When learning about Los Angeles, we usually start with William Mullholland. But some people lived in Los Angeles and the Owens Valley area long before he came. These were the Tongva and Pauite Native Americans. The Tongva, or “People of the Earth” lived in what is now Los Angeles. They usually built villages near bodies of water, so many lived near the L.A. River. The Tongva were a friendly tribe who ate fish, wild game, and a variety of plants and nuts. Skilled boat makers and basket weavers populated the Tongva People. A complex leadership system led by both men and women ruled. Although some Tongva people are still alive today, almost the entire tribe was washed away when given the new name of Gabrielinos or people of the San Gabriel Mission. They continued to shrink when the people of Los Angeles came in and continued to steal their land and culture. The Tongva People were very similar to their neighbors to the north, the Paiute.
A painting of the Tongva talking to missionaries.
A replica of a Tongva Granary. A granary was used for storing nuts, and the Tongva held parties around granaries.
The Paiute were resourceful natives who lived in the Owens Valley area. They relied on the abundance of water in their area to survive, so they engineered a vast irrigation system. They did not want to control their environment, they wanted to work with it. With the water, they helped the growth of native plants. They ate plants and animals and gathered pinon nuts, seeds, berries, roots, and game. They were well known for their pottery and woven baskets that they used to trade with. They had a similar lifestyle to the Tongva people. They were eventually forced off their land as early settlers attempted to take away their culture.
An elder Paiute woman weaving a basket.
A revival of the traditional Ghost Dance performed by Paiute women.