For centuries, the Tongva people—the Indigenous inhabitants of the Los Angeles Basin—have faced the systematic loss of their ancestral lands and vital water resources, eroding their cultural and physical connection to their homeland. Historical displacement and environmental changes have reshaped the region, leaving deep impacts on a community whose identity is intertwined with the land and waterways they once stewarded. The ongoing struggle reflects broader patterns of Indigenous dispossession across the continent, raising questions about justice, restoration, and the future of tribal sovereignty. A closer look examines how these losses persist today and what steps, if any, are being taken to address them.
The Tongva, the Indigenous people of the LA Basin, have lost land and water for centuries
