BY RANIA SOETIRTO // ART BY LAUREN MAN
Spring 2021
“People of the land.”The natural setting of Kuruvungna Springs feels as if it resists LA’s urban landscape.
Tucked between tight asphalt streets and a high school football field, the entrance to the springs sits between rows of buildings and apartment complexes of West LA. The springs are part of an ancestral village site of the Tongva, the Indigenous people of the Los Angeles Basin. Currently, Kuruvungna Springs is under the care of the Gabrielino Tongva Springs Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and educating the public about the area’s history.
Located only a few miles away from UCLA, it takes just 10 minutes to drive from campus to Kuruvungna Springs. The campus’s close proximity to the springs is a reminder that UCLA stands on Tovaangar.
In its original language, Tovaangar means “the world.” Tovaangar, which encompasses all of Gabrielino-Tongva territory, covers the Los Angeles Basin, half of Orange County, parts of Riverside County and San Bernardino County, and the Southern Channel Islands of San Nicolas, San Clemente, Santa Barbara and Santa Catalina.
Despite common misconceptions, Kuruvungna Springs is not a tribally owned property. Instead, it belongs to the Los Angeles Unified School District and is part of the nearby University High School.
The Gabrielino-Tongva tribe has yet to receive federal recognition from the United States government. To this day, they still do not have their own land base.
Read the full article: https://prime.dailybruin.com/Tovaangar