Santa Clarita Valley History In Pictures
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Village Names in Baptismal Records at San Gabriel, San Fernando Missions


There is probably an assumption that when Native American inhabitants of villages in the Santa Clarita Valley and environs were taken by Spanish missionary and military men to the mission to live and work in the late 1700s and early 1800s, the mission was San Fernando. But that was not necessarily the case. Some were taken into the San Gabriel Mission, which predated the San Fernando Mission by 26 years.

Fr. Zephyrin Engelhardt, a Franciscan priest, was the historian of the missions of Alta California in the early 20th Century. In a series of books about the missions, he includes, from examinations of mission records, the names of the ancestral villages of the Indians brought to each mission.

Some of the villages listed by Engelhardt from San Gabriel Mission records were in the Santa Clarita Valley. No dates are associated with his list, so we don't know if they relate to people who arrived at San Gabriel before or after the San Fernando Mission was built in 1797.

Also, in at least one instance, Engelhardt refers to the villages (which were called rancherias) as "the birthplace" of Indians brought to the San Gabriel Mission. It is possible that one's birthplace is not necessarily where one was living just prior to removal. Native American communities in the Santa Clarita Valley were matrilocal societies (unlike most other California Indians), meaning when people married outside of their own village, which was common, the man would move to the wife's village. So it is possible that some of the villages listed by Engelhardt for San Gabriel were the birthplaces of men who lived elsewhere.

There are numerous duplicates within Engelhardt's lists due to different variations of the same village name. Some of the listed names of villages in the Santa Clarita Valley are: Chaguayabit (Choquayabit, Chaguayanga, etc.), at Castaic Junction; Tochonanga (Tochenanga, Tochojana), somewhere in Newhall; Tochonabit (Tochanabit), which might be the same as Tochonanga; Camulos; Piru (Pirubit, Piirucbit, etc.); Jujunga (Juiunga), Saugus area; Giringa, Agua Dulce area; Najabatanga (Najabatabit, etc.), north of DWR Castaic Reservoir; Chibuna and Puninga, Lake Elizabeth area; Quissaubit (Quisaobit, Quisaubit, possibly Quisanga), near Quail Lake; Topipabit (Tipipabit, Totipabit, etc.), which is in Victorville, but certain individuals from Topipabit are related to individuals from Chaguayabit.

Engelhardt's lists and his descriptions of the lists follow.


San Gabriel Mission (Est. 1771).
Engelhardt, Fr. Zephyrin O.F.M. "San Gabriel Mission and the Beginnings of Los Angeles." San Gabriel, Calif.: Mission San Gabriel,1927, pp. 355-356.

The examination by the author of the Baptismal Register of Mission San Gabriel resulted in the discovery of the names of Rancherias frequently noted and claimed as the birthplace of children and adults brought to the Mission for Baptism. The following are the names clearly recorded:

Acusavit
Acujabit
Ajuibit
Chibanga
Copiabit
Cucamobit
Ciunibet
Cuivichi
Jantivit
Juiubit
Jutucabit
Jutucunga
Pamoquin
Sibapet
Topet
Tuyubit
Uchubit
Tabit
Yuyuvit

The Rev. Eugene Sugranes, C.M.F., a member of the community of San Gabriel, after a more close search in all the Mission Registers, discovered the following rancherias, many of which may, however, we suspect, indicate the site of a single cabin or two.

Ajuibit
Ajuinga
Acuxabit
Acurabit
Acuranga
Amupubit
Atababit
Achochobit
Amuscopiabit
Asuesabit
Ajuimiabit
Acatabranga
Batequitos
Bonoquin
Cabuepet
Chaubit
Cacayibit
Cucamobit
Cupsabit
Chibanga
Comurabit
Comicrabit
Chaguayabit
Choquayabit
Corobonoabit
Coyubit
Guapiabit
Guinibit
Gebit
Guibabit
Guijabepet
Geverobit
Guaipet
Guachpet
Guibanga
Gorumuga
Gonopeapa
Guanchia
Juiubit
Jaibepet
Jaisobit
Jutucabit
Jaisobit
Jajamobit
Japchibit
Jayabit
Jajobiabit
Jautbit
Jaibenga
Juiunga
Jutucunga
Jeberobit
Jurupe
Junubabit
Jaiocopeabit
Judamobit
Julagunot
Lomquin
Mairobit
Mamaita
Mujimam
Maromabit
Mapitbit
Nosabit
Naasin
Nonobit
Najayabit
Ojubit
Pafbenga
Pimubit
Paparabit
Pububit
Pimocabit
Pajbepet
Pomoquin
Peotopa
Pimica
Pamaibit
Picubit
Piamubit
Pabocoya
Pachechero
Quisaobit
Quinquibit
Quinibit
Sibapet
Seobit
Sapchibit
Satucubit
Sotaibit
Soabit
Sibanga
Tobpet
Topisabit
Tucubit
Totabit
Toibepet
Tohonabit
Tibajabit
Tusicabit
Tobanepet
Tameobit
Tochajana
Toibina
Tobimobit
Timijabit
Tobonga
Tobizcanga
Taisobit
Tomecupna
Tujubit
Uchubit
Utucubit
Yabit


