Fred Morales, Gabrielino Tribal Chief, Dies at 82

Fred Morales, chief of the Gabrielino Indian Tribe in San Gabriel for the past half a century, died Monday night at age 82, his son Anthony Morales said.

“He was considered the messenger of the tribe, to keep it united and to strive for recognition at the state and federal levels,” his son said.

The Gabrielino tribe has received state recognition and is working to gain federal tribal recognition. Anthony Morales has been acting chief since his father’s death. Fred Morales died from complications of a stroke at San Gabriel Valley Medical Center in San Gabriel.

Morales became chief in the early 1940s, and he was active in tribal issues and local senior citizens groups. In 1988 he received a commendation from the mayor of the city of San Gabriel, honoring his participation in these areas.

The commendation recognized Morales’ contributions to the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service “on such matters as archeology, paleontology, history and land use.”

Morales often examined archeological sites to verify if they were Gabrielino burial grounds, and worked to protect areas sacred to the tribe, said his nephew Ernie Salas, spokesman for the Gabrielino tribe.

“The Native American Heritage Commission would call on him to check these burial sites out,” Salas said. “He tried to preserve many of the sites where development was going on. And he tried to preserve many of the areas where sage was being destroyed.”

He also upheld the historical traditions of the Gabrielinos by delivering lectures about the tribe at local schools and universities.

His daughter, Lorraine Madrid, said her father became a kind of honorary grandfather to many of his grandchildren’s friends, who learned to flash an Indian hand-sign that he had taught them.

Nicknamed “Sparky,” Morales was known for his cheerful, upbeat nature.

“He was a very friendly, very happy-go-lucky man,” Salas said. “He liked dances, he liked barbecues, he liked fun.”