Native Sons of the Golden West and Multiple San Gabriel Valley Cities Honor Late Tribal Leader

On Sunday, Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians – Kizh Nation spiritual leader Chief Ernest P. Teutimez Salas, who died at age 88 in 2021, was memorialized with a bronze plaque on the grounds of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The tribe was the main workforce that constructed the Spanish mission, completing it five years prior to the founding of the United States of America.

In attendance to honor Salas with the plaque dedication were elected officials from the cities of San Gabriel, West Covina, Rosemead, Jurupa Valley and El Monte, along with a crowd of approximately 95 tribal members, Salas relatives and supporters.

The installation and landmark plaque ceremony was performed by the Native Sons of the Golden West, a fraternal order founded in 1875. The group of native-born Californians has installed over 1,500 monuments to historically important individuals and events statewide, and supported the Kizh Nation in their successful land return effort in Jurupa Valley.

City of San Gabriel Mayor John Wu, Vice Mayor Denise Menchaca, and City Councilmembers Eric Chan, Tony Ding and John Harrington joined elected officials from the other regional cities in noting the historical importance of the public recognition of the Kizh tribe and “Chief Ernie.”

“Sitting down with Chief Ernie Salas was a real treasure,” said Harrington. “I learned the story of the Kizh Nation is a story of perseverance, a story of conflict and a story of overcoming adversity.”

Notably absent from the ceremony were representatives of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission. The Kizh Nation is not represented on the county commission, which is largely composed of members appointed from federally acknowledged tribes originating outside Los Angeles County and by non-acknowledged Neo-Indigenous “Tongva” groups.

When asked about the likely passage of Los Angeles County Measure G and how it would impact the NAIC, Andrew Salas, Kizh Tribal Chairman and son of Chief Ernie Salas, offered, “The increase in the number of county Supervisors under Measure G may allow for more voices to be heard, but the way the Native American Indian Commission is structured today remains a significant issue. It continues to perpetuate conflicts by failing to recognize and include the real indigenous lineal descendants of the Los Angeles Basin, like the Kizh tribe. Adding more Supervisors does not address the underlying systemic problem: the exclusion of rightful representatives who carry the authentic cultural, historical, and ancestral ties to this land.”

“Until the Commission takes meaningful steps to resolve this conflict and properly acknowledge the true indigenous descendants, it will continue to marginalize the voices that should be central to its mission,” added Salas.

“We remain open to any opportunity to advocate for fair representation and ensure that the Kizh people’s rightful place in these discussions is acknowledged and respected,” said Salas.