It is my ultimate frustration as a local historian to have such a wealth of information on our last two centuries in CV, yet have almost nothing on the thousands of years of human history before that. Our first inhabitants, the Tongva Indians, hunted, camped, established villages, lived entire lives of tragedy and triumph, right here where we have our homes, on Briggs Terrace, in Sparr Heights, and Verdugo City. They had a strong central village, Wikangna (wi-kong-na) somewhere along the base of the Verdugo Mountains, probably where the Verdugo Hills Golf Course is today. The trail between the neighboring villages of Tujungna (Big Tujunga Canyon) and Hahamongna (where JPL is) followed the routes of Honolulu Ave. and Tujunga Canyon Blvd. They gathered acorns in the dense oak forests of CV Park, and in summer retreated to the cool forested canyons of the San Gabriels, Cooks, Dunsmore and Pickens Canyons. They were wealthy among the Indians, living in a veritable supermarket of food sources, and successfully acting as middlemen in the soapstone trade between the Channel Islands and the Western states. Trading parties from Wikangna headed up the Arroyo Seco, meeting other trade trails at Red Box Saddle near Mt. Wilson, and traversing the San Gabriels, and out into the Mojave. Then came the Missions, and the local Tongva were divided between San Gabriel and San Fernando Missions, and their history and culture suppressed. Any traces of them in our valley have been erased by our cycles of fire and flood, or by development.

Windows into this past have opened and closed again over the years, such as the Southwest Museum, now closed. Scattered factions of the Tongva Tribe have kept pieces of their culture alive across LA, though nothing locally.

But a new window has opened,   no, a door, to the history of our Indians, literally within sight of the Crescenta Valley. In the last ten years a partnership has developed between the Angeles National Forest Service, and Ne’ayu (“friends” in the Tongva language) to promote Native American Culture. The Forest Service offered them the abandoned Red Box Fire Station, fatefully located there where the trade route trails came together in the mountains above us, and the Haramokngna American Indian Cultural Center was born. In the last several years Haramokngna (ha-ra-mok-na “the place where people gather”) has created a museum and art gallery, a strong program of outreach to local schools, and a solid schedule of Indian craft seminars and Native music festivals. In classes there I have learned to carve soapstone and weave baskets, and have feasted on prickly pear cactus, yucca flowers, venison and elderberry tea.

Haramokngna miraculously survived the Station Fire, and sits in an oasis of unburned forest at the intersection of Angeles Crest Highway and Mt. Wilson Road. They re-open this Saturday in an all-day festival, and they invite us as their nearest neighbors to join them for hands-on craft classes, Native foods (including fry bread!), and music. There’ll be vendor booths selling Indian jewelry, art and books, and info on the recovery of the forest.

I urge you to take a drive up there Saturday and check it out. The drive up there is an amazing journey in itself. The fire has created a vision of contrasts – wildflowers push up through charred branches – dead forests stand on carpets of bright green new growth. As you know Angeles Crest Highway is still closed, so you must take a side route in, which takes you through the heart of the burn area. Take Big Tujunga Canyon to Angeles Forest Highway and turn left toward Palmdale. After a couple miles, turn right on Upper Big Tujunga Canyon, which takes you all the way across to good old Angeles Crest Highway. Turn right and backtrack to Mt Wilson Road, where you’ll find Haramokngna among the last remaining stands of unburned forest. It’s a drive that will awe you.

This Saturday is your chance to rediscover two things we thought we’d lost. The mountains, and our Indian history, are rising renewed from the ashes.

Mike Lawler is the president of the Historical Society of the

Crescenta Valley. Reach him at lawlerdad@yahoo.com

Several librarians, Adopt A Shelf and wi-fi are all components that will make this library a “hub of the community.”

By Mary O’KEEFE

The new La Crescenta Library is scheduled to have its grand opening on Jan. 29 and volunteers and library staff have been busily working for several weeks to prepare for the building’s debut.

“I am thrilled. I can hardly wait to start booking meetings there. It will be the center of town, the hub of the community,” said Danette Erickson, Crescenta Valley Town Councilmember and a member of the Library Committee.

The librarian manager Marta Wiggins has been meeting with the Friends of the Library, the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley and other community organizations in preparation for the opening.

“This is the first new facility I have opened and in fact that is one of the reasons I applied for the position,” Wiggins said.

She has worked in small and large facilities but likes the open space of the new La Crescenta facility. The library has many open areas and plenty of places for visitors to sit quietly to read. The building is also wired for the Internet.

“We have 10 computers for adult [use] and 10 for children,” Wiggins said.

In older buildings, like the former La Crescenta Library, there were only two Internet outlets that computer users had to plug into.

“That is just how older buildings are, but here you can bring in your laptop and use the wi-fi,” she added.

There will be a librarian for each segment of user: children, teens and adults. Wiggins said the professional staff would be able to focus on what the community needs and wants.

A community room will be able to house local meetings and Wiggins hopes it will be a central meeting place for many organizations.

The library has been a long time coming for Crescenta Valley residents. For almost 10 years Erickson has been a part of the push for a new library.

She remembered that in 2001 Supervisor Michael Antonovich had approached her at an installation meeting of the CV Town Council. He had been made aware of a request for a new facility from the Friends of the Library.

Due to a great librarian, Vicky Guagliardo and a user-friendly community, the old library was one of the most used in the system but ranked near the bottom in size and facilities, Erickson said.

“It has been a long time coming and a lot of hard work,” said Tony Bell, Antonovich spokesman.

The supervisor formed a library committee and together with other members of the community looked at several plans. The designs went back to the drawing board several times before the final plan was approved.

“It was a collaborative effort,” Bell said of those who worked on making the library a reality.

The library has already sparked interest throughout the community and Wiggins is learning about the area one volunteer at a time.

“We put a call out for volunteers. I expected about 24, I planned for 40 and over 70 showed up,” she said.

In the days that followed over 100 more applications from volunteers came in. Wiggins is going through those applications now and will be contacting those that applied.

“We will need technical volunteers to help with computers, and greeters to help direct visitors to the library.  We will also have Adopt A Shelf where volunteers will help keep that area of the library organized and clean,” she said.

The public is invited to an unofficial opening on Jan. 16. Wiggins said this would be a time when her staff can see what works and what other programs may be needed. The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 29.

County and community officials will be present and visitors will be allowed to tour the facility. Later in the evening the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley will unveil the historical plaque they have dedicated to the history of the area.

“The plaque is of three individuals that represent the three ages of humanity. Toy Purina was a shaman from a local [Native American tribe], Don Jose Verdugo and Dr. Benjamin Briggs,” said Mike Lawler, president of the historical society.

Descendents of all three historical individuals are scheduled to be present at the plaque unveiling.