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You are here: Home / Resources / The Chumash at a Glance

The Chumash at a Glance

By Damian Bacich

Chumash is the name given to the original inhabitants of the central coast of California, from Morro Bay to Malibu, and three of the Channel Islands.

Contents

  • 1 Other names
  • 2 Home region
  • 3 Language group
  • 4 Mission affiliations
  • 5 Historical background 
  • 6 Interesting facts
  • 7 Today 

Other names

Obispeño, Ventureño, Barbareño, Purisimeño, Yneseño, Canalino

Home region

San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, as well as the Channel Islands, east to Castaic and Mt. Pinos.

Language group

Hokan

Mission affiliations

San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, San Buenaventura, Santa Bárbara, La Purísima Concepción, Santa Inés

Historical background 

Chumash is the name given to a number of coastal native groups who spoke similar languages. The Chumash were the first native group that the Spanish encountered, beginning with Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who noted a number of villages on the Channel Islands in 1542.  Spanish-Chumash relations seem to have been very good from the beginning.

By the early 1800s, almost the entire Chumash population had joined the missions of San Luis Obispo, San Buenaventura, Santa Bárbara, La Purísima Concepción, or Santa Inés.

Interesting facts

The Chumash had a highly developed and complex culture, and were known for constructing long and sturdy canoes called tomols, which they used for travel up and down the coast and for hunting marine life, especially marine mammals.

The rock paintings of the Chumash are some of the most interesting and impressive of any in the U.S., and a number of them still survive, including Chumash Painted Cave in Santa Barbara County.

Today 

Modern Chumash are represented by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians (Santa Barbara County), the Barbareño-Ventureño Band of Mission Indians (Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties), the Coastal Band of Chumash Nation (Santa Barbara County), and the Chumash Council of Bakersfield (Kern County). Organizations include the Candelaria American Indian Council, the Chumash Maritime Association, the Broken Rope Foundation, Red Wind Ranch, and the Wishtoyo Foundation.

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About Damian Bacich

Damian Bacich, Ph.D. writes about California and the West. He is also a professor, translator and historical researcher. You can learn more about Damian here.

I’m Dr. Damian Bacich, and I started the California Frontier Project. Learn more about me and the project here.

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