. Hilton McCabe
Collection, University of Southern California Archives
United States Department of the Interior’s Report on The Administration
of Guardianships and Conservatorships Established for Members of the
Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians, California / Palm Springs Task
Force (aka “The Cox Report”), Department of the Interior, March
1968. Government Documents Collection, Agua Caliente
Cultural Museum Archives
Hilton McCabe Collection, University of Southern California
Archives
Records of the Secretary of the Interior – Palm Springs Task
Force (RG 48), National Archives at San Bruno
Note: detailed finding aid to this collection is available through the Agua
Caliente Cultural Museum archives; includes citation list of George
Ringwald’s articles.
7
core exhibitions
Flora Patencio Collection
Song
Basket
current changing exhibition
of the
T hrough o cTober 16, 2011
Prior to European contact, baskets of the Cahuilla women were
made for utilitarian purposes. They were woven with great skill and
beauty, regardless of their intended use. Through careful study of
their form, color, and design, it becomes apparent that these baskets
are a work of love. To Indian women, fine baskets are their poems,
paintings, and sculptures… their songs.
Flora Patencio was a strong leader
in the history of the Agua Caliente
people. She participated in some
of the most important political and
cultural decisions of her time while
being a tradition keeper.
The Flora Patencio Collection, an
introduction to the current Song of the
Basket exhibition, is a study of basket
making techniques and contains
basketry materials and artifacts from
Flora’s personal collection.
To “hear” the song or story of a basket, we must first understand
the cosmology of the Cahuilla people and the important values
and concepts established when the world was created. Song of
the Basket is a unique look into the Cahuilla culture from a
woman’s perspective.
See if you can identify the song in each of the baskets
on display from the Museum’s collection.
For additional information about
this exhibition, call 760.833.8170.
Cahuilla Culture & History
8
Photographs, maps, and text
displayed in this exhibition tell
the story of the early times of the
Cahuilla people.
Exhibitions
online exhibitions
off-site changing exhibitions
Three popular exhibitions curated by the Museum
are available on the Museum Web site at:
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum collaboratively shares its
resources with area universities, the City of Palm Springs,
Palm Springs Public Library, and other institutions. Offsite exhibitions offer a unique glimpse of local history for
university students and staff, Coachella Valley residents, and
visitors to the desert.
www.accmuseum.org
(Click “Online Exhibitions”)
New!
Crossroads & Intersections
Discover the stories behind Palm Springs street names
and learn about the Cahuilla Indians after
whom they were named.
Dream of the Blue Frog
(Wahaatukicnikic Tetayaw)
This exhibition focuses on the history and lore of the Agua
Caliente Hot Spring from ancient times to the present.
Blue Frog is one of the nukatem (spiritual beings) residing
in the spring.
where: Spa Resort Casino Hotel
100 North Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
Facts & Fictions of Ancient Lake Cahuilla
Spanish galleons, fish traps, and a stripe on the
mountainside? What do they have to do with the ancient
lake that filled the southern Coachella Valley prior to the
formation of the Salton Sea? Learn this and more when you
visit this exhibition at the Salton Sea History Museum in
North Shore, California.
where: Salton Sea History Museum
(former Salton Sea Yacht Club)
99-155 Sea View Drive, North Shore
What’s the Score? American Indians in Sports
Dream of
the Blue Frog
This exhibition discusses the
fascinating history and lore of
the Agua Caliente Hot Spring.
Since Time
Immemorial
Since Time Immemorial offers a
broad overview of Cahuilla
history from early times to
the present.
2010-2011
Exhibition Print Media Sponsor
Sports played a prominent role in the traditional life of most
Indian communities. Games such as shinny, lacrosse, foot
racing, archery, swimming, hoop and pole, and various types
of football taught survival skills. This exhibition offers a look
at Indian sports through the years to the present, including
notable Indian athletes such as “Chief ” Jack Meyers and
Jim Thorpe.
where: California State University/San Bernardino
Palm Desert Campus
37500 Cook Street, Palm Desert
Since Time Immemorial
This exhibition highlights major events and milestones in
the history of the Cahuilla people.
where: Palm Springs City Hall
3200 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs
9
Acquisitions
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum recently acquired the
following items.
