An audio tour of Los Angeles’ native language

Listen to the inflections and melody of Tongva, as spoken by its students and teacher.

By Sean Greene, Thomas Curwen and Katie Falkenberg

Illustrations by Peter Hoey and Maria Hoey

bear

bird

sun

sunflower

oak

jackrabbit

deer

river

lizard

quail

prickly pear cactus

wild rose

dog

ocean

abalone

island

whale

star

fire

nighthawk

coyote

owl

moon

Read more
Tongva, Los Angeles’ first language, opens the door to a forgotten time and place
Interactive
Mapping the Tongva villages of L.A.’s past
Study guide
Teachers: Here’s a study guide to teach about Tongva in your classrooms
Behind the story
Step into this Tongva classroom and witness love in an act of redemption

Credits: Audio recordings by Katie Falkenberg. Tongva speakers: Virginia Carmelo, Pam Munro, Brent Scarcliff and Honor Calderon.