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

6.8K views · 237 reactions | At one time, Chumash territory...

2K views · 54 reactions | Sharing the complexity of our ancestral communities through education is just one of the ways we are honoring the legacy of our people. Learn more about the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians at santaynezchumash.org. | Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians | Facebook

The Chumash have been a maritime culture for thousands of years, with their territory stretching from Malibu to Morro Bay and westward to the sandstone cliffs of the Channel Islands, over 20 miles off the coast of California. To navigate the treacherous currents of the channel for fishing and trading, they built the strong plank canoe tomols for which they are famous. But over centuries of European colonization, which included forced assimilation and enslavement of Chumash people, the craft of t