Museum of Riverside

Cahuilla Continuum

Exhibit Open September 26, 2014 - August 31, 2017

The CAHUILLA CONTINUUM: TÚKU, ÍVAX, TÚLEKA*  exhibition tells the story of a Southern California Native people---the Cahuilla. The past, present, and future of this vital, indigenous community is brought to life through baskets, branding irons, ollas, regalia, paintings, photographs, and stories. The exhibit features over 160 objects from the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, Cabazon Band of Mission Indians Cultural Museum, and private collectors with members of the Cahuilla community playing a pivotal role in both the development and production of the exhibition.

The Cahuilla say they have been in Southern California since the beginning of time. They have made inland Southern California their home-- taking care of the land, water, trees, plants, and animals. Adapting to life on the desert floor in the heat and on tops of mountains in the cold, their culture, language, and religion are an extension of their environment. Through their basketry, ceramics, songs, and dances, they preserve their heritage and teach their history and laws. In these ways, they prepare for the future. Within the last 25 years, a revitalization of Cahuilla culture has emerged and Cahuilla Continuum: Túku,  Ívax, Túleka is an extension of that idea and thought. There are nine federally-recognized Cahuilla reservations in Southern California: Agua Caliente, Augustine, Cahuilla, Cabazon, Los Coyotes, Morongo, Ramona, Santa Rosa, and Torres Martinez. Cahuilla also live on other reservations, all of which are actively preserving the natural resources of the state, their heritage, and their sovereignty for future generations.

 [*Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow]



WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Cahuilla Continuum Committee: Anthony Andreas, Jennifer Bara, Mary Belardo, Joe Benitez, Hannah Brown, Mario Castellano, Andrea Candelaria, Maree Cheatham, Gerald Clarke, Steven Estrada, Al Gonzalez, Jeff Grubbe, Pat Holleman, Annie Hamilton, Joe Hamilton, Manuel Hamilton, Rose Ann Hamilton, Michael Hammond, Blossom Hathaway, Sue Hill, Walter Holmes, Joshua Thunder Little, Anthony Madrigal, Bill Madrigal, Luke Madrigal, Will Madrigal, Roy Mathews, Gina Milanovich, Kim Marcus, Maryann Martin, Theresa Mike, Dean Mike, Manuel Monguia, Joe Moreno, Christina Morreo, Summer Olsen, Renona Pennington, Bryn B. Potter, Robert Przeklasa, Rose Ramirez, Carol Ray, Natalie Reed, Jennifer Rivera, Nenetzin Rodriguez, David Saldivar, Alana Segundo, Sara Serrano, Kaitlin Sever, Lorene Sisquoc, Ernest Siva, Julia Sizek, Terria Smith, Judy Stapp, Clifford E. Trafzer, Henry Vasquez

With Generous Support From:
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum
Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
Cahuilla Band of Indians
CAL Humanities
California Center for Native Nations
National Museum of the American Indian
Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians
Riverside Museum Associates
Rupert Costo Endowment in American Indian Affairs
Sherman Indian Museum
Smithsonian Affiliates
Spotlight 29 Casino
Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians
University of California, Riverside

Authored and curated by:
Sean C. Milanovich, Riverside Metropolitan Museum University of California, Riverside
Internship as Associate Curator of Anthropology and Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Tribal Member

Supervised and coordinated by:
Brenda Buller Focht, Ph.D., Senior Curator
Riverside Metropolitan Museum



Cahuilla Continuum: TÚKU, ÍVAX, TÚLEKA* would not have been possible without the collaboration of: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, Cahuilla Band of  Indians, Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla & Cupeño Indians, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, Ramona Band of Cahuilla Indians, Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians.