Once again, due to the collaborative efforts of several LMU departments and student groups, we have successfully spruced up the Tongva Memorial Site just before Indigenous Peoples’ Day https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/10/11/a-proclamation-on-indigenous-peoples-day-2024/, and https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/10/08/a-proclamation-indigenous-peoples-day-2021/)! On Thursday, October 10th from 12P-3P folks showed up at the Tongva Memorial to participate in a weeding and greening event, attended by ASLMU, Green LMU, Service and Action, and other student groups on Campus, and coordinated by CURes Drollinger Environmental Fellow Lisa Fimiani.
The goal was to weed around the native plants already there and to add 16 new plants to the area. Our efforts started at 12 Noon and we finished at 3P. Facilities Management Staff provided some tools, gloves, and burlap sacks ahead of time to collect weeds and trash (unfortunately, quite a few cigarette butts were found in the DG, decomposed granite, walkways around the site), but most of the plants we had put in back in April of this year during Earth Month (https://curesblog.lmu.edu/cures-participates-in-multiple-earth-day-events-during-the-month-of-april/) were looking healthy and happy and were welcoming new companion plants (at least Lisa thought so…LOL!). It was also great to have two student employees of The Loyolan come to do a story on our efforts – thank you Mia Rivers and Pio Ong Ante!
Thursday’s event was part of an ongoing commitment by all the partners to keep the Tongva Memorial Site looking beautiful and well-kept. We are grateful to all those who stopped by to help out, and to those who expressed disappointment that they couldn’t be there that day – but were there in spirit!
For a little bit of history, Robert Dorame the Most Likely Descendant (MLD) of the Gabrielino Tongva Indians in the Ballona Wetlands, and his nephew, Matthew Dorame, designed the Tongva Memorial Site, which was established in 2000 and rededicated in 2004 when the remains of Native Americans were found on the Playa Vista property below the Bluff. These ancestors were re-buried in an earthen mound visible below, within the Ballona Discovery Park, as officiated by Robert Dorame during private ceremonies in 2010.
Here is a video made by a student about a fabulous replanting day at the Tongva Memorial Site on the LMU Campus back in 2012:
LMU: Tongva Memorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxFnGqrhcBE
Posted on YouTube January 5, 2013 Video by Shannon O’Brien.
This video documents a brief history of the Tongva Memorial on LMU’s campus, as well as the EVST100’s revitalization project on it.
More information about our beautiful Tongva Memorial Site, which you can also find on these websites:
https://resources.lmu.edu/dei/indigenous/:
https://curesblog.lmu.edu/tongva-memorial-planting-it-takes-a-pride/
https://librarynews.lmu.edu/2024/03/new-gabrielino-tongva-bibliography/
https://promotionofjustice.eadrummondhistory.lmu.build/the-shortcomings-of-the-tongva-memorial/
CURes is giving a big shout out to Andrea Payre Madrigal with ASLMU (one that couldn’t be there but put time and effort into making this happen!), Yadi Napior with the Center for Service and Action – who also couldn’t be there, students from Agape, Esperer, Gryphon Circle, staff from Green LMU – especially Lucy Renfrow, who sent out a great flyer on Instagram to advertise about the event (https://www.instagram.com/p/DA1LhmDyj2g/?hl=en), and Facilities Management staff for helping us prepare and then cleaning up after we leave! We at CURes are proud to partner with student groups and LMU departments dedicated to making and keeping LMU green!