Land of the Tongva

Land of the Tongva. Yaanga, the First Los Angeles. , The original inhabitants of what is now Los Angeles were members of the Tongva (People of the Earth). When the first Spanish-colonial explorers and settlers arrived in the 18th century, it is estimated that there were 5,000 Tonvga living in the Los Angeles basin. The pueblo of Los Angeles was founded next to the Tongva village of Yaanga. The Tongva were a Shoshonean-speaking, hunter-gathering society that co-existed well with other local tribes. Tongva settlements were based near the life source of what is now known as the Los Angeles River, which provided a floorplan of fertile soil for hunting and gathering. , Yaanga, the First Los Angeles , The native village of Yaanga thrived thanks to the plentiful water source of the nearby El Río de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Ángeles de Porciúncula as the Spanish named what is now the Los Angeles River. Tongva families lived in domed thatch huts made of tule or reeds thatched together and known as Ki or Ki'sh. They developed tools and weapons that included various traps and hooks used for fishing, as well as ti'aats (canoes) used to navigate between the coast and the Channel Islands and along the Los Angeles River. As Spanish-colonial missions spread throughout California, Tongva people in the Los Angeles basin became the source of labor in agriculture, ranching, tanning, soap making, and craft production for Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, dramatically altering their way of life. , Demise of a Proud People , Spanish-colonial settlement in the Los Angeles area began with the founding of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in 1771 and brought the same fate to the Tongvas as most other Native American people in California. The Franciscan priests Chistianized Tongva women, men and children, and used their labor to build Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. When the missions were secularized in the early 1830s, Native Americans in California, including the Tongva, were promised mission land, however, the promise was never fulfilled. By the time California achieved U.S. statehood in 1850, the Tongva population was drastically reduced by European disease. Some continued to practice their traditional culture, while others blended with Mexicans and other ethnic groups.