D o n at i o n s
Gift of Ann Mang
in Memory of Muriel & Jack Copeland
Santa Clara double spouted wedding vase
made by Madeline Tafoya
Mission basket, natural juncus with sumac cross design
outlined by black dyed juncus
Basket by unknown maker, possibly constructed
with dyed raffia
Framed print Luzi - Papago Indian Woman
by Edward Curtis
Gift of Steven Copeland
in Memory of Muriel & Jack Copeland
Hopi Kachina Sitting with Watermelon by Cal Yestewa
Navajo saddle blanket – red and black striped bands
alternating with bands of red, blue, and white chevrons
on black background
Framed lithograph An Osage Woman Mo-Hon-Go
– a hand tinted lithograph by Thomas McKenney
Framed pencil drawing Taos Pueblo by Paul A. Grimm
Warriors Choice & Thundering Hooves:two Warriors of the
Plains tankards manufactured by Hamilton 1991
Gift of Allen Lundberg
in Memory of Muriel & Jack Copeland
Mudhead storyteller figure by Eva Betonie, Navajo
Yarn basket by unknown maker
Hopi Kachina Shalako by Marty Jackson
Carved wooden Indian head mask
Framed print The Navajo by Carl Oscar Borg
10
Gift of Sean Owen
Collection of video recordings (raw footage, including interviews)
from the making of the film Sing Birds: Cahuilla Path to Power, featuring
bird singers and others
Gift of M. Elaine Burnett
Collection of library books and postcards, and bookcase.,
Gift of Debbie Purnel
ACBCI Spa-commemoration flask
Gift of Millie Browne
Apache country sherds and other materials
Gift of Kerstin Pollack
Paintings entitled Indian Memory & Indian Altar at the Volcano
by artist Reginald Pollack
Gift of the Daughters
of the American Revolution (DAR)
Desert cities proclamations for National Indian Heritage Month
Gift of Donna Jean Darby
Manuscript, Broken Treaty by Michael Lang
Gift of Jane Lykken Hoff
Pestle, 18” stone tool
Gift of Marilyn Ravicz
Plate etching, book
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Special Events
The 2011 Festival of Native Film &
Culture celebrated its 10th season with
feature films, documentaries, and short
films from around the globe by Guest
Programmer Elizabeth Weatherford,
Director of the Film and Video Center
at the Smithsonian National Museum of
the American Indian.
Festival of
Native Film
&Culture
2011
In addition to film makers and actors in
attendance, the Festival welcomed John
Mataira, New Zealand Consul-General
in Los Angeles who introduced the film
Boy, the award-winning New Zealand
feature dramatic comedy.
To view more photographs of these events
join us on faceBook
SINGING THE BIRDS
B i r d s o n G & d a n c e f e s t i va l
WIKITMALLEM TAHMUWHAE
Singing the Birds (Wikitmallem Tahmuwhae):
Bird Song & Dance Festival celebrated traditional
bird singing and dancing. The day-long
event with Guest Host Gerald Clarke, Jr.
(Cahuilla/Cahuilla Band of Indians) featured
honored bird singers and dancers from
California and Arizona.
12
Education Programs
Announcements
Kids Explore! Classes
new online exhibition
Make a Navajo sand painting, play
California Indian games, listen to
Native stories and so much more!
In Kids Explore! summer classes, children
ages 5–12 learn while having fun.
Crossroads & Intersections, a popular Agua
Caliente Cultural Museum exhibition,
is now available online at
monday throuGh thursday,
july 18-21, 2011
10:00 am–noon
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum
219 South Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs
free reGistration
Registration is required;
class size is limited.
To register, contact Claire Victor
at 760.833.8169
0r [email protected].
www.accmuseum.org
(Click the “Online Exhibitions” link).
Discover the stories behind Palm
Springs street names and learn about
the Cahuilla Indians after whom they
were named. Other online exhibitions
include Dream of the Blue Frog and Since
Time Immemorial.
MuseuM store
with a new look
The next time you visit the Museum,
notice the “new look” of the Museum
Store retail area. JCRR Design, graphic
designer for our publications and
exhibitions, “freshened up” the
space with colors and signage that
complement our exhibition galleries,
and created a more customerfriendly layout of merchandise for the
convenience of Museum visitors.
stuDent intern
We are grateful to our winter student
intern Jenny Worth for her knowledge
and hard work. Volunteering 18 hours
weekly, Jenny helped accomplish
projects for the Archives and Curatorial
departments while pursuing a graduate
degree in archaeology at Cal State
University, San Bernardino.
s av e t h e D a t e !
