The Chumash group, also known as Santa Barbara Indians, is one of the many native American Indian tribes. According to Kelley (4), this tribe formerly resided both inland and along the Pacific shore of California, that is, from the canyon of Malibu to San Luis Obispo. The majority of them were residents of Santa Barbara's Channel Islands. However, in later years, the attacks caused their eviction. Although they had a sizable community in the eighteenth century, this tribe's numbers gradually declined, and today there are only a few living native members. However, many individuals can trace back their ancestry to the Chumash people regardless of them not being native American Indians.
Chumash is a tribe name, which means seashell people or bead maker; this is because their culture was mostly about beadwork and basketry. According to Hutchinson (28), the Chumash people settled on the coasts of South and central California over thirteen thousand years ago. The coastal regions that they made settlements on include Malibu, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Los Angeles. However, most of their settlements were on the coastal regions of Santa Barbara because these areas were rich in natural resources. These resources are such as the ocean and other coastal waters, the vast green landscape, the marine habitats among others, they would gain a lot from these resources.
They would speak a similar language despite the few variations it had. They would also live together in more than one hundred and fifty villages, which would function on their own. The Chumash would also practice rock art, which is still present to-date in the caves and carving which was important, as it, they would use them on their calendar and in observing the stars. Most of them were herbalists who would use local herbs to produce herbal medicines, which were helpful in relieving illnesses. Hutchinson (28) adds that the tribe also had strong religious beliefs, which was a major unifying factor among them.
The population of this tribe was at a range of between ten thousand and twenty thousand but due to factors such as epidemics, the population reduced by a great percentage. Current sources claim that two hundred and thirteen native Chumash had settlements in Santa Ynez in the year 1990. Gill & Erlandson (570) state there are about five thousand people who claim to be of Chumash descent.
This tribe of native American Indians was both hunters and gatherers, not only this but they were also anglers (“Chumash Indian Fact Sheet”). They would hunt down animals such as bears, sheep, and deer among others and gather herbs and edible vegetables, which would serve as food. Due to their proximity to the coastal waters, they would fish for edible marine creatures and engage in whaling. Kelley (10) adds that they would live in grass houses in villages and their territory was approximately seven thousand square miles, despite living in villages, they would recognize Santa Barbara as their lands central point. They would also engage in astronomy with their solar and star charts.
Paldam (620) states that this tribe would speak in a dialect known as Salinan-Seri; this dialect was a derivation of the Hokan language. The language of the Chumash had six divisions thus six more languages from the main language; these six languages get their names from after the missions they had an association with, they include Mission Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Mission Santa Ynez, mission La Purisma and Mission San Buenaventura. The Chumash language is no longer in recognition since only a few natives speak it today, this is because very few native speakers exist, however, the language is still present in linguist records and documents. Gherini (10) asserts that the few Chumash families that still exist are putting a lot of effort into bringing the language back thus giving it recognition again.
The shelters of the Chumash were dome-shaped; they would live in houses made of grass, which are also ‘grass mat houses’ in which they would live up to fifty people (“Chumash”). It was the responsibility of the men to build the houses; firstly, they would create a framework that was circular and willow-using poles, the poles would create an inward arch that would meet in the middle. The houses would have a height of seven feet and a diameter that would range between seven and ten feet thus spacious and quite comfortable. Hutchinson (28) states that the house of the chief would stand out from the rest; this is because it would have a diameter that was much longer than the rest of the houses.
The women would also contribute to the building by harvesting long green stems of either Giant Wild Rye or Cattail, which would dry over some weeks. After drying of this grass, the women would weave and sew the grass into mats, which were rectangular and had two feet width. They would sew the grass mats together using an Indian hemp after which they would neatly tie the mats to the willow frame. Gill & Erlandson (571) states that they would ensure they create a roof opening known as a smoke hole, which was necessary for letting out smoke (because they would make a fire for cooking, in the middle of the floor) and bringing in the light. In addition to that, the houses had a door, which would always face the east side. The Chumash would construct these houses on high grounds that were near lakes, oceans, lagoons, or springs (“Chumash Life”).
