How California lost the Tongva people, an ancient tribe of Los Angeles Basin

The Tongva and a Failed Revolt Against Mission San Gabriel

The Tongva people lived in over 100 villages across the Los Angeles Basin for 6,000 years. Then Spanish missionaries came in 1771 and built Mission San Gabriel.

They forced Tongva to work as slaves and live at the mission. By 1785, more than 800 natives had lost their homes, hunting grounds, and way of life.

But one woman fought back. Toypurina, a 25-year-old medicine woman, led a bold night attack with six villages.

She lost and paid a harsh price.

Today, the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument stands as a reminder of what was taken from the original stewards of this land.

The Tongva Thrived for Thousands of Years in Southern California

The Tongva people called the Los Angeles Basin and Southern Channel Islands home for over 6,000 years before Europeans showed up. They lived across 1.5 million acres with more than 100 villages dotting the landscape.

Each village had between 50 to 150 people who felt stronger ties to their village than to a larger tribe. They lived in balance with nature, enjoying plenty of fish, game, and fresh mountain water.

About 5,000 Tongva lived in the area when Spanish explorers arrived.

Spanish Explorers First Met the Tongva in 1769

Gaspar de Portolá led the first European group into Tongva land in 1769, finding the village of Yaangna.

His team included 64 people: soldiers, Father Juan Crespi, engineer Miguel Costansó, and Native Americans from Baja missions who had already become Christians.

Franciscan priest Junipero Serra joined Portolá to set up Catholic missions throughout California. The group left San Diego on July 14, 1769, heading north along the coast.

They reached Los Angeles on August 2, 1769.

Mission San Gabriel Turned Natives into Forced Labor

Junipero Serra built Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in September 1771 on the edge of San Gabriel Valley. They first built it near Río Hondo but moved it several miles north in May 1775.

The Spanish quickly forced Tongva people to work as slave labor to build Mission San Gabriel. Local villagers had to build the mission against their will.

The Spanish started calling these Tongva people “Gabrieleño” after the mission, while those at San Fernando became “Fernandeños.

Baptisms Tore Apart Tongva Communities

Franciscan missionaries baptized about 1,200 Native people around San Gabriel between 1772 and 1785. Records show 843 Gabrielinos moved into the mission, greatly disrupting life in San Gabriel Valley.

Mission farms took over hunting grounds, while mission sheep ruined the local ecosystem. Tongva communities that refused to join faced fewer resources as the mission grew.

Old World diseases spread quickly among Native Americans who had no protection, causing high death rates.

Spanish Banned Sacred Tongva Ceremonies

Spanish governor Felipe de Neve told soldiers in 1782 to stop baptized Native people from dancing in their villages. Fall was when Tongva people held their yearly Mourning Ceremony with important dances for the dead.

Through these practices, they believed souls could leave earth and enter the land of the dead. By October 1785, mission convert Nicolás José and others decided the ban on dances was wrong.

They worried their dead relatives’ spirits couldn’t find peace without these rituals.

A Medicine Woman Joined Forces with Mission Converts

Toypurina, a 25-year-old Kizh medicine woman from Jachivit village, earned respect as a wise healer.

Nicolás José, a mission convert planning the rebellion, asked Toypurina for help in summer 1785, offering beads as a gift. She agreed and brought eight villages into the plot against Mission San Gabriel.

Her brother led Jachivit village, giving her good information about problems the mission created. Thanks to her influence, she got six of the eight villages to join the planned attack.

Village Leaders Plotted in Secret Meetings

Alihivit, who led the village of Jajamovit, joined the rebellion partly out of curiosity to see if everyone would actually show up.

Another leader, Temejasaquichí from Juvit village, believed more strongly in their cause.

Temejasaquichí snuck into Mission San Gabriel to talk with Gabrielinos, telling them to follow Toypurina instead of the Franciscan priests.

This secret meeting likely ruined the rebellion when someone told mission leaders what was happening.

Warriors from Eight Villages Attacked the Mission

Warriors from eight allied Tongva villages set out to attack mission leaders on October 25, 1785. Spanish soldiers stood ready and waiting, catching at least 21 Tongva attackers including Toypurina.

Governor Pedro Fages came to San Gabriel to handle the rebels.

Before October ended, Fages and the friars punished twelve captured Indians with fifteen lashes each before sending them home. Five more Indians got twenty-five lashes each before release.

Toypurina Stood Defiant at Her Trial

Four Indians, including Toypurina and Nicolás José, stayed in custody longer than the others. The second part of court proceedings began in January 1786 at the Presidio of Santa Barbara.

During questioning, Toypurina told the governor she joined the rebellion because she felt angry with the padres and everyone at the mission for living on her land.

Trial records mention some Tongva wanted to kill Toypurina for her role in the failed rebellion.

The Spanish Forced Toypurina into Exile

Both Nicolás José and Toypurina got sent away: she to the “most distant mission” and he to the “most distant presidio.”

Records show Toypurina went to San Carlos Borromeo near Monterey, while Nicolás José went to San Francisco de Asis.

Toypurina spent nearly three years as a prisoner at Mission San Gabriel while waiting for her punishment. In March 1787, at age 27, she underwent forced baptism after her long imprisonment.

Her banishment cut all ties to her community.

Toypurina’s Life Ended Far From Her Homeland

Two years after her baptism, Toypurina married Spanish soldier Manuel Montero, who had served at Pueblo de Los Angeles. They received land from the governor, lived in Monterey, and had three children together.

On May 22, 1799, Toypurina died at age 39 at Mission San Juan Bautista in Alta California. The mission system kept destroying Tongva communities through disease, forced labor, and cultural suppression.

Those who survived later lived under Mexican rule, then American conquest, with continued displacement that lasted into the 20th century.

Visiting San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, California

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is free to visit and covers the traditional homelands of the Gabrielino/Tongva, Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam peoples.

You can learn about Toypurina’s 1785 resistance against Spanish colonizers at the monument headquarters on 110 N. Wabash Avenue in Glendora.

Mount Wilson Observatory offers guided tours on weekends for $15 ($13 for kids and seniors), or view the 100-inch telescope for free daily from 10am-5pm.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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