The San Gabriel Mission Stills

2011-12-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

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Trip to the San Gabriel Mission

2011-12-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

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Have you ever been to a California mission?

Founded September 8, 1771, the San Gabriel Mission is the 4th of the 21 California Missions to be established. Its bell tower and outside stairway are very different from the other Missions, as is its construction from stone, brick and mortar instead of adobe, and its Spanish-Moorish style of architecture. Be sure to visit the Mission Compound to see how life was lived so many years ago when residents made their own soap and candles from tallow, leather goods from cattle hides, wine from their own grapes, and everything else they needed to survive so far from any source of supply. In introducing vines and orange trees to the area, as well as other trees and plants, the Franciscan padres began the agricultural industry in Southern California.

San Gabriel grew to be the "Pride of the Missions" and supplied many of the other Missions and settlements with the necessities of life from its lands which stretched from the ocean to the mountains and east to the Banning area of Riverside County. It was from the San Gabriel Mission that 11 families left on September 4, 1781, to found El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles.

Outside the Mission to the north is the Mission Cemetery where members of many pioneer families are buried. The pepper trees near the church in the parking lot are the last of the original trees which once lined Mission Drive. The Camino Real Bell near the church marks the King's Highway, which linked all the Missions in California. --From the City of San Gabriel Website

Why Visit a Mission?

Since the beginning of class, I had wondered about the indigenous peoples of California and their history. I did not feel that the Rawls textbook had covered this subject enough to make me truly familiar with the different tribes and their cultures. So I thought that this trip would be an interesting way of gaining knowledge of local tribes, or more specifically, the tribes that used to thrive in and around the Los Angeles area.

The San Gabriel Mission that was established by Father Serra in 1771 provided a significant amount of information on the background of the local tribes that had lived within the mission’s walls. It was established to convert the local Indian populace to Catholicism, as well as to teach them advanced agricultural techniques. The hope was that the mission could eventually be turned over to the Indians once they had become “civilized”. However, the mission existed for a very long time after its establishment, as the Indians had never become self-sustaining, by Spanish standards, nor fully converted to their religion.

The Rawls textbook had covered the broad history of the Californian Indian population, but did not go into depth regarding those tribes that were local to the areas surrounding what would eventually become the city of Los Angeles. Further, the textbook also did not give detailed images of how the missions appeared from the inside, nor specifically what the San Gabriel Mission looked like, making it difficult to truly imagine what it must’ve been like during the day-to-day operation of the mission. Seeing the actual locations made them more real. In addition, the textbook did not describe the culture of the tribes local to (future) Los Angeles, or how they lived before Spanish influence and after mission secularization.

Finally, aside from a few basic descriptions, the textbook did not detail the after effects on the local Indian populace. For example, how did their culture change following the secularization of the missions? Did they thrive? Or were they forced to integrate with mainstream society? These questions were answered during the trip I took to the mission.

The Original Californians before the Arrival of the Spanish

The Gabrielinos or Tongva, were indigenous to most of what is now Los Angeles County, as well as part of what is now Orange County. They traveled extensively, both on foot and by using canoes called “Ti’ats”. And unlike many other tribes, the Tongva were a seafaring tribe, having settlements as far as what is now Santa Catalina Island. Because they were seafaring they had access to a wider selection of resources than their landlocked sister tribes, including fish, shellfish and other aquatic life, and they were able to offer these resources as trade with other such tribes. Part of their diet also included, pine nuts, acorns and quail.

The Tongva had two kinds of Shamans, the “Ahhoovaredoot” and “Yovaarekam”. The former’s duty was to perform astrology, make magic potions and herbal medicines for cures. While the latter’s duty it was to compose their sacred songs and dances, create poetry in honor of great people or events, and tell the story of their tribe. The Tongva commonly buried their dead or put them upon funeral pyres, while the Shamans sung their funeral rites. Shamans consisted of both males and females. However, the males were typically the hunters, while the females were the harvesters as well as the weavers. For cooking, instead of using pottery, the Tongva utilized Soapstone.

