Table of Contents
How did the Chumash live?
Chumash people lived in grass houses, which are made of a domed wooden frame thatched with grass. Some of these houses were quite large (fifty feet in diameter) and could house an entire extended family. Chumash people do not live in these old-fashioned dwellings today, any more than other Americans live in log cabins.
How did the Chumash adapt to their environment?
It offered easy access to varied resources and had a mild climate which facilitated all-year gathering. The sea and beach furnished marine life and shellfish which were the most important food sources, and from the river fresh water and food were obtained.
What did the Native Americans do in Santa Barbara Mission?
The Indians residing in the Santa Barbara area were Chumash, or Canalino. They were a hunting, fishing, and gathering society. Between the years of 1786-1846, 4,715 Chumash Indians became Christians. Many are buried in the Mission cemetery.
Where do the Chumash live today?
The Chumash are a Native American people of the central and southern coastal regions of California, in portions of what is now San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, extending from Morro Bay in the north to Malibu in the south.
How did Chumash build their homes?
The Chumash house, or ‘ap, was round and shaped like half an orange. It was made by setting willow poles in the ground in a circle. The poles were bent in at the top, to form a dome. Then smaller saplings or branches were tied on crosswise.
How the tribe adapted to the natural environment?
The Native Americans used natural resources in every aspect of their lives. They used animal skins (deerskin) as clothing. Shelter was made from the material around them (saplings, leaves, small branches, animal fur). Native peoples of the past farmed, hunted, and fished.
How old are the Chumash?
The Chumash and Gabrielino-Tongva peoples were the first human inhabitants of the Channel Islands and Santa Monica Mountains areas. Our peoples are known to have lived here for thousands of years; numerous archaeological sites have been uncovered in the past decade some of which date to 15,000 years.
What did the Chumash Indians do before the mission?
Life Before the Mission. The Chumash lived on the coast of the Santa Barbara Channel. They had houses that were dome-shaped, 50 feet across, and could house up to 50 people. The Chumash used bundles of grass to make mats and bedding.
Where did the Chumash Indians live in Santa Barbara?
The largest towns were built along the mainland coast near the Santa Barbara Channel. Some other Indian people had similar customs, but no other Native Americans lived in exactly the same way as the Chumash people.
Where did the Chumash revolt start and end?
Starting at Mission Santa Ines and spreading to Mission Santa Barbara, and Mission La Purisima, the revolt was the largest organized resistance movement to occur during the Spanish and Mexican periods in California.
What was the history of the Santa Barbara Mission?
HISTORIC BACKGROUND Before the Spanish arrived in Northern California, numerous American Indian tribes populated the west coast. The Spanish originally established the Santa Barbara Mission to make contact with the Chumash people—California natives who lived along the coast between Malibu and San Luis Obispo.