The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash (Adults)

This program explores the profound history and cultural resilience of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, also known as the Samala. For over 13,000 years, the Samala ancestors flourished as a sophisticated maritime power, utilizing the Tomol sea vessel to dominate trade across the Santa Barbara Channel. The curriculum analyzes the legacy of the Spanish mission system, the 1824 Chumash Revolt, and the legal betrayal of the 'Lost Treaties' of 1851. Participants will examine the tribe's modern transition to economic sovereignty, the successful reclamation of ancestral land at Camp 4, and the intensive linguistic efforts to revitalize the Samala language through the 7th Fire principle.