Glendale Community College (GCC), in collaboration with the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleño/Tongva, presented the college’s land acknowledgment in a ceremony held on Nov. 14 in the college’s Student Center and outside the college’s Tongva Building at the Verdugo campus.

An introduction and speakers including representatives of the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleño-Tongva tribe, GCC Superintendent/President Dr. Ryan Cornner and other college officials in the Student Center. The event then moved outside next to the Tongva Building for a blessing by Chief Anthony Redblood Morales and Andrew Guiding Cloud Morales that included the planting of a sage shrub.  

“This campus, where students come to learn and grow, stands on our ancestral homeland,” said Chief Morales. “Glendale and the surrounding areas are part of our ancestral territory and this recognition brings much-needed visibility to the Tongva people. I am grateful to Glendale Community College for taking this important step in acknowledging the Tongva people. This recognition honors our history and provides a space for future generations to continue learning, growing, and building a more inclusive, respectful world. Together, we walk in the spirit of unity, with a shared commitment to the earth and all who live upon it.”

The event is part of GCC’s ongoing commitment to acknowledge the historical and cultural significance of the land on which the campus is located. It was organized by GCC’s Cultural Diversity and Student Equity and Achievement programs. 

“The first people of this land, the Gabrieleno-Tongva tribe, cared for this land for generations prior to Glendale Community College arriving here nearly a hundred years ago,” said GCC Superintendent/President Dr. Ryan Cornner. “Today, we have the honor of acknowledging the Gabrieleño-Tongva people, expressing our sincere gratitude and offering our hand in partnership as we broaden the understanding of our history and the history of this land.”

The land acknowledgment states: Glendale Community College acknowledges that the land our institution inhabits today was once known as Tovaangar, the unceded land and home of the Gabrieleño-Tongva people. For countless generations, the First People stewarded and cared for this land, which encompasses what is now known as Los Angeles County, Orange County, parts of San Bernardino County, Riverside County, as well as the Channel Islands. We pay our respects to the Gabrieleño-Tongva tribe and extend our gratitude for their enduring care of this land. 

Glendale Community College commits to a collaborative allyship and partnership with the  Gabrieleño-Tongva tribe that uplifts its people within our instructional and institutional decision-making processes. Glendale Community College supports teaching the history of colonization and the forced removal of the First People from this land. We encourage reflection among faculty, staff, students and visitors about the meaning of Glendale College’s presence here and we invite everyone to join us in caring for this land.

In November 2020, GCC Academic Senate voted unanimously to rename GCC’s Aviation and Art building to Tongva to recognize the cultural, historical and spiritual significance of this territory of the Gabrieleño-Tongva people, as well as all First People. 

In November 2021, Native American Heritage Month officially became a permanent part of GCC’s Cultural Diversity Programming. 

In October 2023, a partnership was initiated to establish ongoing collaboration with any work associated with the Gabrieleño-Tongva tribe and GCC. 

In November 2023, an official land acknowledgement was created in partnership with the Gabrieleño-Tongva representative. At that time, the Campus Facilities Development Committee approved placement of a plaque on the Tongva building, added a Tongva-themed mural on the building wall and incorporated white sage and/or native milk weed in campus gardens.

Finally, in November 2024, a land acknowledgement statement was made.