The Gabrielino Tongva Indians of California Tribal Council (GTIOC)  actively engages in meaningful collaboration with the community for the preservation of our culture and people.  Utilizing the fine arts to express the revitalization of our Tongva culture has left an enduring and indelible mark on the history and identity of the First People in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. 

Tovaangar is the ancestral homeland of the First People, the Gabrielino Tongva Indians of California (GTIOC).  Tovaangar encompasses a vast expanse, extending north to Topanga, reaching to the southern banks of Aliso Viejo Creek, eastward into Riverside and San Bernardino and west to the Channel Islands of Santa Barbara, Santa Catalina, San Clemente and San Nicolas.  Our Tribe celebrates its maritime heritage, a cornerstone of our identity that continues to inspire and resonate throughout our artistic expressions.

Under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule during the 18th and 19th centuries, our ancestors were forcibly removed from their well established villages in an effort to assimilate them into the ruling governments. Our people’s lands were seized and redistributed to settlers, leaving no homeland to which they could return. Laws were enacted that promoted indentured servitude and the forced removal of Indian children from their families. 

The arrival of European settlers brought widespread abuse and disease that devastated the Tongva population. Mass graves discovered at the Ballona Wetlands (Guashna Village) stand as stark evidence of the vulnerability and suffering our ancestors endured. In honor of those lost, GTIOC artists were commissioned for two monuments to memorialize the loss of our ancestors’ and can be found at Discovery Park and Loyola Marymount University in Playa Vista.

The Gabrielino Tongva Indians of California Tribal Council (GTIOC) actively participates in alternative media platforms, such as the Netflix series City of Ghosts: Tovaanga, to educate young audiences about Tongva culture in an engaging and impactful way.  Poet, Megan Dorame and artist, Mercedes Dorame were featured on the Emmy winning show.

GTIOC is directly involved in consultation and partnership with city, county and state agencies for a renewed understanding that the Tongva people remain present, resilient and deeply connected to our ancestral lands. Our neighbors in Tovaangar recognize our position as the First People and we celebrate the goodness of Tovaangar together.

The Tongva community continues to face ongoing challenges of erasure including the routine use of past-tense language when referring to the First People, the imposition of blood quantum standards as a measure of authenticity, and the widespread misconception that the Spanish were the original inhabitants of this land.  Through partnerships with institutions, universities and local governments, we have a goal of educating the next generations for an accurate understanding of who the Tongva are and that we are still here thriving and contributing within our ancestral homeland.