The Anthony Miranda Era

In 1985 Anthony Miranda assumed leadership over the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe. Irene Lopez resigned her duties as Headwoman due to health problems.

Tribal members Johnny and Delia Casados, researchers for the tribe, left all the data they had collected over the past years with Miranda.

On October 23, 1992 the Casados sent a letter to all tribal members informing them of a tribal meeting with Anthony Miranda at Arcadia Park in Arcadia, California. Tony Miranda attempted to assure the tribal council and membership that he bad been working to gain tribal acknowledgement from the Federal Government. Miranda stated that he had a filed a petition for acknowledgment on September 19, 1988 as The Costanoan Band of Carmel Mission Indians. Miranda had not identified the name that had been used since the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe arrived in Southern California in 1864.

On November 14, 1992 at Arcadia Park, Miranda once again addressed the issue of Federal Recognition. He told the tribal membership that they needed to get certification from the BIA in Sacramento. At this meeting Tony Cerda was elected as chairman of the fund-raising committee. Cerda began an immediate fund-raising program, staging everything from cake walks to a yard sale at the El Rancho Grande, the Cerda family-owned restaurant in Chino California and also staged events at several of the homes of tribal members throughout the San Bernardino county area.

The purpose of the fund-raising events staged by Tony Cerda was to provide Anthony Miranda with funds for food and lodging to be able to attend meetings in Monterey on behalf of the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Indian Tribe. On January 4 and January 11, 1993 Miranda pleaded before the Monterey City Council to force Mission San Carlos Borromeo to obey state laws concerning building on Native American sacred lands.