Santa Monica Mosaic: The Tongva

Join us for a free virtual lecture, Santa Monica Mosaic: The Tongva. Indigenous archaeologist and Tongva tribe member Desireé Martinez, M.A. will guide us through the history of the Tongva / Gabrieliño tribe, who have been in Southern California for more than 10,000 years.
Explore the advanced culture, wealth and influence of these expert canoe builders and artisans who concentrated along the coast, throughout the Los Angeles Basin and the four southern Channel Islands. At contact with Spanish explorers, the Tongva inhabited over 50 villages with as many as 500 dwellings in a single settlement, numbering over 5,000.
Learn how forced relocation and cultural assimilation, exposure to new diseases, and other events collapsed the Tongva population. And discover how the Tongva’s vibrant heritage and culture surround us and continue to contribute to the region today.
Desireé Reneé Martinez has dedicated her life to obtaining the skills and knowledge to “combat the wanton destruction of Native American sacred and cultural sites,” especially those of her community, the Tongva / Gabrieliño. She received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.A. in Anthropology from Harvard University. She is president of Cogstone Resource Management and a co-Director of the Pimu Catalina Island Archaeology Project.
Register for Santa Monica Mosaic: The Tongva with Desireé Martinez to learn about the region’s earliest residents and the preservation of their rich culture. The fully illustrated lecture and following Q&A session will take place via Zoom. The program is free to the public and donations are welcome.