Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza.
PHOTO BY KATE ANDERSON, COURTESY AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
On the same land where ancestors of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians soaked in the mineral water bubbling up — and where it bubbles up still — there now resides a wondrous plaza that opens Nov. 3 and is ready to welcome guests.
The celebration began earlier this year with the opening of The Spa at Séc-he. The state-of-the-art spa is one component of the 5.8-acre Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza in downtown Palm Springs. This month marks the opening of the highly anticipated Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, the inviting Gathering Plaza, and the Oasis Trail that connects the spa and museum.
On the same land where ancestors of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians soaked in the mineral water bubbling up — and where it bubbles up still — there now resides a wondrous plaza that opens Nov. 3 and is ready to welcome guests.
Oasis Trail.
PHOTO BY ANTHONY PURNEL, COURTESY AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
The celebration began earlier this year with the opening of The Spa at Séc-he. The state-of-the-art spa is one component of the 5.8-acre Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza in downtown Palm Springs. This month marks the opening of the highly anticipated Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, the inviting Gathering Plaza, and the Oasis Trail that connects the spa and museum.
The museum also showcases the emerging work of contemporary Native American artists, including exhibitions on loan from the National Museum of the American Indian through a partnership between the tribe and the Smithsonian Institution.
Traditions of Agua Caliente culture are thoughtfully embedded in the plaza’s architecture and design. The terrazzo floors in both the spa and the museum, for instance, echo the intriguing patterns of traditional basketry, a craft once central to the Agua Caliente way of life and a vital part of the tribe’s culture to this day. Meanwhile, the plaza’s outdoor spaces reflect the natural beauty of the surrounding environment. A native plant garden highlights traditional sources of food, medicine, and shelter; the Oasis Trail presents the flora and fauna of the nearby Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon, ancestral homes of the Agua Caliente people.
See and hear stories of the Agua Caliente people in this exhibit; museum store.
KAMINSKY PRODUCTIONS, COURTESY AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
The tradition of welcoming guests to partake in the healing properties of the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring that the tribe began more than 130 years ago is entering a new and extraordinary era. The Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza is poised to deliver on its mission of preserving and sharing the culture, history, and ancestral land of its people now and for generations to come. It represents the authentic voice of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and the tribe is immensely proud to share it with the world.
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