DinnerInTheCanyons
saturday, octoBer 8, 2011
Honoring Richard M. Milanovich
Chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
13
Contributors
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, with
a governing board of directors and
professional staff, is a 501(c)(3) not-forprofit organization that welcomes financial
support for its mission from a broad range
of individuals and donor organizations.
Gifts to the Museum are tax-deductible.
Contributions received after March 23,
2011 will be recognized in the next issue
of The Spirit. For additional information
about how you can support the Museum,
please contact Steve Sharp, Director of
Development, at 760.833.8167.
Annual Giving 2010-2011
Annual tax-deductible contributions in
the form of memberships, sponsorships,
grants, tributes, and matching gifts provide
funding to ensure the availability of quality
exhibitions, educational programs, and
cultural festivals. We gratefully acknowledge
the support of our members, sponsors, and
other generous donors.
Members
Donors circle
e a g l e / g o l D ($10,000 and above)
Lois Segundo-Workman & Carl Workman
e a g l e / s i l v e r ($5,000 to $9,999)
Christopher T. Lewis
e a g l e ($1,000 to $2,499)
Lowell J. Bean, Ph.D.
Millie & Dave Browne
Lee Elster
Michael Hammond, Ph.D.
& Rebecca M. Hendrickson
Elaine E. Hill & John H. Schoettler
In Memory of Patrick & Ray Patencio
& in Memory of Dora Prieto & Jeannette Prieto-Dodd
Jim & Jackie Lee Houston
Lamar Advertising
David James Lewis
Debbie Purnel
In Memory of Priscilla Patencio Gonzales
Steve Sharp
Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
Allan and Linda Jo Bankus
Whitewater Rock & Supply Co.
P a l M ($500 to $999)
14
Larry & Meg King
In Honor of grandson Atom Ray Patencio Travis
& Millie Browne
Karen and Clint Miller
Dr. & Mrs. Steven Niethamer
Carolyn and Ernest G. Noia
Connie Sharp
H. Mark Schulz
M e s q u i t e ($250 to $499)
Anonymous (1)
Jean C. Carrus
Ms. Margaret Cole
Tiffany & Co.
Steve T. Erickson and Steven P. Degenhardt
Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Fey
Mr. & Mrs. Mark D. Gershenson
Mrs. Olga H. Giannini
Mr. Len Goldberg
Bill & Suzanne Houck
Naideen F. Nagle
Robert & Renona Pennington
Eleanor R. Pohl
Kerstin Pollack
Joseph A. Roman, Esq. & Mark L. Wilson
Allan & Merry Ann Ruegsegger
In Memory of Dr. Sterling Allen
Lori Sarner
In Honor of Michael Hammond & Rebecca Hendrickson
Simmie & Keith Shibou
Mrs. Polly Soules
Mrs. Dorothy Walsh
Mrs. Diana J. Wiefels
In Memory of Howard H.Wiefels
P a l o v e r D e ($100 to $249)
Anonymous (7)
Lorna LePage Alexander & Maisie Alexander
In Memory of Jean-Louis & Margaret LePage
Charmay Allred
Bart & Sharon Apfelbaum
Herb & Judy Bauer
Jack and Linda Beal
Mr. & Mrs. Donald E. Bradley
Mrs. Judy Browne
Mrs. Elaine Burnett
Tom Bastow & Michael Call
Mr. & Mrs. William H. Casey
I.M. Chait & Mary Ann Chait
Ronald D. Childers & Richard M. Proctor
Dr. & Mrs. Michael J. Clapper
Samuel K. Coleman, Ph.D.
& Hiroko Kataoka, Ph.D.
Mr. James Cornett & Ms. Terry Cornett
Ecological Consultants, Inc.
Virginia S. Criste & Larry Allen
Keith & Donna Jean Darby
Judith Eagan
Lee Elliott
Mr. Justin F. Farmer
Virginia Siva Gillespie
In Memory of Edmund Peter Siva,Virginia Patencio Siva
& Austin Cruz Siva
Michael & Eula Harris
In Memory of Dora Prieto
Ms. Marjorie Hatcher
Mrs. Ann Heavey
Sydne Heidrich
In Memory of brother, Bill Keenan
Mrs. CleoBell Heiple-Tice & Mr. Sid Tice
Mr. & Mrs. Jim Hicks
Jane L. Hoff
Bud & Barbara Hoover
In Honor of Bruce & Karen Jacobs
Katherine Hough & Greg Hough
Ambrosia M. Howell
Jeannine Jones
Mrs. Sofia S. Jones
Linda and Tom Kieley III
Cheryl & Rick Lantz
Las Casuelas Terraza/Patty D. Service
Mary Jo Lass, Ed.D.
