By Denise Ortuno Neil
Within each community there is a story to tell and a history to preserve for future generations. The quest of the Coachella Valley History Museum in Indio is to do just that, and with the opening of their newest exhibit ready for the 2013/2014 season, the museum holds true to their mission.
The Coachella Valley History Museum came together back in 1965 by a group of civic minded residents who desired to preserve their communities’ history for those to come. The museum opened in 1984, and has slowly grown with different exhibits and additions including the first and only Date Museum in the world which chronicles the date’s origin and how it came to the Coachella Valley. The sprawling campus also encompasses the 1926 Smiley-Tyler House, the 1909 Schoolhouse, a Blacksmith Shop and four serene gardens including the “Liberty Tree”, which is the oldest Cork Tree in the Coachella Valley.
The museum is proud to feature their new exhibit, Journey of a People: A History of the Cahuilla and Chemehuevi Tribes in the Coachella Valley. The exhibit is the vision of the museum’s curator, Erica Ward. She, along with the other museum members have worked hard to put the informative and detailed exhibit together, “I thought that it would benefit the museum and the general public,” said Ward.
The exhibit focuses on the five tribes from the valley area, the Agua Caliente, Cabazon, Augustine, Torres Martinez and 29 Palms. The tribes are broken up into Cahuilla and Chemehuevi Tribes. It is unique in the fact that it strays away from focusing on the gaming aspect of the tribes and more on their individual diverse histories. Highlighting important events and long standing traditions such as the Bird Singing of the Torres Martinez Tribe which almost became a lost art over the years.
The exhibit accomplishes educating the public about the tribes through a series of artifacts, displays and photographs. The exhibit will discuss the lives of the tribes before and during European occupation and what they endured including the small pox epidemic that killed a great portion of the Indian population in 1863. Visitors to the exhibit can take self-guided tours in order to absorb all of the information at their own pace, and the exhibit will be on display until May 31st, 2014.
The museum has other events coming up this season as well. The Dia de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead Fundraiser will take place in the evening on Friday November 1st. The fundraiser will include deliciously prepared food, live music, special Day of the Dead exhibits and even tequila tastings. The event is $75 per person.
The museum will also be starting their Speaker Series, with the first speaker taking the podium on Friday October 11th from 5:30-7:30pm. The October speaker will be Michael Morales of the Torres Martinez Tribe and will discuss Bird Singing and the Cahuilla Culture.
In December the museum hosts their Old Fashion Christmas in the 1909 Schoolhouse and in March they gear up for Heritage Day. The favorite museum event is held at the end of the month and is an all-day fun filled family style occasion for the whole community.
If you want more than just a day at the museum, you can actually put a little Coachella Valley history in your special event. The property is available to be rented out for weddings, parties, corporate events and other occasions.
The Coachella Valley History Museum is full of pertinent information about our bountiful desert area and it is a treat to step back in time when visiting it. It gives us all a glimpse of Coachella Valley history, and an appreciation for those who found it important enough to preserve it.
The Coachella Valley History Museum is opened Thurs-Sat from 10-4pm and Sundays from 1-4pm.
For more information visit www.cvhm.
