The land that is currently known as the City of West Hollywood is on the ancestral, and unceded homelands of the Gabrieleño Tongva and Gabrieleño Kizh (pronounced “Keesh”) peoples. The Tongva and Kizh are the original peoples of Tovaangar, which includes Los Angeles County, Riverside County, West San Bernardino County, parts of Orange County and the four Southern Channel Islands.

Tovaangar supported an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people in nearly 100 autonomous village-states, which were connected by kinship, language, culture, and trade. Prior to the Spanish conquest that began in 1769, the people of these villages managed their lands with a deep respect by cultivating, pruning, seeding, and seasonal burning. Villages were often built near rivers, creeks, and other sources of water which supplied a lifeline of food and resources. We acknowledge that the City of West Hollywood is built upon and has benefited from their land stewardship over many generations.

Many Tongva and Kizh continue to live in their traditional territory and care for the lands. We pay our respects to the Tongva and Kizh ancestors, elders, and relatives past, present, and emerging. We recognize the Tongva and Kizh peoples who are still here, and we commit ourselves to honoring and uplifting their stories and culture. We seek to build a restorative relationship with people and place which requires dedication to reciprocity, co-stewardship, repair, and rematriation.

Land Acknowledgment & Policy