WHO WE ARE
Kizh Nation
Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians
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The Kizh Nation, also historically referred to as the Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians, are the Indigenous people of the Los Angeles Basin and the Southern Channel Islands. Their name, “Kizh” (pronounced Keech), comes from the traditional willow-brush houses (kij) they lived in prior to colonization. The tribe's ancestral territory includes present-day Los Angeles, Orange, and parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
For thousands of years before European contact, the Kizh people lived in sophisticated, well-established communities with complex systems of governance, trade, spirituality, and environmental stewardship. They spoke a Takic language of the Uto-Aztecan family and maintained deep relationships with the land, plants, and waters of their region, which supported them with acorns, seeds, fish, and medicinal herbs.
Colonization began with the arrival of the Spanish in the 18th century. In 1771, the Spanish established Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in the heart of Kizh territory, forcibly converting many Kizh people, suppressing their culture, and using them as laborers. This period marked the beginning of immense disruption: the loss of land, language, autonomy, and many lives due to disease, violence, and enslavement.
Despite these hardships, the Kizh Nation has endured. Through generations of resistance, advocacy, and cultural revitalization, they continue to assert their sovereignty and educate the public about their true history and identity—correcting the “Gabrieleño” misnomer and affirming their name as Kizh. Today, the tribe remains active in protecting sacred sites, restoring traditional knowledge, and advocating for Indigenous rights and recognition.
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Our late Chief & Spiritual Leader, Ernie Perez Salas Tautimez
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Matthew Teutimez
Matthew Teutimez is the co-owner and Lead Scientist for Ahnoven. Matthew holds both a Bachelor and Master of Science in Biology from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and has been a visiting scholar at the University of Southern California (USC). Matthew is a specialist in ethnobotanical and cultural uses of native plants and animals including the pre-historic distributions of natural resources throughout the ancestral territory of the Kizh - Gabrieleño Tribe. Mr. Teutimez is the Biologist and Director of Resources for the Kizh Tribe where he contributes his expertise in environmental stewardship and resource management. He has been designated by his Tribe to possess and share Kizh-Gabrieleño cultural knowledge and practices taught to him by Chief Ernie P. Teutimez-Salas and other Elders of the Tribe. Matthew is also the founder and executive director of an indigenous non-profit known as the Laboratory for Indigenous Knowledge Systems, which was created to integrate and apply indigenous methods and knowledge into environmental stewardship, food, medicine, and land management projects.
Dr. Christina Swindall
Christina is co-owner and veterinarian focusing on the medicinal aspect of native plants. She is interested in applying these benefits to animals. She was born in San Gabriel and has lived most of her life in the surrounding areas. After receiving her BS in Biology from Boise State University, she went on to obtain her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Colorado State University in 2002 and currently owns her own veterinary hospital in Covina. She is married and a mother of two sons. Her oldest son is an Eagle Scout and is studying Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona. Her youngest is a high school student interested in studying human medicine and has the gift of song.
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Christina has been active on the Tribal Council for the Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians – Kizh Nation for the last nine years. As such, she assists in AB52 consultations for developments, and collaborates with various agencies (from local to federal level) regarding NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA. She is also working with her son in revitalizing long lost music of the Kizh and is excited to restore authentic songs. Her other goals for the Tribe are revitalization of the language and supporting the education of the Tribe's youth.
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Her goal for Tribal members is to rejuvenate our Tribe's ancestral knowledge about Southern California native flora. In addition, she would like to share this knowledge with the general public. Our native plants are overflowing with potential and applications for many of today's ailments. She is excited to utilize this knowledge to help restore and preserve native habitats so that all of our Creator's living beings can benefit.
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