Legends have long told of fantastic beasts and unexplained phenomena. On Catalina Island, located off the coast of Los Angeles, stories of Nephilim, giants, hollowed earth portals, ancient aliens, and white Indians have obscured the actual 10,000+ year history of the Tongva people on Pimungna (as they call Catalina). The Pimu Catalina Island Archaeology Project was founded in 2007 to counteract the deep lack of understanding about Tongva history, the Indigenous people of the Los Angeles basin, and the four Southern Channel Islands. Panelists will share some of their favorite experiences on and historical documents about Catalina Island, and will unpack the implications of its legends. Panelists will include Pimu Catalina Island Archaeology Project Co-Director Wendy Giddens Teeter, Curator of Archaeology, Fowler Museum at UCLA; Desiree R. Martinez (Tongva) President, Cogstone Resource Management; and Karimah Kennedy Richardson, Associate Curator, Autry Museum of the American West. This program is co-presented by Catalina Island Museum. Curator’s Choice Join museum curators for lively conversations about their passions and projects that inspire audiences to engage with different world views and find joy in the diversity of human experiences.

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