Page 24 - Southern California Gaming Guide • November 2017

PAGE 24
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
NOVEMBER 2017
AOgua Caliente Band Announces New Cultural Center Plans
n October 7th, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Tribal Chairman Je L. Grubbe unveiled plans for a 5.8-acre cultural center in the heart of downtown Palm Springs that celebrates the history, culture
and traditions of the Agua Caliente people. Groundbreaking for the new cultural center is scheduled for early 2018 with a two-year construction cycle.
e cultural center will feature an envisioned Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, a new Agua Caliente Spa and Bathhouse that celebrates the Tribe’s ancient Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring, a Gathering Plaza, gardens, and an Oasis Trail.
“ is new cultural center provides an incredible opportunity to share and celebrate our history, culture and traditions with this community and visitors from around the world,” Tribal Chairman Grubbe said. “Each of the 566 federally recognized tribes throughout this country has a distinct culture that includes traditions, language, historic clothing and housing styles as well as historical food and medicine preparations. We want to share that with others as well as acknowledge the fact that we are alive and well today living in the modern world.”
e new museum includes approximately 48,000 square feet and will feature collections in a main gallery, changing gallery and art gallery. A repository for cultural artifacts, stories and history, the museum will also include an education center and garden. e spa includes approximately 40,000 square feet to celebrate the ancient healing waters of Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring with treatment rooms, men and women’s bathhouses, a tranquility garden, a salon, tness center and outdoor mineral pools.
e water from the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring is estimated to be upwards of 12,000 years old and contains a mineral make-up that has not been
Te3 Civic High School Awarded Barona Education Grant
public transportation passes for students experiencing economic hardship. “ ebestwaytostopthecycleofpovertyandhomelessnessistogiveyoungpeople the tools they need to build a better future for themselves,” said California State Senator Toni Atkins, the grant’s sponsor. e transit passes Barona is providing for students facing hardship will help get them where they are going — both
literally and guratively. I am grateful for this generosity and community spirit.”
to safe and reliable transportation so they can get to and from school. Our Tribe is proud to provide the funds to procure the passes and ensure students don’t have to miss one day of learning.”
e passes will ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to attend school and ful ll the school’s mission to ensure students are “future-ready” for success in the eld for which they choose to pursue.
Harrah’s Resort Southern California and Rincon Band Donate
T$100,000 to Hurricane Relief
o assist those a ected by this year’s extreme can support communities throughout the states hurricane season, the Rincon Band of during this di cult time,” said Chairman Bo Luiseño Indians made a $100,000 monetary Mazzetti. “ e Red Cross was our champion
donations to various charitable organizations and, through employee giving, has donated more than
100,000 hours of volunteer time.
“We attribute a huge part of our resort’s success to
the local community,” said Darrell Pilant, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Harrah’s Resort Southern California. “We’re fortunate to have a wonderful relationship with the Tribe and are grateful to partner with them to assist other communities across the nation with relief e orts as a result of these natural disasters.”
contribution to the Red Cross on behalf of Harrah’s Resort Southern California. e funds will be used to provide care, supplies and nancial assistance to those who experienced loss during the natural disasters.
“On behalf of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families impacted by the hurricanes. We stand united with all those a ected and are pleased we
during the 2007 Poomacha Wild res that nearly wiped out our reservation and we will always be grateful. ese devastating events remind us to unite and work together as a community.”
Harrah’s Resort Southern California is known for its humanitarian e orts and charitable contributions through its All-In 4 Change program.
To date, Harrah’s Resort Southern California has donated more than $3.6 million in cash and in-kind
Rendering of the new Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, featuring Agua Caliente Spa and Bathhouse, Gathering Plaza and Oasis Trail.
found anywhere else in the world. e Tribe has shared the healing water with visitors for more than 100 years. is new Spa will be the fth bathhouse or spa at the site, with the rst one operating in the late 1880s.
As an integral part of the strategic Vision Agua Caliente process that the Tribe initiated several years ago, the Cultural Center will serve as a cornerstone to the long term goals of the Tribe, and has been designed to be woven into the Master Plan that the Agua Caliente have established for their home in downtown Palm Springs.
he Barona Band of Mission Indians has awarded students and teachers at Barona Tribal Chairman, Edwin “ orpe” Romero, presented the $5,000 e3 Civic High School a $5,000 Barona Education Grant. e public charter check to Senator Atkins, the school’s principal Dr. Helen V. Gri th and school, located in downtown San Diego, will use the grant to purchase students, and said “We recognize the growing need for students to have access
November 2017 Tribes in the News