An introduction to genealogy as an essential tool in personal identity
Saturday, November 15, 2-4 PM
Eastside Cafe Caracol
5469 N. Huntington Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90032
WORKSHOP RECAP – November 20, 2025
In this workshop, which took place on a rainy afternoon at El Sereno’s Eastside Cafe, Saturday, November 15, 2025, genealogy was introduced to attendees as a tool for exploring family history and for grounding the “lineal descent” component of one’s personal identity. Presenters shared how genealogical research illuminates reality by uncovering historical records which confirm the paths taken by families to arrive at geographical and sociological position occupied by individuals in the present, as members of larger demographic entities.
The workshop provided a presentation component clarifying what genealogy is and what it is not. In short, genealogy was described as, “The science and art of reconstructing family history through the power of irrefutable documented evidence.”
The topic was contextualized by the facilitator with a quick recap of the history of the region, identifying three stages of colonialism: Spain, Mexico and the Anglo-U.S., up-to-and-including the current neocolonial era, which includes increased diversity in the administration of the most recent settler colonial project. Genealogy can empower individual identity, but individuals are connected to larger historical trends of movement and societal position.
A highlight for many was the sharing of a video by the Early California Cultural Atlas “The Great Indian Migration,” showing the removal of Native people from autonomous villages across the L.A. basin using Mission-era data, provided by the Early California Population Project (ECPP) database. This video was based upon ECPP data sourced from California Mission records. There was also a brief discussion of recorded names of various Native, pre-Contact (Spain) villages and tribes of CA, including that of Otsungna (also written as Otsonna / Otsnga / Ochuunga / Otsu’nga), the original autonomous Native village upon which Eastside Cafe sits.
Historical records make clear that the Los Angeles basin did not function as a single, unified “tribe.” Instead, Native peoples lived in a network of autonomous villages – each with its own leadership, territory, and social structure – rather than under one overarching tribal system. https://digicoll.lib.berkeley.edu/record/84385?v=pdf
Two individual case studies of genealogical research were shared with attendees, including sharing insights into the impact that their family tree discoveries have had on the lives of each presenter.
The first case study presenter shared their Native lineage to the autonomous village of Guachana, sharing a Mission San Gabriel Baptismal record which included a maternal lineage ancestor’s original Native name and also the recording of an ancestral uncle and how the discovery of these records opened up a path to healing intergenerational trauma.
The other case study presented was from a person that has spent years researching their paternal lineage into Mexico, which included the unearthing of ancestral ties to Native villages in Mexico, including ties to Moctezuma’s brother and perhaps the first settler to Mexico from Basque, Spain. Sharing of this case study demonstrated the power of grounding identity upon historical facts as distinct from one based upon romanticized notions or assumptions based upon hearsay.
Several attendees expressed that they would like this workshop to be offered again – some even suggested turning it into a video so more people can access the material. In response, the team at GenealogyTruth.com is now discussing next steps, including a hands-on training session for anyone interested in learning how to begin their genealogical research. This expanded training would walk participants through practical methods for using key resources such as the Early California Population Project (ECPP), FamilySearch, and other archival tools to locate, interpret, and verify mission-era family records.
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