Landmarks
San Gabriel Mission
428 S. Mission Drive San Gabriel, CA 91776
Legend has it that the founding expedition was confronted by a large group of native Tongva peoples whose intention was to drive the strangers away. One of the priests laid a painting of “Our Lady of Sorrows” on the ground for all to see, whereupon the natives, designated by the settlers as the Gabrieliños, immediately made peace with the missionaries, because they were so moved by the painting’s beauty. Today the 300 year old work hangs in front of and slightly to the left of the old high altar and reredos in the Mission’s sanctuary.
Tongva Peak
1300 Beaudry Blvd Glendale, CA 91208
In 2003 The LA Time Article titled Recognizing the City’s Native Roots by Ryan Carter said:
A dedication Sunday at Tongva Peak, sponsored by the city, brought together Native American dancers, local residents and city, state and federal officials to celebrate the area’s indigenous roots and its wilderness. Tongva Peak, a mountaintop in the Verdugos 2,656 feetabove the city and three miles northeast of the center of Burbank, was christened. And later, officials and Indians came down to the northern foot of the Verdugos to Camp Max Straus to celebrate. The peak was named after the tribe, which for hundreds of years lived in villages from Tujunga to San Bernardino and southwest into the Los Angeles basin.
Cahuenga Peak
Wonder View Dr. & Lake Hollywood Dr.
Hollywood, CA
The enduring legacies of the original people of the Los Angeles basin, referred to as the Tongva or Gabrielinos, have become more and more apparent in the landscape of the region. Right behind L.A.’s world-famous Hollywood sign lies Cahuenga (or Kawenga) Peak, the Tongva’s “place in the mountains.”
Gabrielino Trail
2899 N Windsor Ave Altadena, CA
The Gabrielino Trail was chosen as the nation’s first National Recreation Trail (NRT) in 1970 because it “represents its region, supports a diverse community, and is among Americas best trails.” Some sections of the Gabrielino Trail were in sad shape (and impassable) until August 2018 when local mountain bikers led a restoration effort that reopened this iconic trail once again. Today you can enjoy the Gabrielino Trail as a backpacking trip or an ambitious day hike. Keep reading for all the details.
Tongva Park
1615 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Tongva Park is divided into 4 main sections: Observation Hill, Discovery Hill, Garden Hill, and Gathering Hill. It features a native and locally-appropriate sustainable plant palette that changes subtly with the seasons. The dramatic topography of rolling hills and braided paths inspired by the arroyo wash landscape makes the park feel much larger than 6 acres, accommodating a range of uses that benefit the health and wellbeing of community members and visitors of all ages.
The park name celebrates of the rich culture and traditions of the indigenous Tongva people who have lived in this region for thousands of years, and were deeply connected to the original arroyos, native landscape, springs, and the ‘breath of the ocean’ that are symbolically represented in this park.
Hahamongna Watershed Park
4550 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91103
Hahamongna and Hahamog-na are historic Tongva-Gabrieleño Native American settlements in the Verdugo Mountains of Southern California, named after the local Tongva band’s name Hahamog’na, in present-day Pasadena and Glendale in Los Angeles County, California
Heritage Park
12100 Mora Drive Santa Fe Springs, Ca
At Heritage Park in Santa Fe Springs, pathways lead to a back corner of the park tucked away behind trees and bushes. These pathways lead to an example of a different time when the Tongva band of Gabrielino Indians lived in this area. The Tongva exhibit is an example of a village showing their dwellings and other example of how they lived including the plants that were vital to their daily life.
Rio Vista Park
The park celebrates multiple histories of the site, from the Tongva Native Americans to Hick’s Camp. Shade structures (visible in the picture on the left) are designed to resemble Tongva kich (pronunced “keesh”) housing made of thatched willow cuttings. Informational signage details the Tongva names and uses for native plants growing on-site.
Smith Park
232 W Broadway, San Gabriel, CA 91776
The amenities at Smith Park include a Tiny Tot Playground (6 years and younger), Children’s Playground (7 years and older), lighted basketball court, two lighted tennis courts, four lighted handball courts, and picnic areas reflecting the heritage of the Gabrielino-Tongva Native Americans. Picnic areas are available for reservation.
Government Building
Long Beach VA Hospital
One of Tongva Nation’s most important villages— Puvunga— was located on what are now the campuses of the Veterans Administration Long Beach Health Care System (VA Hospital) and California State University, Long Beach, as well as the land extending in a several-mile radius from those two facilities. The VA Hospital unveiled a monument erected to pay tribute to the Gabrieleno Tongva and to all Native Americans who had served or are now serving in the armed forces of the United States.
San Dimas California City Hall
245 East Bonita Avenue San Dimas, CA 91773
This 7′ by 45′ bas-relief cast stone artwork adorns the northwest outside wall of the San Dimas California City Hall. This public art project was created to recognize and illuminate the little-known history of the region’s first inhabitants: Native Americans who call themselves the Tongva (also know as Gabrielino Indians) – a peace-loving people who settled here more than 7,000 years before the arrival of the first Europeans, and continue to this day to be part of our society.
Transit
Gold Line Bridge
Gold Line Bridge is a 584-foot bridge that spans the eastbound I-210 Freeway in Arcadia, California. The $18.6 million dual-track bridge is the first completed element of the 11.5-mile Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension light rail project from Pasadena to Azusa, providing a connection between the existing Sierra Madre Villa Station in Pasadena and the future Arcadia Station.
Schools and Colleges
Tongva Memorial
Loyola Marymount University Drive, Los Angeles, CA
A thousand years ago, the Gabrielino/Tongva tribe inhabited the area now occupied by LMU student residences. The first memorial anywhere to these “People of the Earth” was dedicated in 2000 as a fitting complement to the present-day dwellings. Visitors can gaze out over the Pacific and towards the Santa Monica Mountains as did Native Americans before them.
Statues & Monuments
Soapstone Quarry - Airport in the Sky
1 Airport Rd, Avalon, CA 90704
For at least 8,000 years, Catalina Island was inhabited by Native Americans known as the Tongva or Gabrieliño. The latter name came from the San Gabriel Mission, where the Tongva labored for the Spanish colonists.