100s Attend The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians’ Richard M. Milanovich Legacy Hike
Legacy Hike at the Indian Canyons in Palm Springs honors the Richard M. Milanovich Educational Fellowship in Partnership with UCLA Native Nations Law & Policy Center.
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians welcomed Tribal Members and Community Members from throughout the greater Palm Springs area and beyond to the scenic Indian Canyons on March 16, 2024, for the 9th Richard M. Milanovich Legacy Hike. The Tribe is steward to more than 31,500 acres of ancestral land. The cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage as well as portions of unincorporated Riverside County span across the boundaries of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation.
Hundreds of participants enjoyed the Legacy Hike on March 16, which was emceed by KESQ News Channel 3 Chief Meteorologist Haley Clawson, joining in guided hikes throughout the Indian Canyons. More than 100 runners participated in the event’s 5k run. Nestled at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, the Indian Canyons, ancestral home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, encompass approximately 60 miles of hiking trails within an awe-inspiring landscape of lush palm groves, fantastic rock formations, and mountain-fed streams. Many first-time visitors are surprised to learn such scenic splendor exists only a few miles from downtown Palm Springs.
The Legacy Hike benefits the Richard M. Milanovich Fellowship, which was created in 2015. In 2021, UCLA Native Nations Law & Policy Center and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians formed a partnership to prepare the next generation of leaders in Indian country and to honor and preserve the legacy of service and leadership of the late Chairman Richard M. Milanovich who served as Tribal Chairman for nearly 30 years until his passing on March 11, 2012. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians seeded the Richard M. Milanovich Fellowship in Law with a five-year, $600,000 gift to help create a new generation of Indian law scholars and advocates.
Tribal Chairman Reid D. Milanovich, the late Chairman Richard M. Milanovich’s son, presented the opening remarks at the March 16 Legacy Hike event. Chairman Reid Milanovich was first elected to the Tribal Council in 2014, first as a Council Member, then Vice Chairman, and then in Spring 2022 became Chairman of the Tribe.
Chairman Milanovich introduced attendees of the March 16 Legacy Hike event to special guests Lauren van Schilfgaarde, Assistant Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law, and Alex Fay, the inaugural Richard M. Milanovich Fellow at the UCLA Native Nations Law & Policy Center. A renowned resource in support of Native Nations, UCLA Law’s Native Nations Law & Policy Center advances Indian nations’ laws and institutions while promoting cultural resource protections. The Native Nations Law & Policy Center connects students to Native American communities to strengthen legal systems on tribal lands while protecting and advancing tribal cultural and legal values. Through clinical programs and advanced coursework led by preeminent faculty experts in the field, the Native Nations Law & Policy Center addresses critical public policy issues facing Native Nations while offering students invaluable opportunities for legal training.
