Fight to save Puvungna continues

Dear Editor,

Your recent article "Indian village to be preserved" provides a welcome reminder that our entire campus was built on sacred land.

Puvungna was and is a very special place. It was a creation center where Chungishnich, known to the Gabrielino/Tongva as lawgiver and God, first appeared and instructed his people. Puvungna is as important for Southern California Indians as Bethlehem is for Christians and Mecca is for Muslims.

Puvungna is also a valuable asset to Cal State Long Beach. Our campus was a center of learning and teaching long before the coming of the Europeans.

The new sign will remind us all that we are walking on land that remembers the footsteps of another people.

To clarify a few points: The entire campus and much of the surrounding area was built on Puvungna. Two archaeological sites along Bellflower Boulevard were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Both are sacred and both continue to be used by American Indians for spiritual purposes. The larger of these sites, the 22 acres to the north of State University Drive, was the focus of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit. The civil rights litigation filed by the ACLU in 1993 successfully blocked development at that time.

When President Robert Maxson arrived at CSULB in 1995, he dismissed all plans for commercialization of any campus property and pledged to preserve the Puvungna site as open space.

President Maxson also stated that as long as he is in office, native people and the general public will have free access to the site. We owe him our gratitude for this.

Unfortunately, the lawsuit has not been settled. The California Supreme Court twice ruled in favor of the American Indians. In spite of this, California State University system lawyers refuse to settle the case.

As long as legal attacks on Puvungna persist, we all need to remain vigilant to protect this rich heritage for future generations.

The Save Puvungna Coalition meets every Monday at 4:30 p.m. in the Eucalyptus grove at Puvungna, near the northwest corner of Parking Lot 20. All are invited to attend our meetings.

­ Eugene E. Ruyle, Professor of Anthropology

Diana Lejins, CSU Alumna