The largest land owner in Palm Springs is the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. They possess 6,700 acres within the city limits. There are an additional 24,910 acres of reservation land outside of Palm Springs - several canyons, resorts/casinos, and golf courses. We spent a few hours at Taquitz Canyon.
Native Americans lived in Taquitz Canyon for at least 2,000 years, drawn by the fresh water that flows through the rocks. Now the canyon is preserved as a park ($12.50 admission fee for adults), and no native people live there. The area is named after the shaman Taquitz who, according to legend, started out good but turned to the dark side. After using his power against the Cahuilla people, he was banished to the canyon where he remains to this day. The Indians say you sometimes see him as a green light in the sky. You hear and feel him during earthquakes. We took a two hour guided walk through the canyon during which we learned about the primative Agua Caliente lifestyle.
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| A Canyon View |
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| Many of the rocks have orange-brown-black deposits on the surface called rock varnish. Clay, iron, and manganese oxides that blow in the wind get caught on the rock surface over time. Indians used the "varnished" rocks as their canvasses. They scraped away the varnish layer to expose the lighter layer below when making petroglyphs. |
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| Cool, Fresh Water |
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Creosote Bush
Indians used this plant as a remedy for many illnesses. It is still used today as an herbal remedy called chaparral; however the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada warn against ingesting it as it can cause liver and kidney damage. |
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| There are lots of rocks along the trail where Indians would stop to the grind seeds and plants that they gathered. Here is one of their mortars. |
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| This 60 foot waterfall was the highlight of our hike. Such a pretty place! |
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| Those walking sticks make us look like we might know what we are doing. |
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