Their largest villages were along Santa Barbara since most of them would prefer the coastal regions; they would arrange their houses in groups, which would have a playground. Kelley (14) writes that they would make their beds in frames and the beds would be some feet high from the ground, to keep warm they would use animal skins and shawls to cover themselves. There were divisions between beds to prevent people who slept in the same house from seeing each other. They would use reed mats to create these divisions, also as mattresses and floor mats, they had sweathouses, stores, and houses for hosting ceremonies. These ceremonial houses would serve as a religious ground for priests; they would also have a compound where the community would perform ceremonial dances. These ceremonial houses had privacy since a high fence made of reed mats would surround the houses (“Chumash History”).
Due to these people being good in crafts, they would make bows using sinew backs, which they would use in their hunting sprees. They would carve plates and bowls for food using wood they also carved wooden boxes, which were useful for storing things such as their clothes. Hutchinson (28) says that wood was useful in the carving and making of music instruments such as flutes and whistles and stones in the making of other cooking tools and items and sandstone to make pots. Tomols were used not only in fishing but also in transporting water because they did not have drums for this. Whalebone pieces were necessary for the splitting of wood and shaping of the stone and wood tools.
The Chumash had an exemplary skills in making baskets; they would use the twinning and coiling techniques to make these baskets. Gherini (29) states that they would use extra skill on baskets for holding water, for the basket to hold water, they would drop asphaltum in the basket then a few hot stones. The basket could then hold water without leaking because the hot stones would melt the asphaltum tar thus filling the spaces in the basket. Their baskets were quite extraordinary, therefore; many samples of these baskets are present at the National History Museum and Smithsonian Institution today.
The tribe had great and very capable men who were anglers; they would fish for their families and trade the fish with the rest of the community for other items. They would construct a distinct type of canoe made out of planks of wood, and would call it a ‘tomol.’ These larger tomols were thirty feet in length thus big enough for use in whaling since whales are huge creatures. According to Gill & Erlandson (571), they would also make smaller tomols, which they would use in fishing for smaller fish such as trout, storing them and then transporting them to their destinations. The fishers would use harpoons and nets to capture both the whales and the sharks into their canoes; they would make fishhooks from abalone shells.
The natural resources that were available in the different locations, which the Chumash lived in, is what would determine the type of food they would eat. However, their staple diet and the most important food was acorns; the women would gather the acorns from oak trees then ground them into a cornmeal, which they would then use to bake bread and cakes and make soup. Kelley (14) states that the other primary food for those who lived on the islands was small fish such as shellfish and sea bass among others; their main meal was abalone. The Chumash would also eat quails, rabbits, and deer, which were a great source of protein for them. Vegetables and fruits ranging from mushrooms, roots, berries, cherries and other greens were also a major part of their meals. Most of them would consider dried seaweed and soap plant a delicacy; they would eat the bulb of the soap plant after roasting it. They would use storehouses to store food for the months of winter.
Their clothes would mostly be from animal skins, fibers from grass or barks, the men would wear the apron like clothes. They would use animal skins from animals such as mountain bears to make warm clothing, which was necessary for the wintertime (“Native Indian Tribes”). It was the women’s role to make these clothes; they would make a variety including leggings, robes made with fur and kilts. Gherini (33) states that they would wear long tops and walk barefooted in times of warm weather. Many of these people had a love for ornaments, which they would wear on both their noses and ears then paint white and black paints horizontally on their faces and bodies. They would acquire the black paint from charcoal and white paint from deposits of white chalk. The men’s dressing code also included a circular crown-like headdress which is made of fur and tule and mostly worn during ceremonies.
The women would put on skirts made of barks that would entirely cover their front and the rear region. These skirts would hang down to the knees from their waists and be like a double apron. Gill & Erlandson (572) writes that they made other clothes decorating them with ornaments such as shells they wore such clothes only for special occasions. They wore fur clothes in times of cold weather and winter and would use moccasins to cover their feet. Feathers were useful too in making clothes; the women would use a cord to twist the feathers then weave them together. They also made decorations on their bodies; each of the villages had their special designs.
Babies were a sign of blessings, and after their birth, the midwife’s would flatten the baby’s nose. At puberty, boys would drink strong liquor to cause visions helping them develop into men, and girls would have restrictions on their diets. During wedding ceremonies, the bridegroom’s family would bestow gifts upon the bride’s family to get her hand in marriage. Marriage was a covenant that would get a lot of respect and adultery was taboo. The only men who had the permission to be polygamous were those who were wealthy or had high places in the society such as the chief. They would grant the dead respect by hosting a mourning ceremony after which they would bury them facing down; the head would be on the west side in a kind of flex position. Hutchinson (28) states that after the burial, they would acquire rows of either stone or wood to mark the graves.
