Tongva and Where They Lived -- San Gabriel Archangel Mission, San Gabriel CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The Tongva Indian Village was constructed in 2008 as a cultural exhibit inside the Mission walls as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Claretian Fathers assuming control of the Mission.

This exhibit preserves and explains the history and some of the culture if the Tongva Indians, whose members arrived in the Los Angeles Basin 7000 years ago, and whose culture was almost completely destroyed when the Spanish arrived in California. The Tongva Indians were renamed "the Gabrilenos" by the Franciscans when the Indians were brought into the Mission in 1778.

This sign reads as follows:

"SAN GABRIEL MISSION
TONGVA AND WHERE THEY LIVED

Tongva Indians, renamed Gabrileno by the Spanish, are the original people of the Los Angeles Basin. Their land stretches from Malibu, known as “Ongobengna” in Tonga, to Balboa, called “Mayongna.” Their land encompasses the entire Los Angeles Nasin from the Santa Monica Mountains in the west to as far east as Redlands, known as “Kaawchamangna.” They occupied the four Southern Channel Islands and lived from the sea, “Momat,” to the San Gabriel Mountains or “Hidakapu” as the Tongva call the great blue mountain range. Tongva lived in permanent villages usually along or near rivers and streams and built marvelous houses named “Kiiy” (pronounced “key”) at of willows and reeds.

Tongva arrived in the area around 7000 years or so ago, and their culture was almost wiped out in 1771 by the arrival of the Spanish. Tingva from such neighboring villages as Houtngna, Awingna, Toibingna, Sheshiikuanungna, Chokiishngna, Aleupkingna, and many other villages, were brought to the village of “Sibangna” where they were used to build the San Gabriel Mission. These villages became El Monte, La Puente, Pomona, San Marino, Santa Fe Springs, and Santa Anita. Today, many descendents of the Tingva still live on the land. Their ancestors called ”Tovangar” . . . The World.

The Tongva kiiy (house) and ororeyvekish (covered area) were built by Tonga Indians in October 2008 and dedicated on October 26, 2008 about 3:30 PM, during the Claretian Missionaries Centennial Celebration of serving 100 years at San Gabriel Mission."

Group that erected the marker: Claretian Fathers URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 428 S Mission St San Gabriel, CA

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