Wikangna

Wikangna (pronounced wi-kong-na)[1] was a Tongva village located in the Crescenta Valley area, possibly in Las Barras Canyon at the site of the Verdugo Hills Golf Course.[2][3] Wikangna was one of three central villages located in the Crescenta Valley area, including Tuyunga and the largest settlement of Hahamongna.[2]

History

Wikangna prospered for thousands of years, thriving off the abundance of the local flora and fauna of the area,[2] including large sprawling oak forest (of which a small part remains) and a small spring.[4]

The arrival of Spanish colonizers in 1771 led to the decline of the village. This similarly occurred with nearby villages in the area.[2] Wikangna was likely abandoned completely during the mission period.[3]

After the missions were secularized by the First Mexican Republic in 1833, some villagers who survived the high death rate of the missions, returned to Wikangna shortly.[3] This was noted by Phil Begue, whose family purchased the land in 1882, recalling that there were a band of "Indians" camped in the area before his family took possession of the land.[3] It is likely they were chased off the land shortly after.[3]

References
  1. "Rediscovering our lost history — Indians of the Foothills - Crescenta Valley Weekly". Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  2. Keyes, Gary; Lawler, Mike (2013-08-20). "Chapter 1: Early Years". Murder & Mayhem in the Crescenta Valley. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-62584-067-7.
  3. "The Lost Indian Village of the Crescenta Valley - Crescenta Valley Weekly". Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  4. Lawler, Mike (2017-11-07). "Chapter 1: Indian Springs - Hidden Beneath a Shopping Center". Crescenta Valley History: Hidden in Plain Sight. Fonthill Media.
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