Chumash: The Past and Present of California's Seashell People
Fact Finders AMERICAN INDIAN LIFE The Chumash The Past and present of California's Seashell People by Danielle Smith Llera Consultant Brett Barker PhD Associate Professor of History University of Wisconsin Marathon County CAPSTONE PRESS a capstone imprint
Honoring Traditions Dolphins glide past a crew of men and women paddling across the Santa Barbara Channel Redwood and driftwood planks are sealed with tar and curve to form a 20 foot long 6 meter long canoe known as a tomol Chumash people today can ride modern boats across the 21 miles 34 kilometers of water to Santa Cruz Island But on special occasions they honor Chumash history by traveling as their ancestors once did Older tribe members appreciate that young people join them on the ocean journey Chumash of all ages work to protect their community and the traditions they nearly lost 200 years ago ancestor family member who lived a long time ago
A Lompoc California mural features Chumash spearing fish from a tomol BASKET WEAVING The Chumash people were well known for their baskets Other tribes and later the Spanish were eager to trade goods for their finely woven baskets The baskets were used for grinding nuts trapping fish cooking and storing food holding belongings and carrying babies Weavers twisted tan colored grass and wove it into baskets They also coiled and sewed it together They dyed some grasses black with mud or soaked the grass in water with a piece of iron They wove the grasses into stripes zigzags and geometric designs Some baskets were woven so tightly they could hold water The last of the Chumash's most experienced weavers died around 1915 Some Chumash weavers today find inspiration in their ancestors work Chumash baskets in museum collections today help them learn traditional techniques Weavers avoid new materials and use wild grasses and natural dyes
