| Chemehuevi Reservation Ethnology-Language: Chemehuevi - Paiute Established: 1870s, 1930s County: San Bernardino Acreage: 30,653 Population: 325 (enrollment is over 500) Location: In southeastern California on the Arizona border and the Colorado River, with twenty-five miles of its boundary along the shores of Lake Havasu. Millions of dollars of development on the west bank of Lake Havasu has resulted in the Chemehuevi becoming comfortably self-sufficient. Development has included recreational facilities, marinas, campgrounds, a motel, restaurant, store and a passenger ferry to Lake Havasue City, Arizona. Abundant wild life and ancient petroglyphs, grinding rocks and pictographs can be found on the reservation as well as a boat landing and modern council offices. Library: The Chemehuevi Indian Education Department Library is located in a temporary building on the northern end of the reservation. The collection is around 1,780 volumes - open hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with hopes to expand to some evening and weekend hours next year, grants allowing. Education Director, Gary Walker, oversees the library and installed an automated system to track circulation. A computer lab has six computers, three of them new Pentium with internet access on one. The library serves the K-5 school. After 5th grade, reservation children are bussed to Needles to go to school, which is 1 ½ hour away. These children really need and use their home library! The library also serves the educational needs of the reservation's adult population. GED preparation courses were just starting and Gary offers one-on-one computer training. Language classes were given and may start up again. Plans for a larger education center will allow the library to grow out of its cramped space. |
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