The people of the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, originally known as " Ivilluwenetem", acknowledge their ancestors who since time immemorial have lived and died on the original Cahuilla aboriginal lands. The Santa Rosa Band honors the sacred trust our ancestors have passed on to us to maintain our Cahuilla culture, to preserve our tribal identity, and fully and freely to exercise our sovereign authority.

The Santa Rosa Indian Reservation is located in Riverside County, between Palm Springs and Anza, and occupies 11,630 acres of land. The Reservation was established by Executive Order on December 29, 1891. The territory of the Tribe included the lands, water, property, airspace, surface rights, subsurface rights and other natural resources within the boundaries of the Reservation.

The Reservation is composed of five non-contiguous parcels; the largest being located in the area
of Sew’ia, or New Santa Rosa (Vandeventer Flat) where residents of the Reservation reside. The four remaining parcels, which include Toro Peak where the Tribe operates a telecommunications relay station, are located east of the main parcel. Elevation ranges from 4,200’ elevation at Sew’ia (Cahuilla name for “New” Santa Rosa) to 8,716’ elevation at Toro Peak.

Currently, there are 194 enrolled Tribal Members, which includes minors and adults. Approximately 150 individuals live on the Reservation.

The General Council of the Tribe is comprised of all members of the Tribe who are at least 18 years of age and older, currently there are 137 General Council members. The General Council is the governing body of the Tribe and governs itself through its Governing Document. The General Council elects a Tribal Council for a two-year term which functions in an administrative capacity on behalf of the Tribe to ensure that the actions of the General Council are fully and faithfully executed. The Tribal Council consists of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and three Council members.