The first people of the East Valley: Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians w/Tribal President Ortega & LAUSD Board President Kelly Gonez for 2021 Native American Heritage Month.

Hosted by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.  Recommended for Grades K – 8.

In Focus Segment from Spectrum News 1 Tanya McRae

Featuring Executive Advisor Pamela Villaseñor

Join us for this special program in partnership with the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. The Tataviam are an indigenous tribe from northern Los Angeles county whose traditional territory covers the San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita Valley

Join Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians President Rudy Ortega, Jr. and Pamela Villaseñor, Director of the Tribe’s Health and Social Wellness Department, in conversation with journalist and environmental historian Jon Christensen, from KCET and UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, to learn how the local Tribe is working with allies in our broader community to protect and restore sacred sites, preserve and celebrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge and practices, ensure their children are educated in science and Indigenous wisdom, and win back the full rights and recognition taken from the Tribe when settler colonialism came to Los Angeles.

Learn about land acknowledgments and action from Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians’ Tribal Citizen Pamela Villaseñor.

Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians originated in the areas ranging from Simi Valley and Malibu in the west, Cahuenga and Encino in the south, Tujunga in the east, and the present-day Tejon Ranch in the north. To this day, they continue to not only be dedicated to preserving and enriching tribal culture but embracing their community roots to help them thrive. As part of this tenet, they are making Covid-19 vaccinations easy to access and readily available to residents of the Northeast San Fernando Valley by providing vaccinations via three pop-up clinics as well as a mobile vaccination “come to you” service for individuals with transportation challenges. “Community outreach is a large part of what we do. Through our Tribe’s non-profit, Pukúu Cultural Community Services (Pukúu), we provide community programs to Native Americans living in Los Angeles County,” says Rudy Ortega, Jr., Tribal President. “But we are invested in all of the people of our communities and are happy to have some great local partners through the Medi-Vaxx Program to make sure everyone has easy access to this vaccination, especially those that are traditionally underserved by the medical community.” The Medi-Vaxx Program is a collaboration between four groups in the San Fernando Valley. The Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians is working alongside The Mission Community Hospital, El Proyecto del Barrio, and First Med Ambulance to ensure that underserved subgroups, namely Latinx individuals, Native-American individuals, and elders over 65 years old are conveniently served with vaccinations.

The Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians’ non-profit, Pukúu Cultural Community Services, has been selected as part of the Super Bowl LVI Legacy Program for their work on sustainable programs that bridge and improve opportunities for American Indians. Pukúu Cultural Community Services has been making a lasting impact on Los Angeles County since 2002. Through culturally-based community services, Pukúu Cultural Community Services provides the tools to make a better life for the current and future generations of American Indians. #LASuperBowlHC #ChampionsLiveHere LASEC / @ LASEC Los Angeles Super Bowl Host Committee / @ LASuperBowlHC LA84 Foundation / @ LA84Foundation Play Equity Fund / @ PlayEquityFund Rams / @ rams (Instagram), @ ramsnfl (Twitter) Chargers / @ chargers SoFi Stadium / @ sofistadium NFL / @ NFL DiscoverLA / @ discoverla

Learn about Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians.

Learn about Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians.

Learn about Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians.

Learn about Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians.

Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, a native nation of northern Los Angeles County, is requesting that the City of San Fernando adopts a resolution to rename Maclay Avenue to Tataviam Tribe Avenue.

Building of a Tataviam village.

On February 1st 2017, The Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and The LAUSD Indian Education Program began a Pow Wow Dance & Regalia Workshop that took place at Rudy Ortega Sr. Park in The San Fernando Valley.