In Memory of Ray Patencio, Sr.
Jacqueline Lawrence
Mrs. Arlette Lea
Larea Mae Lewis
Stacia Lewis
Tsianina Lomawaima, Ph.D.
Janice Lyle, Ph.D.
Charles M. Monell, M.D.
Ms. Robin Montgomery
In Memory of Nathan Kay
In Honor of Jackie Lee Houston
Cynthia Murdoch
In Memory of Frances Murdoch
Dr. Nathan Murillo & Mr. Monkgorn Kaiwsai
Richard J. O’Linn
Mrs. Mary Kay Patencio
Patti Patencio
Cindy Pieper
State Farm Insurance
Andrew Purnel
Anthony Purnel
Marilyn Ekdahl Ravicz, Ph.D.
Mr. & Mrs. Victor Reyes
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Schneller
Dr. & Mrs. Charlie Shaeffer
Mr. and Mrs. James J. Shea, Jr.
Mrs. Mary Small
Ken & Jeanie Smith
Dr. Ronald W. Steigerwalt
& Mr. Michael P. Carson
George & Louise Stettler
Ms. Sharon Tamagni & Mr. Rudy Aguilar
Joy M. Pierce Teel
In Memory of Lawrence Pierce
Claire Victor & Thomas Carnase
Dan & Nicolle Walters
Mr. & Mrs. Richard E. Weaver
Dr. Emily J. Williams
Sponsors
Media Sponsors
Spirit Keepers Programs
Alexandra Sheldon
2010–2011
LGBT Print Media Sponsor
Special Events
Agua Caliente Band of
Cahuilla Indians
Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa/
Spa Resort Casino
Helen Beamer
Millie & Dave Browne
Cahuilla Casino
City of Palm Springs
Desert Regional Medical Center
Annette Segundo Guzman
Devin Guzman
Nastassja, Leilani &
Damon Guzman
IGT
Lamar Outdoor Advertising
of Palm Springs
Harold Matzner
Karen & Clint Miller
Morongo Band of Mission Indians
Pacific Premier Bank
Robert & Renona Pennington
The Penta Building Group, Inc.
Prescott Place, LLC/
Steve Nichols & Sally Benson
The Purnel Family:
Debbie, Anthony & Andrew Purnel
& Ambrosia M. Howell
In Memory of Priscilla Patencio Gonzales
Ashley Lynn Prieto
and Morgan Prieto
Ramona Band of Cahuilla Indians
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
Eugene Segundo, Jr. & Vivian Segundo
Las Casuelas Terraza
The Signature Insurance Group
Brakke Schnafnitz Insurance
Brokers – Tribal First
Simmie & Keith Shibou
Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
Southern California Edison
Rozene & Ric Supple
Camelot Theatres/RR Broadcasting
Tribal Alliance of
Sovereign Indian Nations
Union Bank, Native American Market
Wells Fargo
2010-2011
Exhibition Print Media Sponsor
2010-2011
Education Program
Print Media Sponsor
2010-2011 Outdoor Advertising
Media Sponsor
The Sun Runner
Print Media Sponsor
In-Kind Contributors
Brilliant Events and Meetings, Inc.
Burrtec Waste & Recycling Services
Copley’s on Palm Canyon
James H. Toenjes
Matching Gifts
Chevron Corporation
Tiffany & Co.
Special Gifts & Grants
Barona Band of Mission Indians
Lowell J. Bean, Ph.D.
Jean C. Carrus
Mrs. Olga H. Giannini
Mr. Eddis I. Harrison
Gioconda C. McMillan
In Honor of Millie Browne
Ms. Barbara Mortensen
The National Film
Preservation Foundation
Priscilla Pete
Joseph A. Roman, Esq.
