Rancho Los Alamitos Exploration Talk

Weaving the Past Into the Future

Hear from Desireé Reneé Martinez about how items from the past (baskets) have become cultural teachers for future generations of the Tongva.

As a professional indigenous archaeologist, Ms. Desireé Reneé Martinez has dedicated her life to protecting Tongva (Gabrielino) special spaces and places from wanton destruction. In fact, in the mid-2000s, she monitored the construction work at Rancho Los Alamitos. However, for every space and place protected, thousands of others across Los Angeles and Orange Counties have been lost. Each place tells the story of the everyday lives of the Tongva, a story that is silenced with destruction. Although archaeological methods can provide some information about how the ancestors lived, the everyday human experience, the interactions between parents and children, craftsmen and traders, and our plant and animal relatives are missing. The Tongva Basketweavers Collective, which Martinez is a member, is reigniting the artistry and storytelling of traditional coiled basketry. Martinez will discuss how items from the past (baskets) have become cultural teachers for future generations of the Tongva.
Desireé Reneé Martinez is a Tongva (Gabrielino) community member and the Tribal Relations and NAGPRA/CalNAGPRA Director at Cal Poly Pomona.

Doors will open at 5:30 pm, and the lecture will start at 6 pm.

Upcoming Exploration Talks:

• April 23
• June 25
• August 27
• October 22