The Story of Tongva Peak in the Verdugo Mountains

As we drive from Verdugo City down Verdugo Road toward Verdugo Canyon on our way to Verdugo Park, we might look over at the Verdugo Mountains and notice the highest point in the range, Verdugo Peak, at 3,126 feet. Verdugo, Verdugo, Verdugo! However, a little to the southeast of Verdugo Peak is a lower peak with a thick cluster of radio towers on it. That’s Tongva Peak, named for the Tongva Native-Americans who had villages in our valley for probably 10,000 years. Sadly, that’s the only thing in the valley named for the people who lived in our valley for thousands of years, as opposed to the hundreds of things named for the Verdugo family, who only came here 250 years ago.

That bothered local resident Rich Toyon whose own Native-American roots tie him to the Acjachemen tribe south of LA. He was keenly aware that the history of the Verdugo family was just a small fraction of the history of human habitation in the Crescenta Valley.

In the early 2000s, Rich was working with other residents to halt the development in the Verdugo Mountains. Although the group was ultimately successful, at the time there was a fair chance that it would fail. Rich felt that, at the very least, perhaps he could establish some landmark that carried the Tongva name. He knew of an unnamed peak in the Verdugo Mountains. If he was able to have that peak officially named for the Tongva, it would be small victory in the face of the potential defeat of the anti-development forces. At the same time, it would honor the original CV residents, and put a dent in the place-name disparity between the Europeans and the Native-Americans.

Rich found that there was a mechanism for naming or renaming geographic features through the U.S. Geological Survey. After first verifying that the peak had no official name, he filled out the proper paperwork. He lobbied his representatives in government to sanction the name change and made presentations to local community groups to rally support. He got both individuals and groups to send the USGS letters endorsing the naming project. Most importantly, he got the Glendale City Council, the County of Los Angeles, and the Tribal Council for the Tongva Nation behind the name.

In July 2001, the California Advisory Committee on Place Names unanimously recommended the place name change and in September a letter was issued from the USGS confirming the official naming of “Tongva Peak.” The committee noted the flood of support letters they received, and the lack of any opposition, calling Rich’s renaming effort a “slam dunk.”

A year later, a celebration was held at Camp Max Strauss just below the peak. The Tongva Tribal Council, wearing traditional garb, traveled to the peak and ceremonially blessed the spot. A plaque, designed by a Tongva artist, was placed on a boulder on the peak stating “Tongva Peak, Gabrielino-Tongva Community of Wiqanga.” (Wiqanga was the name of the village in our valley.) A couple years later an Eagle Scout built a stone bench near the plaque for hikers to rest on.

Today Tongva Peak is the only officially named peak in the Verdugos. The rest, Mt. Thom and Verdugo Peak, are unofficial names. It is recognizable from our valley as the peak with the most radio towers (seven). The naming of Tongva Peak is a wonderful tribute to our valley’s history and to the power of one man’s efforts to recognize a largely forgotten civilization.

Rich Toyon relates a beautiful story about the day the Tongva Tribal Council traveled to Tongva Peak to perform a traditional sage blessing: “Many Southern California Native people believe that birds of prey represent their ancestors flying above them, reminding them of their place and importance in the world. On that day of commemoration, two red tail hawks hovered over us for almost 30 minutes during that ceremony, which made it all the more significant.”

Apparently, the spirits of the Tongva people are still with us here in our peaceful valley.

  mike lawler