Tongva

You've probably seen the word "Tongva" in relation to the Native Americans who inhabited the area around the westside of LA (and UCLA). The City of Santa Monica named a park opposite its city hall "Tongva Park." There have been calls to change the name of the Janss Steps to Tongva Steps on campus.* 

UCLA Law Professor-Emerita Carole Goldberg, an expert on legal matters pertaining to Native Americans, gave a talk to a joint Zoom meeting of the Emeriti Assn. and the Retirees Assn. last Thursday on Native Americans in the local area. As sometimes occurs when folks rush to right an historical wrong without too much knowledge, the word Tongva turns out not to be quite what proponents think.

You can see the talk with maps and other illustration at the link below:

Or direct to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GJzWiU0XDU.

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*Apparently, the steps were never officially named the Janss Steps, something you will learn from the YouTube presentation on this posting. Any renaming would actually be a naming.