Mary Ann Green
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Mary Ann Green
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Chairperson of the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians | |
In office
1988–2016 |
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Preceded by | Position created |
Succeeded by | Amanda Vance |
Personal details | |
Born |
Mary Ann Martin
1964 |
Died |
January 8, 2017
(2017-01-08)
(aged
52–53)
Coachella, California , U.S. |
Children | 3 |
Profession | Tribal leader, politician |
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Mary Ann Green (1964 – January 8, 2017) was an American tribal leader and politician who served as the Chairwoman of the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians , a federally recognized Cahuilla band of Native Americans based in Coachella , California , from 1988 until 2016. [1] Under Green, who was first elected chairperson in 1988, the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians established a tribal government in 1994 and resettled their reservation , located in Coachella, in 1996. [2] She also oversaw the development and establishment of the Augustine Casino, which opened in 2002. [3] Through the casino, the small Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians is now one of the largest employers in the Coachella Valley , as of 2017. [3]
Biography
Green was born Mary Ann Martin in 1964, years after members of the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians had abandoned their reservation and traditional lands surrounding Coachella. [2] [4] (There were only 11 living members of the Augustine Band in 1951, thirteen years before Green's birth). She was raised by her non-Cahuilla grandmother, who was African-American . [4] Green was reportedly unaware of her Native American heritage during her childhood and early adulthood. [4]
In 1981, an executive order recognized and established the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians as a federally recognized tribe. However, in 1986, Roberta Augustine , the last living member of the Augustine Band, as well as Green's other grandmother, died. [4] Green discovered her previously unknown Cahuilla heritage following her grandmother's death. [4] She eventually decided to move with her children to the Coachella Valley surrounding the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians' reservation a few years after the death of her grandmother. [4] Green also gained custody of four of her nieces and nephews following the murder of both her brothers in a gang shooting in Los Angeles . [4] Together, Green, her children, and her extended family comprised the entire Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians. [4]
Mary Ann Green became tribal Chairperson in 1988, a position she held until 2016. [1] [2] [4] Under Green, the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians established a tribal government in 1994. [2] Two years later, Green and her family resettled the Augustine Band's reservation in Coachella in 1996. [2]
During the 1990s, Green and her government began to explore the possibility of opening a tribal-owned casino in an effort to establish a long-term source of income, economic development , and stable employment for its members. [2] Funds from the casino would also be utilized to preserve traditional Cahuilla culture. [2] Green, who lacked the expertise to open a casino, contracted with Paragon Gaming to establish and temporarily operate the proposed casino for its first five years. [4] The Augustine tribal government and Paragon Gaming funded the construction of the $16 million casino entirely through loans offered by Centaur, a finance company based in Indiana. [4]
Due in large part to the casino, the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians is now one of the largest employers in the Coachella Valley . [3]
In addition to the casino, Green also oversaw the creation of other programs designed to provide long-term, economic stability for the small tribe and its members. [3] Her initiatives included the establishment of an organic farm and a 3- megawatt renewable energy project located on the reservation. [3]
On July 18, 2002, the eight member Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, led by Green, opened its casino in Coachella, California. [4] The $16 million casino included 349 slot machines and only 10 card tables at the time of 2002 opening, less than the original plans had called for. [4] Dignitaries in attendance included the leaders of several California tribes, as well as Tony Andreas, a traditional Cahuilla bird song singer who had been raised on the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians' reservation during the 1930s and 1940s before its abandonment. [4]
Green died on January 8, 2017, at her home in Coachella, California , following a long illness. [1] [3] She was survived by her three children, Amanda Vance, who succeeded her as the Chairperson of the Augustine Band, Ronnie and William Vance, and three grandchildren. [1] [3] Her funeral, an all-night wake, was held at the Torres-Martinez Great Hall and Gymnasium in Thermal, California , on January 20, 2017, with burial at the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians' Tribal Cemetery in Coachella. [1] [3]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Reyes, Jesus (2017-01-11). "Former Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians Tribal Chairperson passes away" . KESQ-TV . Archived from the original on 2017-01-13 . Retrieved 2017-02-06 .
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Destination: Augustine Casino, Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians" (PDF) . Indian Gaming magazine . March 2009 . Retrieved 2017-02-06 .
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Valley Mourns Passing of Mary Ann Green" . Greater Coachella Valley Business Journal . 2017-01-13 . Retrieved 2017-02-06 .
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 May, James (2002-07-30). "Eight-member Augustine tribe opens casino" . Indian Country Today Media Network . Retrieved 2017-02-06 .