The Original San Gabriel Mission

Daniel González, "Toypurina." (Courtesy of Daniel González.)

This artwork by artist and master printmaker Daniel González is of Toypurina. Toypurina was a revolutionary woman of the indigenous Kumivit tribe who fearlessly and strategically led the 1785 Rebellion against Spanish colonizers in the San Gabriel Valley. During her time, the Spanish colonizers were astonished by Toypurina’s ability to organize the Tongva, also referred to as Gabrieliños, for indigenous freedom and adversely saw her as a witch. Toypurina was a powerful Kumivit medicine woman who fervently supported neophyte Gabrielino Nicolás José’s efforts to organize up to eight nearby Indian villages and destroy the Spaniard’s San Gabriel Mission — a church that was working to forcibly change surrounding indigenous cultures to Spanish Catholicism. The night of October 25, 1785 is when Toypurina, José, and countless other Tongva/Gabrieliños attacked the mission church with fire in their hearts. Sadly, the revolt failed because of leaked information to the Spanish colonizers and Toypurina was captured, held for interrogation, and was later exiled by the Spanish from the area she called home.

Though today’s San Gabriel Mission is located near the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, it was originally located here, near the Bosque Del Rio Hondo at San Gabriel Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. As we stand in this space where a Tongva village once stood before the original colonizing San Gabriel Mission, we can imagine the fire Toypurina and her comrades felt on that fateful night of October when they fought for their land, culture, and freedom.

As Maria John writes with flaming inspiration in her essay for East of East:

“[Toypurina’s] life’s story in its entirety reflects a narrative of resilience, survival, and a persistent will to adapt to changing—and often very difficult—circumstances. Toypurina emerges from the historical record as a woman who not only confronted Spanish colonialism in Southern California but who also lit a path for the survival and endurance of future generations of her people. Herein lies the continuing significance of her memory and her legend for the present-day communities whose members claim her, in and around El Monte and South El Monte.” (34)

To learn more about the construction of the original San Gabriel Mission and why it was moved to the modern-day location, listen to this short audio from the Kizh-Gabrielino band of Mission Indians oral history with SEMAP.

To learn more about how Toypurina banded together with Nicolás José in the mission uprising, listen to this short audio of Andy Salas from the Kizh-Gabrielino band of Mission Indians oral history. The narrator reflects on the role their great-great grandfather Nicolás José played in the uprising.

To listen to the full 2-hour oral history interview with the Kizh-Gabrielino band of Mission Indians, listen to this two-part audio recording.