History
The Haramokngna American Indian Cultural Center is the realization of a dream of many people in the greater Los Angeles area. It is a center where Native American people can gather to share their culture, their history, their heritage, and their dreams with their families, their brothers and sisters from other Native groups and with the general public of Los Angeles. It is a center where the First People of this land – the Gabrieleno/Tongva, the Chumash, the Fernandeño Tataviam, the Kitanemuk and the Serrano can share their knowledge of the ways given to them to care for this land, to honor it, and to keep it renewed for us all to experience and enjoy. It is a center where the Indian People relocated from their lands can once again touch the earth, feel the wind, listen for the sound of our wild brothers and sisters — the animals and birds — and smell the fragrance of native plants. We welcome all visitors who share this yearning for a connection to the mountains and a thirst for the knowledge and understanding of Native Ways.
Haramokngna sits on Red Box Saddle – the first resting spot on the trek from the sea to the desert. The people came here to gather the bounty of the mountains – the pine trees and pine nuts, the bay laurel, the black oak acorns and to come together to renew family ties, trade songs, stories, gossip, and meet eligible youth from the other side of the mountains. Haramokngna opened in 1998 with a special use permit from the National Forest, in a former fire station. The front building was converted into exhibit space that tells the story of the Five Tribes of the San Gabriel Mountains: the Tongva, the Chumash, the Tataviam, the Kitanemuk and the Serrano. These five tribes are explored in their pre-contact relationships with the land and with each other via the trade routes through these mountains.
During the Mission period, many from these tribes were rounded up to become the property of the San Gabriel and San Fernando Missions. A revolt against the San Gabriel Mission was led by Toypurina, a woman from the village of Jachipet, which is believed to be about 10 miles from Haramokngna, deep in the mountains and difficult for Spanish soldiers to reach. In memory of her bravery and accomplishments, the rear building of Haramokngna has been named the Toypurina Lodge, Gallery and Learning Center. It features the story of Toypurina and offers an art gallery with a changing exhibit of Native American art, and a learning center for workshops in traditional native arts and culture, as well as science and astronomy with a native slant. It is dedicated to the modern aspects of Native history and culture with a focus on the future of our youth.
