Baldwin Park council approves renaming Puente Avenue Park as Tongva Park

The Baldwin Park City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to rename Puente Avenue Park as Tongva Park, accepting a nomination intended to recognize the land’s indigenous history and to guide cultural elements of the park’s eventual design.

Gregory Galassie, who identified himself as a member of the Sangrebo Band of Mission Indians, Gabrielaeno Tongva, told the council the name “will help us not only preserve our culture, but also aid and continues in our education and our visibility that we are still here.” Councilmember Manuel Lozano and others said the renaming is a step toward restoring erased local history.

Mayor Pro Tem Jean Amayala made the motion to accept the nomination, and Lozano seconded it; the motion carried 3–0. Councilmembers said the name was being adopted now so that when the city designs and builds the park it can incorporate Tongva history and interpretive elements.

Lozano described the decision as part of a broader effort to acknowledge indigenous presence, saying, “I do see that there is a lot of movement towards recognizing the history that was erased from the history books.” Councilmember Emmanuel J. Estrada also expressed support and emphasized the park should be more than a green space: “when we visit Tongva Park, we can learn about the Tongva, and we can learn about why it’s named.”

City staff told the council the nomination followed the city’s Citywide Naming Policy and that the parcel was recently purchased and now has design grant funding, enabling the council to consider the name ahead of construction. The council did not adopt a detailed design or timeline at the meeting; staff and councilmembers noted future events and a groundbreaking would be scheduled once designs proceed.

The move was approved as a council action during the consent/regular business portion of the evening’s agenda. No formal public opposition to the renaming was recorded during the meeting.