Punishment in the villages was rare due to the people’s calm and patient nature; they also had a love for tobacco and ceremonies. The women also held positions as priests and chiefs, either the son or daughter of the chief would inherit the position after the chief’s death (Rose). Individuals in the community who were astronomers would help in guiding the people and interpretation of visions. The chief would make decisions after consulting with the elders and the chart; he/she would preside over ceremonies and lead in wars. The ceremonies they held would mark significant and important seasons including the fall harvest and winter season; their shaman priests would host a winter solstice whereby the community would celebrate together.
They would celebrate by feasting, dancing and singing in honor of the sun, which they considered their ‘father.’ Kelley (16) states that each community had a designated flat area specifically set aside for dancing, games, and playing musical instruments. Gherini (37) claims that these people had a belief in a deity (sup) whom they would worship in the shrines of caves. The priests would cure illnesses by using herbs, chanting and using a tube they believed would suck the bad spirits out; the priests had the belief that their power was from a guardian angel who would appear to them in dreams and visions.
Chumash people were great, incredible artists; they used charcoal to draw on the walls of caves, and with time, they began using color. They would decorate the drawings and create paintings using yellow and red pigments among others. Later, they discovered a technique of applying small and big dots to their artwork to make them exceptional. Paldam (625) suggests that such paintings describe the strong spiritual bond that exists between the environment and Chumash people. According to Gill & Erlandson (572), these people were the main supply source in the south of California they were actively involved in barter trade. They would use disk-like beads made of clamshell as money, beads that were tube-like in shape and long were valued. They would trade these beads for items such as salt, elm skins, and herbs among other things.
The Chumash lived peacefully until 1542 when Juan Cabrillo came to the Californian coast with two vessels sailing under his name. However, he died on the mission regardless of this his men went on to carry out a census on all the Chumash villages after which they returned to Spain with the population count and names of all those people. The Spanish later in 1769 came back to the California region, their main aim was to introduce Christianity to the Chumash and colonize them. According to Gherini (43), they set up their militia and missions in the villages by December 1770, which led to the Chumash people moving into missions. The first mission was Mission San Luis Obispo in 1772 followed by Mission San Buenaventura in 1782. Setting up of Mission Santa Barbara took place in the year 1786 then Mission La Purisima in 1789, which was to the north.
The year 1798 saw the setting up of Mission San Fernando and lastly Santa Ynez in the year 1804. Kelley (19) writes that most the Chumash did move to these missions willingly, but most of the native ones who were deep in their culture did not move to the missions until the year 1816. They were under colonization with most of them becoming Christians, farmers and artists, however, most of the native Indians were slaves for the Spanish. At the time diseases such as smallpox and common cold were deadly thus the death of most Chumash was due to such diseases. Due to their culture and traditional beliefs, they would not let the Spanish missionaries treat them. The mistreatment they got from the Spanish also led them to escape during the mission period and before. In the year 1824, they began their rebellion and revolted against the Spanish however, they lost. They did return to the missions with most of them turning to alcohol.
The Chumash population reduced in number due to illness and violence, they also lost their land to the Americans. Their identity was losing sense until 1855 when the U.S government gave them some piece of land (Santa Ynez Reservation), this was for the about two hundred Chumash who were still alive. Intermarriages have contributed to the extinction of the Chumash. However, the Chumash bands of Santa Ynez still gain recognition as a tribal entity from the government they gained federal recognition in 1997.
In conclusion, the Chumash people will always be in memory for their artistry, which is evident through their rock art, this rock art attracts many tourists. Their invention that is the tomol (plank canoe) and their use of it is one of the factors that make these native Indians stand out. Hutchinson (28) adds that their artisanship, especially in their basketry and beadwork, will always make them unique. The customs and culture of the Chumash people are what always differentiates them from other Native American Indians that is why despite their current small population they still hold a place in history. The legends and the stories of these people still exist because of their history like those of other communities, the elders tell the stories from one generation to the next.
Works Cited
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Responsive Website Design by Michael Rose http://www.rosemconsulting.com. “Chumash Indians.” Learn about the History and Culture of the Chumash Indians, www.indians.org/articles/chumash-indians.html
