Native Signage Project

Native Signage Project

Supporting Narrative Sovereignty Through Signage.

Our program produces Tribally-centered interpretive signage throughout ancestrally significant areas of the traditional Fernandeño Tataviam territory.

  • Narrative Sovereignty

  • Truth-Telling

  • Eliminating Stereotypes

In 2020, the Mountains and Recreation Conservation Authority (MRCA) laid out a vision to create a cultural arts corridor along the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries (ULART). As part of this vision, MRCA has collaborated with TLC to build signage along the riverbanks, where Fernandeño people have lived for millennia. Water is recognized as a sacred resource and is stewarded with the knowledge that it is limited and critical for survival, not only for tribal people but all living organisms.

PURPOSE

Unlike other signage projects, our program directly prioritizes contemporary Fernandeño Tataviam narratives. Through this meaningful collaboration emerges a platform for the Tribe to communicate with the millions of people who reside, work, and visit their ancestral lands. 

DURATION

This project is divided into two phases: planning and implementation. Signs are expected to be installed by 2026.

FOCUS AREA

The ULART region as it aligns with the tribal boundary.

SIGNAGE SITES

Through meaningful consultation with Tribal community members, the TLC identified the most important locations for signage to appear in the greater San Fernando Valley.

PURPOSE

Unlike other signage projects, our program directly prioritizes contemporary Fernandeño Tataviam narratives. Through this meaningful collaboration emerges a platform for the Tribe to communicate with the millions of people who reside, work, and visit their ancestral lands. 

DURATION

This project is divided into two phases: planning and implementation. Signs are expected to be installed by 2026.

FOCUS AREA

The ULART region as it aligns with the tribal boundary.

SIGNAGE SITES

Through meaningful consultation with Tribal community members, the TLC identified the most important locations for signage to appear in the greater San Fernando Valley.