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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Discussion and, if Desired, Adoption of a Statement of Land Acknowledgement; and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: December 11, 2023
Contact Person/Dept.: Shelly Wolfberg / City Manager's Office
Phone Number: (310) 253-6000
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (12/05/2023)
Department Approval: John M. Nachbar, City Manager, (12/05/2023)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) discuss and, if desired, adopt a Statement of Land Acknowledgement; and (2) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
The Gabriele?o Tongva, a Native American people, have a long history in and around the area that is now Los Angeles. They were the original inhabitants of the Los Angeles Basin and the islands of Santa Catalina, San Nicholas, San Clemente, and Santa Barbara. They are also known as the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, because they were forced to join Mission San Gabriel when it was founded in 1771 by Spanish colonizers following the 1769 order of King Carlos III of Spain to settle California. The Tongva language, which belongs to the Uto-Aztecan family, was once spoken by the Gabriele?o Tongva, but it has become extinct.
Land Acknowledgement
According to the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian, "a land acknowledgement is a traditional custom that dates back centuries in many Native nations and communities. Today, land acknowledgements are used by Native Peoples and non-Natives to recognize Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of the lands on which we now live."
At the March 27, 2023 City Council Meeting, Vice Mayor McMorrin received City Council consensus from Council Members O'Brien and Puza to agendize con...
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