Chumash Life: People, Towns, and Villages
Two sections of the museum’s Chumash Life website, which the museum made for teachers and students: “The Chumash People” and “Chumash Life.” It leaves out the introduction, the closing paragraph about Chumash people today, and a note about terms.
This page is a simplified version of the original text (leveled toward 800L). Photos, maps, and other images are not on this page — use the original link above to see them.
Words with a dotted underline have a Word Help card pinned beside the paragraph.
The Chumash People
The Chumash homeland lies along the coast of California, between Malibu and Paso Robles. It also includes the Northern Channel Islands. Before the Mission Period, the Chumash lived in 150 independent towns and villages. The total population was at least 25,000 people. In different parts of the region, people spoke six different but related languages.
The area was first settled at least 13,000 years ago. Over time, the population grew. People adapted their ways of life to the local environment. Villages along the coast, on the islands, and in the interior had access to different resources. They traded these resources with one another.
This trade was made possible in part by the seagoing plank canoe, or tomol. It was invented by 1,500 years ago. The Chumash are also known for their fine basketry, their mysterious cave paintings, and their bead money made from shells.
Chumash Life
Chumash life was centered on the town and village. At one time there were hundreds of separate Chumash settlements in the Santa Barbara area. Some villages were as large as towns. Others were quite small. Villages were built on high ground near lagoons, creek mouths, lakes, or springs. 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. Several things make the Chumash unique: their invention and use of the plank canoe; their extraordinary baskets, tools, and bead making; their customs and beliefs; and their craftsmanship.
Each Chumash family lived in a house called an ’ap. A village had many of these homes. Every village also had at least one large ceremonial sweathouse, called an ’apa’yɨk. Each village had a playground. It was a smooth, level area big enough for outdoor games such as shinny, kick ball, and the hoop-and-pole game.
Another area of the village was a ceremonial dance ground. It was surrounded by a high fence of tule mats that served as a windbreak. Inside was the siliyɨk, or sacred enclosure. This was a semicircular area closed off for privacy. Priests and shamans held religious rituals there.