San Fernando Mission (Est. 1797).
Engelhardt, Fr. Zephyrin O.F.M. "San Fernando Rey: The Mission of the Valley." Chicago.: Franciscan Herald Press,1927, pp. 142-143.

Indian Rancherias That Supplied the Converts in the District

Achoicominga
Acocubit
Ahasata
Alapabit
Amoscopiabit
Amuugbit
Apachechina
Apevit
Apuvit
Asumsahasa
Atamoma
Atamovit
Atongai
Atongaina
Atumobit
Cabuebet
Cacuycayjavit
Cacuycuyjabit
Cahuenga
Caiguba
Calabzas
Calasaugi
Camúlos
Cayaopea
Cayegua
Ceegenga
Chaguainga
Chaguay
Chaguayabit
Chaguayanga
Chaonayibit
Chechehe
Chibubit
Chibuna
Chiluvit
Chojobit
Coaybit
Encino
Escorpion
Ginant
Girga
Giribit
Giringa
Guacaupia
Guachinga
Gualpit
Guasia
Guasna
Guaspet
Himalco
Hipuc-Ipuc
Hongobepet
Huama
Huenalia
Humaligo
Humaliho
Jaamang
Jajamovit
Japsi
Japsivit
Jausivit
Jojopoc
Jolopop
Jomingaga
Jotativit
Jotojomvit
Jotunga
Jucjauibit
Jucsahe
Jucsauybit
Juinamuna
Juubit
Losontongay
Lotzonnongay
Malya
Manga
Mapanga
Mapavit
Mapitga
Massabit
Matabai
Matjiga
Mepipibit
Momonaga
Momonga
Moomga
Mujubit
Mujunga
Nacayam
Najabatabit
Najavit
Najayabit
Najatabit
Nayaba
Nayba
Olalla-Piibit
Ongobepet
Pabutan
Pachanga
Pacuibit
Pacsinga
Papabit
Pacsinga
Papabit
Papicma
Pasanua
Passecubit
Passenga
Patzanga
Pauvit
Pavutuvit
Payuchibi
Payuchina
Pibunachaita
Piirucbit
Piitunga
Pinibit
Pinones
Pipimas (Islas)
Piriucna
Piru
Pirubit
Pujaubit
Punibit
Puninga
Quechac
Quiah
Quimamena
Quimisa
Quimisac
Quisanga
Quisaubit
Quiscubit
Quisuenga
Secpe
Sibunga
Sihunga
Simij (Simí, Semij)
Siutcabit
Siutcanga
Suitasegena
Sujuiyojos
Sumó
Sumpase
Taapu, Tapu
Tucayam
Tacuinga
Tajamobit
Talcepop
Talepop
Tameopit
Tamon
Tapu
Tebachena
Tegurubit
Telegpop
Tibimonga
Tilimobit
Tipipabit
Toapeac
Tobimonga
Tochaborunga
Tochaburubit
Tochagunibit
Tochenanga
Tochonabit
Toguipabit
Tokimonga
Tolativit
Topanga
Tosinga
Totipabit
Tuguenga
Tujubit
Tujunga
Tulimovit
Tumijabit
Tumijaybit
Tumlampet
Tunsinga
Tusina
Uauga
Umalin, Omalin
Yumachet
Zanja
Zpsic
MISSION SAN FERNANDO

Native Village Names


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Secularization & Sale, 1830s-40s (Engelhardt 1927)

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Vischer 1865

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Dedication 1925 x4

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Bell at Camulos: Alaska Report 1923

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Bell at Camulos (News reports 1923)

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Bell at Camulos (Engelhardt 1927)

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Pre-Restoration

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