The Gabrielinos are believed to have burned the pitch for fuel. Early in 1770 Gaspar de Portola's Mexican expeditionary force stopped just south of the Santa Monica Mountains near what would become West Hollywood to draw pitch ( brea in Spanish) from tar pits to waterproof their belongings and to say Mass.
The Spanish mission system changed the tribal name to 'Gabrielinos', in reference to the Mission de San Gabriel. By 1771, these native people had been severely ravaged by the diseases brought in by the Europeans from across wide oceans. The Tongva tribe was a nation of hunter-gatherers known for their reverence of dance and courage. Around 5,000 of the indigenous inhabitants from the Tongva Indian tribe canoed out to greet the ship. Most historical writings about West Hollywood begin in the late-18th century with European colonization when the Portuguese explorer João Rodrigues Cabrilho arrived offshore and claimed the already inhabited region for Spain.
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