ALTADENA, Calif. (September 23, 2025) — The Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy (TTPC) announced the completion of the first phase of restoration and cultural renewal at Huhuunga, the land gifted to the Conservancy in 2022. Known as the “Place of the Bears,” Huhuunga overlooks Eaton Canyon in Altadena and is once again becoming a place of healing, gathering, and ceremony for the Tongva people.

The newly formed ceremonial circle, framed by hand-carved benches and traditional posts, represents a significant milestone in returning the land to its purpose. The benches, created from salvaged California trees, carry stories of resilience and renewal. The posts were commissioned by the TTPC Board and crafted by Tongva artist River Garza to honor Tongva traditions and ancestral knowledge.

“This land is a living relative, and every step we take here is part of our story of rematriation,” said Wallace Cleaves, TTPC Board Chair. “To be here now — after fire, after recovery — and to see the circle, the benches, the posts ready for our community, is powerful. These are not just physical structures. They are spaces of healing and continuity, where our people can return, connect, and ensure a future for generations yet to come.”

This past weekend, a  group of Tongva community members gathered at Huhuunga to honor the Fall Equinox, marking the first time the new circle was used in ceremony.

The site itself carries deep history. Long before colonization, Huhuunga was a Tongva camp, and this significance inspired the landowner’s decision to donate it to the Conservancy as part of the growing land back movement. The gift marked a rare moment in Los Angeles County — the return of land to its original caretakers.

This milestone comes less than a year after the Eaton Fire swept through the canyon in January 2025, burning thousands of acres and damaging parts of the Conservancy’s land. The fire scarred oak groves and native plants, but recovery has been swift thanks to community care and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). With the land now safe again, TTPC has transformed the space into one that is ready to hold people, song, and ceremony.

Huhuunga, stewarded by the TTPC, is intended as a space for all Tongva people to gather, practice culture, and reconnect with ancestral lands. The Conservancy continues to invite the broader public to learn more about its mission and the history of Tongva land rematriation at: www.Tongva.Land

About the Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy

The Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy (TTPC) was founded to steward and return land to the Tongva people, whose ancestral territory includes what is now Los Angeles County and the Southern Channel Islands. As part of the broader land back movement, the Conservancy seeks to create a “landbank” of protected spaces that ensure cultural continuity and ecological resilience for future generations.

Fast Facts:

• Land Returned: March of 2022 — the first time in over 200 years the Tongva people regained stewardship of land in Los Angeles County.

• Location: Altadena, overlooking Eaton Canyon.

• Size: ~1 acre, with oak woodlands, chaparral, and native plants.

• Cultural Significance: Once a Tongva hunting camp, today home to Huhuunga (“Place of the Bears”), a ceremonial circle, and community gathering space. Oaks and acorns remain central to Tongva foodways and ceremony.

• Resilience: Recovered after the 2025 Eaton Fire with the help of traditional ecological knowledge and community care.

The Conservancy’s mission is to protect, heal, and nurture Tongva homelands and to ensure that future generations of Tongva people can continue to live in relationship with the land, waters, and all living beings.