At one time, Chumash territory encompassed 7,000 square miles that spanned from the beaches of Malibu to Paso Robles. The tribe also inhabited inland to the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley. Utilizing resources from both the land and the sea, we called ourselves “the first people,” and pointed to the Pacific Ocean as our first home. We invite you to learn more about the rich history of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians at the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center, now open to

The journey to build our Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center began on November 8, 2000 when the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians filed a federal trust application with Bureau of Indian Affairs for 6.9 acres across Highway 246 from the existing Santa Ynez Reservation. After many challenging years of appeals filed by anti-tribal groups; on June 17, 2014 the land was finally placed into federal trust. Almost eight years later we are now on the cusp of opening our very own museum and cul

In addition to providing fire, emergency, medical and disaster preparedness services for the Santa Ynez Reservation, the Chumash Fire Department serves as a resource for the greater community, combatting fires and protecting people and property throughout the region. Often, our crew are the first responders to wildfires on federal land through an arrangement with the U.S. Forest Service. Additionally, Chumash fire crews can be found on the front lines — battling fires in Santa Barbara County, ac

This clip is an excerpt from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 - 𝘈 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. Watch the full video at santaynezchumash.org. | Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians