Long before maps named the coast, the Chumash lived in harmony with the winds, tides, and oak-strewn hills of what we now call California’s Central Coast and Channel Islands. They were master canoe builders, navigating the deep blue in tomols—plank canoes crafted with sacred care—to trade, gather, and connect across islands and mainland shores.

To the Chumash, the land was not just a resource—it was a relative. They honored the Earth as a living being, shaping their lives around its rhythms. They harvested with gratitude, hunted with humility, and offered songs to the sun and sea. Their villages were vibrant centers of storytelling, artistry, and spiritual ceremony, all woven into a deep stewardship of the land.