Yaraarkomokre'e 'Eyoo'ooxono -We Remember Our Land
The Tongva People of present-day Los Angeles County
Yaraarkomokreme' 'eyoohiikmo honuukvetmo
We remember the ancestors
The Tongva or Kizh people were the first to live in Tovaangar, an area that encompasses modern-day Los Angeles county.
For the Tongva people, life originated in the origin place of Puvungna, the place of emergence, where through song and dance, Quaoar brought the gods and world to existence.
Tovaangar encompasses what were once some of the most fertile and productive areas in California, spanning from Topanga Canyon to Shevaanga Mountain in the north, to Wa’aachnga Mountain in the east, south to Isantkanga and west into the ocean encompassing the islands of Shooynga (San Nicholas), Xaraashnga/Kiinkipar (San Clemente), and Naayxoxar (Santa Catalina).
With the gifts from the mountains, valleys and ocean, the Tongva people developed one of the most populous, productive, culturally and materially rich communities in California.
Ti’ats, or wood-plank canoes are used to travel from the island to the mainland. Extensive trade routes link Tongva culture to surrounding tribes, and significant technological advancements and spiritual development contributed to Tongva land being revered as a melting pot of vitality, creativity, cultural influence and material wealth.
This period of abundance and cultural expansion thrived until an immense change struck for all California Indigenous peoples.
Hamiinngkope’ ‘eyoo’ooxor pokiichaxtme
When they stole our land
Although the Spanish first came into contact with the Tongva people on Naayxoxar in 1542, the presence of Spaniards in the area was already known through word of mouth, as in other parts of the Americas, colonization was already underway. Exchange between the Spaniards and Tongva were sporadic during this time frame, but diseases brought by the Spaniards had already begun to spread through the population.
In 1769, colonization of California began with the arrival of Gaspar de Portola. Fueled by the Papal Bull of 1493, Catholics asserted that it was their god-given right to colonize, convert and enslave land and people. This Doctrine of Discovery, founded on the notion of superiority set the tone for the treatment of Indigenous People across the planet for hundreds of years, later transforming into Manifest Destiny and persisting in American Indian Law today.
... As was the fashion of your ancestors, kings of renowned memory, you have purposed with the favor of divine clemency to bring under your sway the said mainlands and islands with their residents and inhabitants and to bring them to the Catholic faith.
The first on Tongva land, Mission San Gabriel, was created at Isankanga and later moved to Sibangna. Though mainstream education in California teaches that the goal of the missions were conversion, the reality is that the mission systems were created as a form of cultural genocide and indoctrination, with inhumane and cruel living conditions. Tongva people and persons from other tribes which the Spanish referred to as “Gabrielinos” became a workforce for the missions, often through physical coercion. 60% of the population lost their lives from European diseases, and the introduction of invasive species and cattle sabotaged the people’s relationship to their land, making it difficult to survive.
Unfortunately, things did not improve under Mexican occupation in 1840 and only worsened when California was claimed by the United States Government in 1850. The California Genocide was funded by the federal government, subsidizing militias who raided the state murdering Indigenous Californians, paying by scalp and head. The Act for the Government and Protection of Indians legalized slavery, child separation and justified worse. During this time period, the population of indigenous Californians decreased from 150,000 to 16,000 by 1900. This extremely dark part of California history is still not common knowledge to many Californians, and was only formally apologized for in 2019.
Yaraarkomokre'e 'eyoo'ooxono
We remember our land
What would rematriation of land look like for the Tongva people? Recognized in the lost 18 treaties, the Tongva people were promised reservation lands for the cession of more coastal areas. None of these treaties were ever ratified by the US government, unbeknownst to the tribes.
Tongva land is home to the largest city in California and the city with the 3rd largest GDP in the world. A center for entertainment, fashion, manufacturing, trade and many other industries, Los Angeles generates extreme profits on Tongva land, at the expense of the health of both land and people.
Despite being one of the most well-documented tribes in California and gaining state recognition in 1994, the Tongva tribe remains unrecognized by the federal government. An act was introduced in 2004 to establish a Tongva reservation in the City of Compton, but it did not pass.
50,000 acres were promised in the 18 Treaties
The San Sebastian Reserve at Tejon Pass was promised to the Tongva and other surrounding tribes. Although many families relocated there, the land was never taken into trust. Instead, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs Edward Beale incorporated it into his own private property, "Tejon Ranch".
