Greetings!
On a fall day 174 years ago, the newly formed Los Angeles City Council voted to raze the village at the heart of the Tongva/Kizh Nation.
Yaanga, which once stood proudly where Downtown Los Angeles is now, was once the largest village in the Tongva/Kizh Nation. It's residents, the Yaangavit, were dispersed across LA under a U.S. policy known as “elimination.” The U.S. military, which began occupying LA in 1846, wanted the complete erasure of indigenous culture and communities.
What’s important to remember about this tragedy is that it was not successful. Despite the loss of Yaanga, despite years of destruction, enslavement, and oppression, Indigenous communities and cultures survived. Their stories, past and present, remain as important as ever.
Today begins national Native American Heritage Month, when we recognize and celebrate the stories of our Native American and Indigenous communities. This is even more important in Los Angeles County, home to the largest population of Native Americans and Alaska Natives in the United States.
Keep the faith and keep the fight,
- Capri Maddox
Executive Director,
Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department