Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

Inland Empire Native American Dance Folklife/Other Music Oral Traditions/Language Visual/Craft/Material Arts 2006 2007

Since its founding in 1991, the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum has worked to preserve and revive the culture of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and other Cahuilla peoples.  Located in the heart of Palm Springs, the museum presents exhibitions, lectures, films, special events, tours, traditional skills workshops, and educational outreach programs for students in local schools.  The museum is committed to the belief that knowledge is a tool for empowerment, autonomy, and the proper stewardship of the land and culture.  Preserving the past, documenting the present and nourishing culture for the future, the museum is a place to teach new generations and share Cahuilla history and culture with others.

In 2006 and 2007, Agua Caliente Cultural Museum received grants from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program for their 1st and 2nd Annual Singing the Birds Festival.  Celebrating bird singing — one of the most important and sacred art forms in Cahuilla culture — the festival brings the community together with master bird singers from the region to perform and share.