Various language and archeological studies have shown that the Tongva migrated through what are now the southwest states of Arizona and New Mexico. This is exemplified in Tongva habitations, which were built for easy construction and destruction, typically by fire, to make moving during different seasons easier. Though it is unlikely that they actually traversed what would eventually be states seasonally; they stayed local.

In regards to hierarchy, each Tongva village was ruled by a chief or “Tumia’r”, who could be either male or female. A group of chiefs, followed by their families and any other successful families or hunters, artisans or traders were at the top tier of the social echelon. The second tier would consist of families whose lineage has benefited the tribe in the past, while the third tier consists of everyone else. It is likely that many of these traditions continued on, even after the beginning of the Mission Era.

The Mission Indians during the Mission Period

During their first few encounters with the Europeans, the Tongva were fearless of the Spaniards, even sending messengers to other villages in order to inform them that they meant no harm. About two years following this encounter, Mission San Gabriel was founded in 1771, right in the middle of several Tongva villages which the Spanish named “Rancherias”. Soon after, the Tongva began to resist the Spanish settlement. An incident which took place a few months after further created tension between the Spanish and the Tongva, after a soldier had sexually assaulted a chief’s wife, and then later killed that same chief after he attempted to defend his wife’s honor. The chief’s head was then mounted on a pike and set in front of the mission gates to deter future attacks. This would not have the intended effect.

Following this incident, for still unknown reasons, the Tongva began to join the mission. However, this trend was soon reversed as incidences of escape escalated, as by 1817 473 neophytes had successfully escaped from the mission. In all, only 198 Tongva had been officially baptized out of the over 1000 people in the surrounding villages. But what cannot be ascertained is how many of those Tongva present were there because of choice, coercion or kidnapping.

Mission life typically started with mass at sunrise, followed by breakfast and the beginning of the work day for the neophytes. At noon, they had lunch, followed by more work, and then religious prayer and songs at sunset. The work performed by the neophytes included spinning and weaving for women, while men worked in the farm, a switch from what they were traditionally used to. The difference in culture would affect the women more than the men however, and would eventually lead to rebellion.

Mentioned in Rawls, the story of Toypurina is a famous one among the Tongva descendants. In 1785, Toypurina, a female shaman conspired with a neophyte named Nicholas Jose to kill all of the Spaniards in the valley. She was able to recruit three un-converted villages and their local chiefs to join her. Unfortunately, the padres learned of her plans and devised a trap. Once captured, they were tried and punished. Following the trial, the chiefs were freed and allowed them to return. Nicholas was sentenced to hard labor, and Toypurina was sent to Mission San Carlos Borromeo. She was then baptized and given the name Regina Josepha.

The Mission Indians Following Secularization of the Missions

After gaining independence, a proclamation was issue which called for the secularization of the missions. Half of the property was supposed to go to the mission Indians. Some denied the dispensed parcels, while others lost their rights to the land because they did not farm “productively”. Eventually however, Father Narcisco Duran allowed the neophytes to legally reclaim the property, though this would not the de facto result. The Tongva essentially did not fight back afterwards. No rebellions occurred, but there were records of some incidences hostility following secularization, including some small robberies.

Some Tongva both baptized and un-baptized still worked as farm hands, tiling, pruning and harvesting, as well as making sun-dried adobe bricks. They also served in various other positions, including as blacksmiths and as kitchen help. This system was very similar to the sharecropping system employed in the south during the American civil war. And though it seems as if the Tongva were at least integrated with Anglo culture, Tongva culture remained and indeed continued on. Even during this period, traditional dances, stories and other traditional ways continued to be practiced by their people, and at one point was even popular with the Anglos.

Much of the land granted after California became a state was lost due to legal issues involving the U.S. government, though compensation would eventually be given to the Tongva following the California Jurisdiction Act of 1928. Many Tongva still carry on their traditions to this day, even performing many of their ceremonial dances and blessings for the public to raise awareness of their tribe, and are actively seeking to receive federal recognition.

My 2 Cents

The San Gabriel Mission Stills

Trip to the San Gabriel Mission