The Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla Indians, located in Imperial and Riverside counties in California."California Indians and Their Reservations." San Diego State University Library and Information Access. (retrieved 17 May 2010) Their autonym is Mau-Wal-Mah Su-Kutt Menyil,"Home." Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. 2009 (retrieved 17 May 2010) which means "among the palms, deer moon" in the Cahuilla language.
Torres Martinez Indian Reservation The Torres Martinez Indian Reservation is a federal reservation in Imperial and Riverside Counties, with a total area of . It was established in 1876Pritzker, 120 and was named for the village of Toro and the Martinez Indian Agency. In 1905 as the Colorado River flowed into the area, most of the tribe packed their belongings and headed into the mountains as they were familiar with the reoccurring lake from their legends. Nearly half of the reservation was eventually flooded by the formation of the Salton Sea. Following the flooding, in 1909, 3,000 new unflooded acres were added to the reservation. In 1970, 42 of the 217 enrolled tribal members lived on the reservation. As of the 2010 census the population was 5,594.
Government The tribe's headquarters is located in Thermal, California. Their tribal administration is as follows:
Tribal Chairman Joseph Mirelez Vice-chairman RoseMarie Morreo Secretary Tina Jimenez Treasurer Elena Loya Council Member Desiree Franco Council Member Gary Resvaloso Council Member Proxy Lupe Sanchez"Tribal Council." Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. 2026 (retrieved 20 May 2026)
Demographics 2020 census +Torres-Martinez Reservation, California – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)11189452.68%1.59%1.30%Black or African American alone (NH)7450.17%0.07%0.14%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1521091403.67%1.95%4.05%Asian alone (NH)3720220.89%0.36%0.64%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)2000.05%0.00%0.00%Other race alone (NH)00280.00%0.00%0.81%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)1613290.39%0.23%0.84%Hispanic or Latino (any race)3,8215,3593,18592.16%95.80%92.21%Total4,1465,5943,454100.00%100.00%100.00%
Economic development The tribe owns and operates the Red Earth Casino in Salton City, California."Red Earth Casino." 500 Nations. (retrieved 17 May 2010)
Cemetery The tribe maintains a small (48 interments) cemetery on Martinez Road in Thermal.USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
Notable tribal citizens Ruby Modesto (1913–1980), medicine woman, traditionalist, educator
See also Mission Indians
Notes
References Bean, Lowell John. "Cahuilla." Heizer, Robert F., volume ed. Handbook of North American Indians: California, Volume 8. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1978. . Eargle Jr., Dolan H. California Indian Country: The Land and the People. San Francisco: Tree Company Press, 1992. . Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. .
Further reading
External links Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, official website