Haramokngna.org (Education/Tongva); Xochitl, Ashley Wells, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly
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| Science (e.g., NOAA) personifies a moist thermal pattern over the ocean as "The Boy" (El Niño)
who will battle the El Drought and leave El Flood Damage in its wake.
Shown here are youth covered in oil and ash in San Martin Tilcajete near
Oaxaca on March 8, 2011. They paint their bodies to ward off evil
spirits before Catholic Lent (Jorge Luis Plata/Reuters). |
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| Is El Niño starting already? This satellite image taken at 10:45 am EDT on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015, and released by NOAA shows Hurricane Patricia moving over Mexico's Pacific Coast headed toward SW Mexico as a monster Category 5 storm (NOAA via AP). |
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| Possibly the largest hurricane/typhoon in the history of the Western Hemisphere today |
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| Map of "California" before Spanish and British (American) invasions (haramokngna.org) |
Who are the Tongva?
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| Tongva brave marks stone. |
The Tongva are a people whose Native American heritage in Southern California runs wide and deep, with village sites and tribal history stretching throughout the Los Angeles region from their Tataviam and Chumash neighbors to the northwest, to their Acjachemem neighbors to the south [OC]. Indeed, many Southern California place names have their origins in the Tongva language, such as Azusa and Cucamonga.
Where Are They From?
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| Tongva: North America bordering Mexico |
The Tongva are believed to have migrated to the Los Angeles area from the Sonora Desert in the southwestern United States approximately 3,000 to 5,000 years ago, but it is possible they arrived as early as 8,000 years ago. Since pre-historic times Tongva history and culture has been an integral part of Southern California, and they are acknowledged as
the first people to
greet the invading Spanish ships that arrived in California in 1542.
What did They Make?
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| Mayan priest meditation (MxT) |
Prior to the arrival of invading Europeans, the Tongva had access to abundant game and natural resources surrounding their villages in Southern California, and they excelled at building homes and sea-worthy canoes. A Tongva hut, or ki, was usually constructed with tule or willow reeds and resembled a large dome by design. A Tongva canoe, or ti’at, was made of wooden planks sown together with tar or pine pitch and could hold as many as a dozen people. Ti’ats were used for fishing and transport to the islands now known as Catalina and the Channel Islands, so that the Tongva could trade efficiently with their northwestern neighbors, the Chumash. The Tongva ki was very efficient because of its architectural design, which gave the structural stability to withstand earthquakes.
What were their Villages like?
Many Tongva villages were located near streams and marshlands with abundant fishing sources, and several had access to nearby hot springs for bathing. Most Tongva villages had hereditary chieftains with autonomous and almost total power over the community, and the Tongva "religion" was composed of six gods with an all-p
owerful main god known as
Chinigchinix.
Is Gabrielino the Same as Tongva?
A large Tongva community resided in the area now known as the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles. And with the establishment of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in 1771, this group of Tongva became known as the Gabrieliño by the Spanish. After the mission period the Mexicans and later the Americans used the word “Gabrieliño” to refer to the Tongva, and most modern Tongva groups use both names in official documents.
What do the Tongva do Today?
The Tongva/Gabrieliño nation is very proud of its tribal heritage in Southern California, with several sacred sites having been re-discovered during the twentieth century. These include the Kuruvungna natural springs in West Los Angeles, the Puvungna sacred site on the campus of Cal State Long Beach, and the Tongva burial grounds located in Playa Vista. The contemporary Tongva community is made up of several diverse groups that support and advocate for Tongva cultural heritage throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area and beyond. The Tongva/Gabrieliño are already recognized by the State of California and are seeking recognition from the United States government.
More
Hurricane Patricia: storm of the century
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| Bad mix: Spanish (European) pride in Mexico along with indigenous shame (AP). |
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| The eight mile wide eye of the storm, Hurricane Patricia (AP/KFI AM). |
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| Linda, should we stay in the hotel or go? |
The latest: Hurricane Patricia is a Category 5 storm expected to make landfall in southwestern Mexico (all times local):
9:00 am: Only a few people have been seen going to shelters in
Puerto
Vallarta, where 14 schools and other buildings have been set up to house
evacuees. Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio told Mexico's Radio Formula
Friday morning that officials are especially worried about the safety of
people in the tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta, in Jalisco state, and
in the nearby community of Bahia de Banderas, in Nayarit state.
Osorio
says, "We need people to understand the magnitude of the hurricane, it
is a devastating hurricane, the biggest one ever registered." He adds that the government has deployed soldiers and federal police agents to help out, but has provided no numbers.
More
Sign of storms to come: El Niño
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| The storm/rain god "El Nino" seen in yellow and orange, equatorial Pacific (NOAA). |
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