City approves road name change at request of Morongo Band

Thursday, September 29, 2011  

The city council in Banning, California, voted 5-0 to change the name of a road at the request of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.

Fields Road will now be known as Malki Road. "Malki" is a Cahuilla word that was the original name of the Morongo Reservation, according to the Malki Museum.

The change did not come without controversy. The road is named after the father of Lloyd Fields, a non-Indian landowner, who says the tribe is blocking access to his property and is trying to force him to sell.

Get the Story:
Banning Council Votes 5-0 to Rename Fields Road Despite Vocal Opposition (The Banning-Beaumont Patch 9/29)
Banning Council to Consider Morongo Tribe's Request for Road Name Change (The Banning-Beaumont Patch 9/29)

Lawsuit accuses Morongo Band of blocking access to property (2/18)