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in 1834. Many of the people prefer the ethnic name Tongva rather than the name
identifying them by reference to colonial rule, but both names are used by the ethnic
population.

The Gabrielino language is part of the Shoshonean languages within the Uto-Aztecan
language family and are part of the language sub-group known as the Takic languages.
As part of the Takic group of languages, Gabrielino is related to Serrano, Luiseño,
Cupeño, Fernandeño, and Cahuilla. It is most closely related to and may be considered a
dialect with Fernandeño. Today Gabrielino is used in language revitalization classes and
in some conversations pertaining to religious and environmental issues. It is not a
language of conversation and thus may be considered moribund since the 1940s.
Members of the ethnic group now speak English but a few people are revitalizing the
language by inserting Gabrielino into everyday conversations and ceremonial contexts.
In the ethnographic record, which dates from about 1800 AD, the ethnic population of
Gabrielinos at the time was estimated at about 5,000 people (Bean and Smith 1978,
Geiger 1976). However, the population was scattered to the missions and the Native
population resided in villages spanning north to Monterey and south to San Diego. The
population density of the Gabrielino in the Los Angeles basin region varied from about 1
2
person/mi in swampy and dry areas with few resources up to an estimated high of about
2
100 persons/mi in areas of dense resources along coastal villages (Kroeber 1939,
McCawley 1996). Whether there was population pressure among the Gabrielinos before
the eve of European colonization is unknown, but from indirect evidence, there probably
was incipient population pressure. Storehouse baskets provided winter storage of dried
nuts and seeds but essential natural resources were abundant.

3.2 Settlements
Gabrielinos occupied coastal areas and had villages scattered along rivers flowing from
the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains. Although their villages were destroyed
2
by 1850, the original territory stretched about 4,000 - 5,000 mi and encompassed the Los
Angeles and Santa Ana riversheds. Most of the territory is situated at below 1,000ft
elevation.

Each community, comprised of two or more patriclans, meaning “a set of kin whose
members believe themselves to be descended from a common male ancestor, but the links
to that ancestor are not specified” (Ember and Ember 2004:174). The famililies occupied
2
a named and delineated community and were semi-sedentary. There are about fifty
named Gabrielino villages that have been located in the ethnographic record, although
there probably were twice that number, or more, based on indirect evidence. Some of the
place names and peoples associated with places included 'ongoovavetam “People of La
Salina,” 'Ashaawvetam “people of the eagle; inhabitants of Rancho del Aguila,” and

2
“community” refers to a village together with it’s local food collecting patches. A “territory” refers to the
maximal food resource area that one generation of people would move through in their lifetime. The word
“village” will refer specifically to the perimeter of Gabrieliño homes. The Gabrieliño term for a village has
been given as kikiiy. Since colonial times, another common word to describe a village is known by the
Spanish term ranchería.

Caltrans D7 Region/Los Angeles County Ethnographic Consultation 14