Cahuilla
The Cahuilla are a Native American group originally from the southern tip of California, recognized for their unique cultural practices and language, which belongs to the Uto-Aztecan family. Traditionally, Cahuilla men hunted game like deer and rabbits, while women gathered and preserved a variety of plant foods, including acorns and berries. Their villages were typically located near water sources, with homes made from local materials in dome and rectangular shapes. Cahuilla society emphasized cleanliness, and members engaged in communal bathing and the use of sweathouses. Spiritual beliefs played a significant role in their culture, with a strong respect for elders who passed down knowledge and values. Contact with Europeans began in the 18th century, leading to significant changes due to Spanish missions and later U.S. government oversight. Over the years, the Cahuilla faced challenges such as a devastating smallpox epidemic but saw a resurgence in population and cultural practices in the 21st century, with approximately 3,000 enrolled members across nine nations today. Despite modernization, traditional foods and cultural celebrations remain important to the Cahuilla identity.
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Cahuilla
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: California
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Uto-Aztecan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Southern California
- POPULATION SIZE: 3,000 (2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps)
The Cahuilla Indigenous Americans were one of the Indigenous American cultures of California, living at the southern tip of California. The group was part of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Men used the bow and arrow to hunt deer, rabbits, and mountain sheep; women roasted and dried surplus meat for winter use and gathered acorns, piñon nuts, seeds, beans, fruit, and berries. Many of the goods so gathered were ground into flour and stored in pots and baskets.
Cahuilla villages were situated near water, which became scarce in summer. The homes were constructed of brush gathered together and formed into dome-shaped structures; there were also some larger dwellings, rectangular in shape, that could be as long as twenty feet. Men wore deerskin loincloths; women wore skirts made from mesquite bark or deerskin. Rabbit skin blankets provided winter warmth.
Cleanliness was very important to Cahuilla. They regularly bathed and sweated in village sweathouses. It was a great disgrace for any foreign particles to be discovered on household utensils and baskets. They believed in supernatural spirits and a universal power that explained unusual or miraculous events. Older members were greatly respected; they taught values and skills to the Indigenous American children and were regarded as repositories of knowledge.
In 1774, Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza made the first documented contact with Cahuilla. Because the Cahuilla and other local Indigenous groups were hostile to Europeans, White settlers avoided the area for many years. The Cahuilla finally became involved with Europeans through the Spanish missions. With the missions and missionaries, they adopted certain aspects of Spanish culture, including trade, Catholicism, animal husbandry, and wage labor.
In 1863, a smallpox epidemic struck the Cahuilla, cutting their population in half. The reduced size left them defenseless against the increasing number of Americans who began to settle in their region. After 1891, the US government began overseeing Cahuilla life and activities. Schools and Protestant missions were opened, and several traditional practices—particularly Cahuilla religious activities—were discouraged.
During the 1960s, federal resources provided significant improvements in health, education, and general welfare. In the second half of the twentieth century, the Cahuilla raised cattle and worked in civil service, construction, social work, and blue-collar jobs. Despite such modernization, a number of traditional foods were still favored, and Cahuilla songs and dances were performed on holidays. The population of Cahuilla Indigenous Americans had a significant resurgence in the twenty-first century. In 2025, there were approximately 3,000 enrolled members of nine Cahuilla nations.
Bibliography
Aguilar, Rudy. “The Cahuilla Tribe.” ArcGIS StoryMaps, 22 May 2021, storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d7a3ee222ac3430bb20053a8cf70172e. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
Bean, Lowell John. Mukat's People: The Cahuilla Indians of Southern California. University of California Press, 1974.
“Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians.” Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association, sctca.net/cahuilla-band-of-mission-indians. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
"History." Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, www.aguacaliente.org/history. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
“History & Heritage.” Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, tribe.augustinetribe-nsn.gov/history-heritage. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
Hooper, Lucile. The Cahuilla Indians. Kessinger, 2005.