What Indian Tribes Are in Orange County, California?

The Original Inhabitants of Orange County

Long before highways and city grids, the land now called Orange County was home to the First People of this land the Gabrieleno (Gabrielino) Tongva people. These First People of Orange County lived in harmony with the land, guided by natural boundaries, rivers, mountains, and coastlines, not artificial lines drawn on maps. The California ethnography of this region reveals tribal cultures that thrived in pre-colonial California, each with distinct languages, lifeways, and sacred geographies.

The Native American history of Orange County begins with two primary tribal groups: the Gabrieleno-Tongva and the Juaneño-Acjachemen to the south of Orange County. While other Southern California Indian tribes also interacted with this region, these two are most closely tied to its ancestral landscape.

Who Are the Gabrieleno Tongva?

We, the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleno Tongva, are the original people of the Los Angeles Basin, including parts of Orange County. Our true name is Tongva, meaning “people of the earth,” though we were labeled California mission Indians by colonizers due to our forced association with the San Gabriel Mission.

Our people lived in villages such as Puvungna, Sibagna, Japchibit (Japchivit), and Asuksangna—the latter giving rise to the modern city name Azusa. We spoke the Tongva language, a member of the Uto-Aztecan family, and our society was deeply spiritual, guided by Chungichnish, our sacred law and cosmology.

Who Are the Juaneño Acjachemen?

The Juaneño-Acjachemen are another tribal group whose ancestral lands lie primarily in southern Orange County, especially around San Juan Capistrano Mission. Their name, like ours, was imposed by Spanish missionaries. The Acjachemen language is distinct from Tongva and reflects their unique cultural heritage.

While they are part of the local Native American tribes of the region, their historical territory is more concentrated south of Aliso Creek, and their influence in northern Orange County is limited compared to the Gabrieleno (Gabrielino) Tongva.

The Historical Territory of These Tribes

Using the Digital Atlas of the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC Tribal Atlas), we can see that tribal territories were shaped by natural features, not colonial borders. The Gabrieleno (Gabrielino) Tongva territory extended across Los Angeles County, northern Orange County, and the Southern Channel Islands, including Catalina.

Our neighbors include the Tataviam to the north, the Serrano and Cahuilla to the east, and the Luiseño to the south. These overlapping territories reflect the fluid and respectful relationships among Southern California Indian tribes

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A Look at Their Traditional Way of Life

Our ancestors lived in well-organized villages, often near rivers, springs, and coastal areas. We built ki (kiizh, kizh) homes from willow and tule, harvested acorns, sage, and seafood, and crafted tools from bone and shell. We traveled in ti’ats (plank canoes) to the Channel Islands, engaging in trade and ceremony.

Our society was matrilineal, with complex social structures and ceremonial cycles tied to the land. We practiced astronomy, maintained seasonal migration patterns, and honored the land as a living relative, not a resource.

The California Indian heritage of this region is reflected in our basketry, oral traditions, and sacred sites, many of which still exist beneath modern developments.

The Impact of Spanish Colonization

In 1771, the Spanish established the San Gabriel Mission, forcibly converting and enslaving our people. The mission system disrupted our lifeways, suppressed our language, and desecrated our way of life, including our sacred sites. Many of our ancestors were buried in unmarked graves at the missions.

The San Juan Capistrano Mission similarly impacted the Juaneño-Acjachemen, though their territory and influence remained more localized. The missions were not places of refuge.

This era marked the beginning of our classification as California mission Indians, a term that obscures our true heritage and sovereignty.

The Tribes in Orange County Today

Today, the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleno Tongva continues to live, work, and advocate across Orange County. We participate in land acknowledgments, ceremonies, and education programs to preserve our culture and history. We are still here, not as relics,  as living descendants of the First People.

We are one of many unrecognized tribes in California, meaning we lack federal recognition despite our documented lineage and historical presence. This lack of recognition limits our access to resources and representation, it does not diminish our identity or our rights.  

For our tribe, all enrolled tribal citizens/members have direct lineages from historic San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians (SGBMI) Gabrieleno  verified by certified genealogist and church records as directed SGBMI Indian lineal descendants on the California Judgement Fund Rolls (CJFR) of 1953 and 1972 and/or have Certificates of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

We are the only and original San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, led by the Gabrieleno Tongva Tribal Council, which has been in continuous community and governance since time immemorial. As the original Most Likely Descendants in Los Angeles and Orange County, listed on the  Native American Heritage Commission since 1978.

We assert our tribal sovereignty in California through cultural preservation, legal advocacy, and community engagement. Sovereignty is not granted—it is inherent. We do not wait for permission to exist; we practice sovereignty every day.

We urge educators, planners, and residents to use tools like the Digital Atlas of California Native Americans to understand the true Orange County Indigenous history. It is not enough to name tribes—we must honor their natural boundaries, sacred sites, and living descendants.

Orange County, California, is home to 34 incorporated cities, each with its own unique character and history. 

• Aliso Viejo

• Anaheim

• Brea

• Buena Park

• Costa Mesa

• Cypress

• Dana Point

• Fountain Valley

• Fullerton

• Garden Grove

• Huntington Beach

• Irvine

• La Habra

• La Palma

• Laguna Beach

• Laguna Hills

• Laguna Niguel

• Laguna Woods

• Lake Forest

• Los Alamitos

• Mission Viejo

• Newport Beach

• Orange

• Placentia

• Rancho Santa Margarita

• San Clemente

• San Juan Capistrano

• Santa Ana (county seat)

• Seal Beach

• Stanton

• Tustin

• Villa Park

• Westminster

• Yorba Linda