Eyron Ike Rosenberg
Connie Sharp
United States Department
of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
California Desert District
Tributes & Memorials
Lorna LePage Alexander
& Maisie Alexander
In Memory of
Jean-Louis & Margaret LePage
Steven Copeland
In Memory of Muriel & Jack Copeland
Patricia Erickson
In Honor of Millie Browne
Virginia Siva Gillespie
In Memory of Edmund Peter Siva,
Virginia Patencio Siva & Austin Cruz Siva
Michael & Eula Harris
In Memory of Dora Prieto
Sydne Heidrich
In Memory of brother, Bill Keenan
Mr. & Mrs. Jose Higueras
In Memory of Frank Bogert
Elaine Hill & John Schoettler
In Memory of Dora Prieto
& Jeannette Prieto-Dodd
In Memory of Ray & Patrick Patencio
Bud & Barbara Hoover
In Honor of Bruce & Karen Jacobs
Larry & Meg King
In Honor of grandson
Atom Ray Patencio Travis
Mary Jo Lass, Ed.D.
In Memory of Ray Patencio, Sr.
Allen Lundberg
In Memory of Muriel & Jack Copeland
Ann Mang
In Memory of Muriel & Jack Copeland
Ms. Robin Montgomery
In Memory of Nathan Kay
In Honor of Jackie Lee Houston
Cynthia Murdoch
In Memory of Frances Murdoch
Naideen F. Nagle
In Honor of Richard Milanovich
Robert & Renona Pennington
In Memory of Flora A. Patencio
In Memory of Eileen Miguel
Mr. Ignatius Petek
In Memory of Austin Cruz
Ashley L.Prieto
In Memory of Dora Joyce Prieto “Grandma”
In Loving Memory of Jeanette Prieto-Dodd
“Queen AJPD”
Joseph A. Roman & Mark L. Wilson
In Memory of Christine Gottlieb
Allan & Merry Ann Ruegsegger
In Memory of Dr. Sterling Allen
Lori Sarner
In Honor of Michael Hammond
& Rebecca Hendrickson
Jeanette Swenson
In Honor of Dean Pieper
Joy M. Pierce Teel
In Memory of Lawrence Pierce
15
Administration Offices
901 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite C-204
Palm Springs, CA 92262
w w w. j cr r d esi Gn.co m
The Spirit is published quarterly by
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum,
a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public corporation.
Copyright of The Spirit and its content is held by the
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum unless expressly stated
otherwise. All rights reserved.
Smithsonian Institution
Affiliations Program
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum is the first Native
American museum to be part of the Smithsonian
Institution Affiliations Program. This special
relationship provides opportunities to share resources
in programming, collections, scholarship, and technical
expertise – and entitles the Museum to bring worldacclaimed Smithsonian exhibitions to the Coachella Valley.
m us e u m h ou rs
Memorial Day to Labor Day
Friday and Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm;
Sunday noon – 5:00 pm
Labor Day to Memorial Day
Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm;
Sunday noon – 5:00 pm
m us e u m lo cati on
The Museum is located at 219 South Palm
Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs,
between Arenas Road & Baristo Road.
760.323.0151
Boa r d of d ir e ctor s
sta ff
Mildred Browne Chairwoman
Diana Richards Vice-Chairwoman
Debbie Purnel Secretary
Joy M. Pierce Teel Treasurer
Lowell J. Bean, Ph.D.
Virginia Siva Gillespie
Annette Segundo Guzman
David J. Lewis
Renona Pennington
Joseph A. Roman, Esq.
Lois Segundo-Workman
Karen Vielhaber
Chase Welmas
Michael Hammond, Ph.D. Executive Director
Dawn Wellman Assistant Curator
Jon Fletcher, mlis Archivist
Steve Sharp Director of Development
Jackie Bagnall Officer Manager
Claire Victor Administrative Assistant/Programs
Ashley Dunphy Curatorial Assistant
Ursula Cripps Museum Interpreter
Donald Karvelis Museum Interpreter
Susan Myers Museum Interpreter
Jeff L. Grubbe Ex-Officio
Virginia Milanovich Emeritus
Patty Delgado Service Emeritus
Alexandra Sheldon Emeritus
aG
ua
ca
m
al
lien
t e c u lt u r
um
use
plea
se recy
cl
e
www.accmuseum.org
www.facebook.com
(Search “Agua Caliente
Cultural Museum”)
AGUA CA LI ENT E
CULTUR A L M U S E U M
mission statement
M u s eu M
aDM i s s i on
is free
16
The Agua Caliente Cultural
Museum inspires people to learn
about the Agua Caliente Band of
Cahuilla Indians and other Native
cultures.We keep the spirit alive
through exhibitions, collections,
research, and educational programs.
The Spirit Lives®