New Monument Pays Tribute To Local Indian Tribe

Palm Springs and Agua Caliente Tribe officials unveiled a new monument Monday morning. The rectangle granite block with rocks surrounding it is in honor of Section 14. The 640 acres of land in Palm Springs owned by the Tribe spans from Alejo Road to the north, Ramon Road to the south, Sunrise Way to the east and Indian Canyon Drive to the west makes up Section 14.

Section 14 was established in 1876 by the Agua Caliente Tribe. In the 1960’s relations between the Tribe and the City of Palm Springs became strained. City leaders set up a conservatorship which started the sale of tribal land. Then in the 70’s Palm Springs went into the Section 14 and tore down homes that didn’t meet code. Then the Fire Department went in and burned the homes lumber and property. Agua Caliente Chairman Richard Milanovich says, “It’s an accumulation of the struggle with Palm Springs since it was incorporated.”

Vera Wall attended the unveiling. Wall says, “I think it’s wonderful, it’s long overdue.” Wall was born and raised in Section 14, she says, “It was a wonderful time living there with the Indians, everyone got along, there was no crime.”

The monument is just one of four. The three others will be displayed soon. It took Doug Hyde over a year and half to build the four out of granite. Hyde says, “The granite represents the present and future of the Tribe, the rocks represent the past.”