and i will continue to do that. i have done everything that i have been told i can legally do. and we are exploring some other options. as other options come up, i will do whatever i can. i think this is very wrong. but they also deserve to be paid. and the american people need to know that those who are not working are not out there idle of their own choice. they want to be here, they want to be working, and we ought to give them a chance to do it. >> you are watching american history tv only on c-span3. >> we will visit the santa

monica history museum to learn about the area's earliest inhabitants, the tongva. >> the city of santa monica's geography is something that has always drawn people to the area. the ocean has always been a great source of abundance, from fish to abalone to all sorts of things that help people survive and create a culture. the los angeles basin, there are originally where large rivers in los angeles which has changed over time, but they supported a large community of indigenous people in los angeles, extending to santa monica. the earliest community of residence in santa monica where the tongva people, the indigenous or native american people who were here in los angeles. they are still here today, which we like to stress that.

the tongva lived in santa monica and the los angeles basin. they had a very large tribal area from the san gabriel valley to the northern parts of orange county, all the way out to the islands in santa monica bay, san nicolas island and santa catalina. they also extend as far as malibu and border with chumash territory. the indigenous people in santa monica, the name 'tongva' comes from several different sounds in the language that mean mother earth and place within that earth. they are known for being very connected with their land. the tongva people were a very wealthy society due to the

abundant natural world they were surrounded with. they were able to stay in one place. they were not migratory. they traded with surrounding tribes and they were able to trade some very unique resources due to this location. you may have heard of the la brea tar pits. large basically pond filled with tar between here and downtown los angeles, and it is near one of our large art museums, the los angeles county museum of art. that was a very unique resource. so the tar or pitch was a sticky, black substance. it is the same thing we use today to make asphalt. the tongva used that to make tools, pitch their canoes. they did have oceangoing canoes where they would go out to the islands in santa monica bay and this tar or pitch was important for that, as well as other local

societies they traded with. another unique resource that the tongva utilized was soapstone. soapstone is a type of rock that is known for being very malleable. you can carve it into cups, bowls, small implements, and it does not break. it can be placed directly in the fire without cracking. the tongva are known for not making any pottery or ceramics, and it is believed the reason is because they had access to soapstone. much of it was mined on catalina island, and that was another item they would trade with the surrounding communities. european contact had a significant impact on the indigenous people. it was detrimental.

in 1542, juan rodriguez cabrillo came to california. he was a spanish explorer and he discovered california and claimed it for spain. after that, in 1769, gaspar de portolla came with spanish fathers and soldiers to establish the mission system in california. the nearest mission to santa monica is in san gabriel, so san gabriel is about an hour by car today, which was of course much farther if you are walking. the mission lifestyle was very harsh on the native people. they suffered from diseases. they suffered from the harsh living conditions. there was such a significant cultural change that it was

very difficult for them and many did not survive. there were uprisings within the missions. at san gabriel, one of the most famous uprisings was led by a female shaman and orator, and generally a woman who was admired within her tribe. this happened in the 1780's. she planned to attack the mission with other native men, she planned an attack on the soldiers. it unfortunately was unsuccessful and it led to a court case. she was found guilty. there are transcripts of that trial, and in it she makes some very eloquent remarks stating that the spanish were not respecting the life or the culture of the tongva and that was the reason for the attack. she was subsequently removed from her tribe and sent to northern california, separated from her people.

today in los angeles, we have a significant native population . it comes from all over the country, including the people that are tongva. you will see many murals honoring torporina. if you see a native woman in a mural, that is most often a representation of her. a tongvan phrase means we are still here. our cities tour staff travel to santa monica, california to discover its rich history. learn about santa monica and other stops on our tour at c-span.org/citiestour. you are watching american history tv, all weekend, every weekend on c-span3. >> american history tv, a panel of

historians discuss the ways white settlers, federal troops and native americans and directed and challenges they faced on the western frontier. topics include gender identity, examples of survivalist cannibalism, and immigration detention. this 90 minute discussion is part of the western history association's annual meeting. by name is diana distefano. this is a roundtable called "reimagining expansion: some race, gender and violence." as you can see we are being found today. that is kind of exciting. c-span is here. prettyndtable is set up normally. we have two moderators today. than the rest of us are going to be talking briefly about our current research.