Proposed Gabrielino/Tongva Reservation Site
AB 2272 proposed federal recognition and reservation land for the Tongva, citing the "de facto but not official" recognition that the tribe had received. The bill did not pass.
Kuruvungna
Kuruvuunga is a sacred natural spring that bubbles today as it has for thousands of years. Today it sits on the campus of University High School. Efforts have been made by the Tongva and outside groups to protect the spring, and the Gabrielino/Tongva Springs Foundation has worked to make the history of the springs more visible.
Puvungna
Since the 1960's an ongoing battle has been fought by the Tongva people to protect one of the most sacred sites from development. Considered the place of emergence for Tongva and other followers of the Chingishnish religion such as the Acjachemen , Puvungna made the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. However, throughout time and to this day, CSULB has disregarded this designation, attempting to build a strip mall in 1992 and most recently, dumping trash and dirt on the site in 2019. The fight to protect Puvungna continues today as many community members rally around the cause.
Many decades overdue, the fight to return land to Indigenous People is gaining traction. The lost 18 treaties promised 8.5 million acres to Native Californians. Today, there are 15 million acres of public land (shown in pink) in California.
Although little of these federally managed public lands fall in Tongva territory, cities and private citizens also have the opportunity to return land to the Tongva people.
'Anaangere 'ekwaa woon
We are still here
Despite a centuries long attempt to erase people and culture, the Tongva have shown impressive resistance to colonization throughout history.
Toypurina, a Tongva medicine woman, led a rebellion against the San Gabriel mission in response to a ban on Tongva traditional dances. The rebellion was unsuccessful and she was sent away from her homeland to marry a Spanish soldier, but became a symbol of resistance for the Tongva people.
Thanks to the sacrifices of Tongva ancestors who resisted through direct action, fleeing, going underground or assimilating for their survival, the Tongva community is still alive in Tovaangar today.
Julia Bogany, a revered tribal elder, councilmember, activist and educator dedicated her life to gaining visibility for Tongva people. She would say that the Tongva women never left, they only became invisible, a common survival tactic during a time when it was dangerous to be Tongva. She created a website "To Be Visible" to educate people about Tongva history, culture and sacred sites. Julia passed away March 28, 2021, but has forever changed the future of Tongva people for the better.
Another beloved Tongva elder, Barbara Drake, dedicated her life to educating people about Tongva culture, food and medicine. Along with other Southern California Natives, she created the Chia Cafe Collective, committed to revitalizing and decolonizing Native foods, medicines culture and community. She also led ceremonies and workshops educating Tongva youth about their cultural practices. Barbara passed away November 18, 2020 but the knowledge and wisdom she gave wholeheartedly to innumerable people will be passed on forever.
On March 5th 2021, Netflix aired "Tovaangar", the 4th episode in their series "City of Ghosts". The episode was dedicated to the presence and history of Tongva people in Los Angeles and had a powerful message for reconnecting and young Tongva. The episode featured many Tongva members, such as culture keeper Craig Torres, poet Megan Dorame, artist Mercedes Dorame and more.
As the Tongva people continue to revitalize language and culture, the issue of Tongva sovereignty and rematriating land becomes more important. Los Angeles county is one of the most polluted places in the country, and yearns for reconnection to it's people, to to benefit of all.
A special thank you to the Tongva Language Committee and Tongva Language Facebook group for assisting with translations into Tongva.
References
AB-2272 Native American lands: Tongva Reservation. Accessed May 20, 2021. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=200320040AB2272&showamends=false.
California, State of. California Indian History – California Native American Heritage Commission. Accessed May 20, 2021. http://nahc.ca.gov/resources/california-indian-history/.
McCawley, William. The First Angelinos the Gabrielino Indians of Los Angeles. Novato, Calif: Ballena Press, 1996.
Mirlesse, Alice, "Identity on Trial: the Gabrielino Tongva Quest for Federal Recognition". Pomona Senior Theses, 2013. Paper 90. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/90
“History.” Gabrielino. Accessed May 20, 2021. https://gabrielinotribe.org/history/.
“Timeline.” To Be Visible. Accessed May 20, 2021. http://www.tobevisible.org/timeline.
“Story Map Journal.” arcgis.com. Accessed May 20, 2021. https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=4942348fa8bd427fae02f7e020e98764.
