Tongva People | Microschool Dev

Historically, the Tongva lived in numerous villages, identifying more by their local community than a unified tribal name. During the Spanish colonial period, they were often referred to by mission-derived names like Gabrieleño and Fernandeño. The term "Tongva" has become the most widely accepted endonym, though some descendants advocate for the ancestral name Kizh. Their cultural and economic influence was significant, particularly in interactions with neighboring groups like the [[chumash-people|Chumash]] during the early European encounters.