Sonagna facts for kids

Sonagna, also known as Sonanga, was once a village where Native American people lived. These people were part of the Tongva-Gabrieleño tribe. Their village was located in what is now Los Angeles County, California, near where San Marino High School stands today. It was an important place for the Tongva people long ago.

What Was Sonagna?

Sonagna was a settlement of the Tongva-Gabrieleño Native Americans. The Tongva people are an Indigenous group who have lived in the Los Angeles Basin area for thousands of years. A settlement is a place where a group of people build homes and live together. Sonagna was one of their villages.

Where Was Sonagna Located?

The village of Sonagna was located on land that later became known as "Mr. White's farm." This farm belonged to a man named Miguel Blanco. He owned a large piece of land called Rancho Muscupiabe. Today, this area is very close to where San Marino High School is found in Los Angeles County, California.

A Look Back at the Land

Imagine the area around San Marino High School today. It has modern buildings, paved roads, and neat lawns. But long ago, when Sonagna existed, the land looked very different. There were natural pools of water and marshy areas called cienegas. The ground was covered with native grasses and shrubs. There were also many large oak trees. These natural features helped the Tongva people live and thrive in the area.

Who Documented Sonagna?

The location and importance of Sonagna were recorded by people who studied the area's history. One person was H.D. Barrows, who wrote about the land. He described how Miguel Blanco's farm had springs of fresh water. This water was very important for the village.

Another person who wrote about Sonagna was Hugo Reid. He was a Scottish settler who lived in California in the 1800s. Reid studied the local Native American cultures and wrote about them for a newspaper called the Los Angeles Star. He noted that Sonagna was one of the main villages in that region.