Gabrielino/Tongva Springs Foundation
The Gabrielino/Tongva Springs Foundation preserves and protects the ancestral village of Kuruvungna Springs, located within the University High School campus in West Los Angeles. Dedicated to educating the general public about California’s indigenous history, particularly the inhabitants of the LA basin, the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples, they provide educational programs,maintain a museum of artifacts and historical documents on this site. Other activities include a ceremonial Aztec danza for youth, digitizing historical and archival materials with UCLA, annual Spirit Run, and play collaboration with the Cornerstone Theatre illuminating Native peoples’ lives in an urban setting.
A 2017 Living Cultures grant will support the Before Columbus Festival, a celebration of Tongva and Native American cultural practices in Southern California featuring music, dance, food, and art, preceded by a ceremony on sacred grounds at the site. The event takes place in October offering a counter narrative and point of view to the Columbus Day commemoration.