就在不久之前 卡韦拉印第安人的奥古斯丁部落 was considered the smallest Native American tribe in the entire country. 曾经只剩下八个人, 奥古斯丁班德的人口仍然很少, 只有大约20名注册会员. But the resilience and perseverance of this federally recognized tribe in the eastern 科切拉谷地大约30英里 棕榈泉，不可小觑.
前瞻性思维, innovative Augustine Band looks toward its future with hope and optimism, 部落主席阿曼达·万斯说. “I hope the visitors who come to Augustine gain an understanding and knowledge of who we are as a tribe and what we stand for,万斯说。. “这就是社区成长和赋权, 管理土地和资源, 通过经济机会和能源主权实现繁荣.”
Nine separate and independent Cahuilla tribes live in Southern California and are divided into three main geographic groups: Desert, Mountain, 和西方. With a 540-acre reservation southwest of Coachella that was established by Congress in 1891, 奥古斯丁是沙漠卡韦拉部落. 而语言和文化传统又紧密相连, 万斯说，卡韦拉部落之间仍然存在差异, 包括他们所说方言的变化.
Most Augustine members live within about five miles of the reservation and currently only one person resides on tribal land. Vance says that will soon change as the tribe plans and builds a residential area for all of its members. She believes that having the tribe live together on its own land will be especially valuable for the Augustine children.
“It’s very important for them to see the hard work that goes into this and not just think that things pop out of the ground,万斯说。. “你从努力工作中受益. 我相信孩子们, 通过彼此在一起，经历同样的事情, 当他们进入部落会议时, 这将使他们更容易走到一起. 了解发生了什么，然后继续前进.”
作为沙漠人, the Augustine people face a number of environmental challenges and have taken steps to ensure that they are able to meet their energy and water needs. In 2008, 部落建立了奥古斯丁太阳能公园, an operation which sustainably generates enough energy for the equivalent of 500 homes and provides most of the power for tribal businesses. The Augustine are also committed to protecting and preserving safe drinking water sources through the careful management of the reservation’s precious aquifer.
It’s all consistent with 奥古斯丁部落’s desire to honor its ancestors while creating a prosperous future. 正如万斯在最近的部落出版物中所写的那样, “Above all, 从诚信团结到亲情, we are committed to the values and vision long revered by our ancestors. bbin游戏官网已经取得了实质性进展. Yet we live and run our business modestly, as we do not believe in excess. bbin游戏官网很荣幸能代表bbin游戏官网的人民工作, 社区, 这个地区, 以及未来的每一代人.”
体验奥古斯丁保留地
被称为科切拉山谷的“最好的秘密” 奥古斯汀赌场 has won numerous honors from local publications, including top casino from the Desert Sun 报纸,而 棕榈泉生活 读者投票给了赌场 Áyily Bar 该杂志的最佳榜单. 拥有170名员工，并承诺在当地招聘, the casino not only brings vital revenue to the tribe but makes a substantial contribution to the 科切拉谷地 economy. 令人印象深刻的是25%的员工, 其中大多数是少数民族和女性, 在赌场工作了十多年吗.
部落最重要的倡议之一是 Temalpakh农场这是一个占地33英亩的认证有机农场，于2012年开始运营. Temalpakh means “from the earth” and the farm aims to provide a source of healthy, affordable, 为部落和周边社区提供可持续种植的食物. 游客可以买到像辣椒这样的时令农产品, tomatoes, 还有农场市场上的菜花, 那里也有冰沙吧.
万斯已故的母亲玛丽·安·马丁, 谁当了27年部落主席, was instrumental in the development of the farm as part of her mission to achieve tribal self-sufficiency. 万斯说:“我今天所做的一切都是我母亲的启发. “完成她开创的一切一直是我的目标, 农场就是其中一个项目. So the farm is very near and dear to my heart because it was one of the last projects she didn’t get a chance to complete.”
一个独特的故事
The Augustine tribe derives its name from Captain Vee-Vee Augustine, who was born in 1820. 但这个部落的历史至少可以追溯到3年前,000 years ago to the time when the Cahuilla people became the first known inhabitants of the 科切拉谷地.
The Desert Cahuilla depended on the area’s abundant mesquite trees for food. 他们还捕猎兔子, as well as such big game as desert bighorn sheep and deer in the nearby mountains. 多达15个,000 Cahuilla lived in the area before the numbers plunged with the arrival of Europeans. 在19世纪, 奥古斯丁部落, 以及其他卡韦拉乐队, 死于疾病, especially during a smallpox outbreak in 1863 that killed more than 80 percent of the population.
By 1972, 罗伯塔奥古斯汀, 马丁的母亲和万斯的祖母, 是部落里唯一幸存的成年成员吗. 但在马丁的领导下，部落开始复苏. She and her family moved onto the reservation and in 2002 helped establish the 奥古斯汀赌场, which has gone on to generate an economic impact of nearly $200 million in the 科切拉谷地.
奥古斯丁网站总结了马丁的成就, the tribe “went from virtual non-existence as the smallest tribal nation in the 美国 to a burgeoning economic powerhouse. This continuing monumental achievement has been built on a foundation of principles, 优雅地克服障碍, 学习胜利.”
