Society and culture
Chumash who lived on the coast fished in the Pacific Ocean using nets, hooks, and spears. They also hunted seals and sea otters and collected mussels that washed ashore. Further inland, the Chumash hunted game as large as deer, bear, and mountain lions. Both groups relied upon acorns, which they ground into flour, as a source of food.
Chumash women were among the most skilled Native American basket weavers. They made baskets in many sizes and shapes. Some were woven so tightly that they held water. Chumash men made a variety of objects out of stone, whalebone, and other materials. They were expert woodworkers who crafted canoes from wooden planks. In these boats, the Chumash could easily travel from village to village to trade or visit relatives.
Each village had many large, dome-shaped houses. Each dwelling had a few rooms and housed several families. Villages were governed by chiefs, who inherited their positions.
History
The Chumash first encountered Europeans in 1542, when the Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo passed through their territory. However, they had no regular contact with outsiders until the early 1770s, when Catholic priests established their first missions in the area. Soon most of the Chumash lived and worked within the mission system, sometimes against their will.
The Chumash were freed from the missions in 1834. By this time many of their people had died from diseases brought by the Europeans. After 1849 the survivors suffered at the hands of American settlers and gold seekers who wanted their lands. By the century's end, only a few Chumash were left. The Santa Ynez Reservation was set aside for them in 1901.
The Chumash population grew quickly in the 20th century. There are now about 3,000 Chumash, most of whom live on the Santa Ynez Reservation or in nearby towns and cities. The Chumash tribal government is working to revive the tribe's traditional crafts, dances, and songs.