Where sacred waters still flow
There is something amazing about looking down and seeing water bubbling up from the ground, especially in the middle of a giant, developed city. But there it is, ceaselessly gurgling, since at least the fifth century, pumping an astonishing 22,000 to 25,000 gallons of water a day into the ocean.
The ancient waters of Serra Springs have seen a lot of action. Researchers of all backgrounds are still trying to piece together exactly how this pair of springs was used. It’s a bit of a guessing game, since much of the culture and language of the Gabrielino/Tongva, the first people who inhabited the Los Angeles basin, has not survived colonization. It’s thought that a village called Kuruvunga was located near the springs. It’s also thought that it was some type of meeting place, where various nations could trade, rest, and drink deeply of the fresh water. Because Father Junipero Serra supposedly said mass there, the Spaniards named the site after him. One thing is for certain, skeletons and precious objects have been excavated, leading people to believe the land around the springs, including that on which University High School sits, is a burial ground, and therefore considered sacred.
Info
Address Located off an alley next to 1415 Stoner Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025, +1 310.806.2418, www.gabrielinosprings.com, program@gabrielinosprings.com | Getting there Unmetered street parking | Hours First Sat of every month, 10am–3pm. Call first to arrange a visit.| Tip Zip over to the nearby Hammer Museum (10899 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024), featuring founder Armand Hammer’s classic art collection, as well as a growing collection of cutting-edge contemporary art with an LA-centric focus.
In 1992, galvanized by the prospect of the springs being turned into a parking lot, the Gabrielino/Tongva Foundation, made up of politicians, citizens, Uni High students, and Native Americans, was founded with the aim of restoring the springs’ natural habitat, educating the public, and preserving the history of the native culture that once thrived there.
Peace descends while sitting or walking among the plants and trees that populate the area. Weeds rule here, making the environment feel wild and untouched. Lots of birds happily sing. And that primeval spring, still flowing, indifferent to the changes swirling around it, is quite a sight to see.
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