Skip to Main Content
6/10

IV Activism for Kuruvugna Springs

  • Mara-Kay Guitierrez

In 1992, the Los Angeles Unified School District permitted Dan Dorame and a group of people to clean up Kuruvugna Springs. The group comprised members of the Dorame family, Gabrielino/Tongva community members, University High School students and teachers, and neighbors. Angie Behrns and Loretta Ditlow helped begin the Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation (GTSF).1 They registered GTSF as a non-profit 501©(3) in 1992.2 Before GTSF, in 1954, Kuruvugna Springs became a California Historical Landmark No. 5223 This promised environmental protection under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) passed in 1970. The act requires state and local agencies to report on how new construction could impact the environment.4 This became important in 1993. Developer Robert Friedman proposed Barrington Plaza Phase 11, a new apartment building, which threatened Kuruvugna Springs.5

A seated man looking away to the left, his hand at his cheek, his hair mussed, a slight worried expression on his face.
Founders of the GTSF, 1992 GTSF Newsletter archive

A threat to Kuruvugna Springs

Barrington Plaza Phase 11 proposed constructing a 28-story, 335-unit apartment building. Friedman planned to build it at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Barrington Avenue. This is a seven-minute walk away from Kuruvugna Springs. The project’s CEQA report revealed that construction would impact the springs. The plan was to dig four stories deep and pump out any water that interferes with construction. This would irreparably harm Kuruvugna Springs and its water flow.6

Three boys standing in matching pants, white shirts, dark ties, and hats. Two look at the camera, unamused, the other’s attention is elsewhere.
Figure 4 Map of Kuruvungna Springs in relation to the Barrington Plaza Project

The Gabrielino-Tongva Spring Foundation, Westside Residents Association, and the Brentwood Hills Homeowners Association advocated for stopping construction of the Barrington Plaza project. They met with Senator Tom Hayden in 1993 to discuss their concerns. Senator Hayden agreed that the project should not be approved. Senator Hayden then met with Marvin Baude, Councilman of the 11th District, to discuss the community’s concerns. Because the Barrington Plaza project fell under Baude’s district, GTSF invited Baude to Kuruvugna Springs. GTSF told Baude that the Springs should be protected and the development should be stopped. After hearing the community’s concerns, Baude opposed the project. In 1994, strong opposition to the project led Friedman to withdraw his proposal. The work of GTSF and the local community stopped the construction of the development project.7

A large stone cross in the foreground, with smaller grave markers receding behind. Further back are brick row houses and behind them a row of factory towers which stretch across most of the top of the frame.
Figure 5 Annotated Wilshire and Barrington Project (Barrington Plaza) Report from GTSF archives. Underlined portions describe impacts to Kuruvungna Springs. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Gaining Funding

The activism at Kuruvugna Springs did not stop there. In 1998, the GTSF worked with Senator Tom Hayden to fund the Springs’ preservation.8 On February 19, 1998, Senator Hayden introduced Senate Bill 1956 to the California Senate to find funding.9 It passed the Senate but needed approval from the Assembly in Sacramento. Angie Behrns (President of GTSF) and Dr. Ann Petty (University High School President) traveled to Sacramento to lobby for and support passage of the bill. The Assembly passed the bill on August 19, 1998. Governor Pete Wilson signed the bill on September 14, 1998. This meant that the bill officially passed and went into effect. The GTSF received $50,000 to help preserve Kuruvugna Springs and fund the construction of the amphitheater.10

Shot low and looking up at an old model car on a dirt row with a hill behind. A woman sits on the roof of the car holding a large camera and smiling.
Angie Behrns during an Endless Wellspring: A History of Kuruvungna Program Series event in collaboration with Los Angeles Nomadic Division, Aug 15, 2025. Photo by Star Montana

Conclusion

The GTSF worked to protect and fund the preservation of Kuruvugna Springs during its founding and has continued to do so. Since then, Kuruvugna Springs has become a registered sacred site with the Native American Heritage Commission, built a cultural center and museum, and continued to be stewarded by Gabrielino/Tongva community members and neighbors.

Sources

  1. “A Brief History of the Springs Foundation.” Kuruvungna “A place where we are in the sun”: The Bulletin of the Gabrielino/Tongva Springs Foundation, Autumn 2003. ↩︎

  2. “We’re Tax-Exempt.” Kuruvungna “A place where we are in the sun”: The Bulletin of the Gabrielino/Tongva Springs Foundation, Winter 1996. ↩︎

  3. “CHL No. 522 Serra Springs - Los Angeles.” California Historic Landmarks. Accessed August 26, 2026. https://www.californiahistoricallandmarks.com/landmarks/chl-522 ↩︎

  4. “California Historic Landmarks Registration.” California State Parks. Accessed August 26, 2026. https://ohp.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=21747 ↩︎

  5. “Barrington Plaza Victory.” Kuruvungna “A place where we are in the sun”: The Bulletin of the Gabrielino/Tongva Springs Foundation, Winter 1994. ↩︎

  6. “Barrington Plaza Victory.” ↩︎

  7. “Barrington Plaza Victory.” ↩︎

  8. “Senate Bill Focused on Springs.” Kuruvungna “A place where we are in the sun”: The Bulletin of the Gabrielino/Tongva Springs Foundation, Summer 1998. ↩︎

  9. Bill Documents. Accessed August 26, 2026. https://leginfo.public.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery ↩︎

  10. “Barrington Plaza Victory.” ↩︎

of