The First Californians -The Chumash

The Chumash Indians once lived in southern California along the coast around Paso Robles to as far south as Malibu, living off the land and fishing in the Pacific Ocean. They also inhabited the areas inland to the San Joaquin Valley. They'd even managed to travel to the Channel Islands, more than 20 miles off shore and used the resources that the hilly landscape provided. One of their primary resources were acorns from the plentiful Oak trees. They devised a system of leaching the toxins from the acorns and then pounding them into a nutritious mush. While there are still Chumash Native Americans around today, the majority of the population died during the Spanish mission period in the late 1700s.

Because they lived so close to the ocean, they also caught fish and shell fish, used certain sea shells for decoration and for trading. They were even known as the 'sea shell people'. They were really fortunate to have easy access to the ocean and the land, which made them a very successful tribe. Ceremonies were generally centered around appreciating what nature provided them. Their homes were made of branches from willow trees and were in a dome shape. Some of the houses were very large and were divided into separate rooms.

Around the coast of Southern California, there are areas of tar seeps and the Chumash soon realized that the tar was an excellent way to seal their boats or storage vessels. The boats were quite large, up to 30 feet, and could withstand the pounding the waves gave them. Water proofing the boats helped them traverse the expanse of the ocean to the Channel Islands where they found shell fish and other resources. Like all Native Americans, the Chumash used natural resources without depleting them, because they understood the importance of the environment. The tribe was governed by a chief which could be a man or woman. The children of chiefs inherited the position. There was always a shaman in each village who interpreted signs from nature and the stars, which would guide the village in decision making about travel or food supplies. Many caves around the coastal areas are painted with figures of people and animals and were probably placed there during ceremonies.

The cave paintings are protected, but visitors can look through gated entrances at several sites to see the colorful images. The Chumash population at the time of the Spanish missions was forced to convert to Christianity and with the accidental spread of disease, killed off in large numbers, thus reducing them to only a few remaining people. Their ancestors still live in California today.