The University of Southern California sits on Tongva land. The Gabrielino/Tongva tribe has lived in this area for time immemorial, far before any Europeans stepped foot in what is now Los Angeles.

At one point, the Tongva language was one of the predominant spoken languages of the L.A. County area. Nowadays, the Tongva language is functionally extinct, as there are no currently known living fluent speakers of the language.

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In 1970, the last fluent speaker of the Tongva language died, which for many marked the extinction of the Tongva language forever.

However, the Tongva people have not allowed their native language to die. With the help of UCLA professor Pamela Munro, the Tongva tribe has been able to recreate their once-extinct language.

“A lot of people feel if they can pray or make up thoughts in the language of their ancestors, it will make them feel closer to their ancestors,” Munro said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Indigenous languages are very important and sacred to the people who speak and carry knowledge through the language. Every language holds an entire universe within it. It holds the knowledge of one’s ancestors. When lost, we lose an entire way of thinking about the world.

For a community that has already lost so much due to colonization, the ability of the Tongva people to preserve and teach their language to the next generation is something that is truly incredible.

Munro is a linguist at UCLA and works with the Tongva tribe to preserve and teach the Tongva language to the next generation. Over the last 40 years, she has worked tirelessly to reconstruct and teach the language. She has been able to recreate words that were not recorded in the limited writings of the language using linguistic skills to fill in gaps in knowledge.

Munro has taught Tongva language classes to members of the Tongva tribe for the past 15 years. The members of these classes are responsible for carrying the Tongva language into the modern era. Students such as Citlali Arvizu and Virginia Carmelo, a mother-and-daughter duo, are committed to learning the language of their ancestors.

In a profile article on the National Breath of Life Blog about Arvizu, she explains that her journey to learn the Tongva Language is more than just simply learning the language. To her, learning the Tongva language is a way to connect her family cross-generationally, building stronger bonds with her mother and with her children.

“Learning intergenerationally makes a difference because it allows us to be active with the language,” said Arvizu in the interview. “We don’t always have the chance to get together because we’re all spread out, but regardless of where our family groups are, I think we agree that the language is neutral and very dear to all of us, so we come together to respect that.”

While the fight for the Tongva language is far from over, current members of the tribe hope that their efforts today will create a future where their children and grandchildren will be native speakers of the language.

This future generation of fluent Tongva speakers will be made possible through the efforts of people like Arvizu — who is currently enculturating her children in the language — and through linguist efforts from Monroe, who is preserving and revitalizing Tongva.

While L.A. has always been and will always be Tongvan, through the revitalization of their language, continued growth of their culture and potential repatriation of their sacred lands in the future, the rest of the world is starting to see L.A. as Tongvan.

“Tovaangar” is a word in Tongva that means “the world.” This word more perfectly captures the true interconnectedness of the Tongva people, their language and the land than this word. It in many ways shows how the language allows the Tongva people to view the world through a Tongva lens, something that had been previously lost but is once again accessible to the younger generation.

“It’s a lot of work to put the language out there, and at times it can feel like a lost cause,” said Arvizu. “But when I look at communities that have speakers and have integrated their language into their community, I realize it’s possible.”

Peyton Dacy is a junior writing about the importance of language revitalization as an indigenous language dies out every 40 days. Dacy’s column, “Every 40 days,” usually runs every other Tuesday. Dacy is also the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director at the Daily Trojan.