Councilmember Padilla opened a Native American Heritage Month program in Los Angeles City Hall on Nov. 7, inviting tribal leaders and commission members to the dais and asking Chief Red Blood Anthony Morales of the Gabrielino Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians to offer a traditional welcome and opening prayer.

Councilmember Rodriguez read a council-adopted land acknowledgement in the chamber, saying, “The city of Los Angeles recognizes that we occupy land originally and still inhabited and cared for by the Quiche, Tongva, Tataviam, and Chumash peoples,” and adding that the acknowledgement commits the city to “truth, healing, and reconciliation.”

Sean Umitatstag, chair of the Los Angeles City-County Native American Indian Commission, outlined the commission’s 2025 theme, “firekeepers,” and highlighted two policy priorities: formally recognizing Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge and restoring place-based stewardship practices — including cultural burning — to regional land, water and fire management. Umitatstag said colonization and past fire-suppression policies contributed to ecological imbalance and increased wildfire severity, and he urged the formal integration of tribal stewardship practices into contemporary policy.

The commission and Council also recognized 14 tribal nations that provided mutual aid during the January wildfires and presented three commission honorees for 2025: Tensha Chavez (Spirit of Community), Metzi Project (Spirit of Creativity) and Chapter House (Spirit of Tradition). Morongo Fire Chief Abdul Ahmed and Morongo Fire Engineer Jason Carrizosa received thanks from officials for tribal firefighting assistance.

Tribal members performed a traditional ancestors song in Council Chambers and the program concluded with an invitation to community programming in the civic forecourt.

Why it matters: Commission leaders said Indigenous stewardship practices are both an act of historical justice and a practical necessity for wildfire resilience and ecological recovery. The commission’s recommendations — if adopted by regional land and fire managers — could affect vegetation management, prescribed burn policy and interagency coordination on wildfire prevention and response across Los Angeles County.

What the Council did: The event functioned as a ceremonial recognition and a public platform for policy recommendations; the Council did not adopt new regulations in the hearing itself but recorded the commission’s call for policy changes and honored the tribes and honorees.

Who spoke: Councilmember Padilla; Councilmember Rodriguez; Sean Umitatstag, chair, Los Angeles City-County Native American Indian Commission; Chief Red Blood Anthony Morales, Gabrielino Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians; representatives of multiple tribal nations and commission honorees.

Context and next steps: Commission leaders asked for formal consideration of tribal stewardship practices in local and regional planning and requested ongoing Council engagement to integrate traditional ecological knowledge into wildfire-risk reduction work.