Hilda L. Solis: “a long time ago the Gabrieleno and Tongva Nation of California occupied the entire LA Basin and the islands of Santa…”

“a long time ago the Gabrieleno and Tongva Nation of California occupied the entire LA Basin and the islands of Santa Catalina, San Nicholas and San Clemente, from Topanga Canyon to Laguna Beach, from the San Gabriel Mountains to the sea. It was their land. The California Gold Rush and railroad expansion assured that their land was taken and today is one of the largest urban centers in the world, but some things have not changed. According to the Census figures, California's Native American population of over 309,000 became one of the largest in the State of California. Many of these Native Americans populate the area, making it the city with the largest concentration of Gabrieleno Indians. Yet they are not a federally recognized tribe. It is not because they are not there. They are. They have been there for many centuries. In fact, dating as far back as the 1700s, 1771 to be exact, this Federal Government recognized the Gabrieleno and Tongva Nation.”