Agua Caliente Curriculum Helps PSUSD Students Connect With the Land They Call Home

As Native American Heritage Month continues, Palm Springs Unified School District is highlighting a long-standing partnership with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians that is giving students a deeper understanding of the land they call home.

In 2018, the district and the tribe launched one of California’s first K–12 curriculum programs centered entirely on local Native history and culture. Third-grade teacher Vanessa Nasser of Cabot Yerxa Elementary said investing in students is key to keeping those stories alive.

“If you want this culture to remain in the future and to be able to remember everything where we have to invest in the youth,” Nasser said.

The curriculum helps students bring traditional stories and practices to life through hands-on lessons, artifacts, and field experiences.

“I want to express my gratitude for the Cahuilla people in Agua Caliente tribe, because by investing in us, we want to invest in you and your community as well,” she said.

The tribe directly oversees all curriculum content to ensure accuracy and authenticity. Lessons are supported with trips to tribal lands and the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, where students connect classroom learning with real-world experiences.

Tribal Chairman Reid D. Milanovich said those in-person experiences help students understand that the tribe is an active, thriving community today.

“I believe with them being there in person, they should be able to have a grasp that we're still very much living here today. We're very much present, and we're not going anywhere,” Milanovich said.

The curriculum builds year after year, expanding student understanding from elementary through high school. Vice Chairman Anthony W. Purnel said the goal is for students to see the tribe not as a distant past, but as neighbors and community members.

“It's important for kids to learn about who we are, because we've, we've been here, we've we've been here since time Memorial… we go to the same schools, we eat the same food, we go to the same grocery stores, we do the same exact things,” Purnel said.

Kristin Severson, a teacher on special assignment who supports educators implementing the curriculum, said students with tribal roots feel especially seen.

“This is so important because a lot of our students have roots within the tribe or family members, and they really see themselves in this curriculum they're learning about, you know, local people and really who they are,” Severson said.

Milanovich said the tribe values the partnership and remains committed to its future.

“It is a partnership that we very much value. We look forward to continuing this partnership, not just for the betterment of the tribe but a school district, but the youth as well,” he said.

Throughout November, classrooms across Palm Springs Unified will continue marking Native American Heritage Month. Families can follow school social media accounts and ParentSquare for updates on celebrations and learning opportunities.

District instructional coaches say the lessons resonate strongly with students, especially those who have roots within the tribe or Indigenous heritage. Both the district and the tribe consider the partnership a meaningful step toward strengthening cultural awareness and honoring Native identity across all grade levels.

As Native American Heritage Month continues, classrooms throughout the district will continue to uplift and explore the history and legacy of local Indigenous communities.