Featured Group
Chumash
Members of the Chumash Maritime Society cross the channel to Santa Cruz Island in a traditional tomol, 2004; photo: Robert Schwemmer, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Members of the Chumash Maritime Society arrive at Santa Cruz Island after crossing the channel in a traditional tomol, 2004; photo: Robert Schwemmer, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Today
Today the Chumash are a vital part of California life, and the tribe has benefited greatly from the ownership of casinos. In 2000, approximately 5,000 Californians claimed Chumash ancestry. In recent years members of the Chumash Maritime Society have come together to recreate the ancestral journey made by the people of Santa Cruz Island. They built a traditional tomol with which they have crossed the channel many times.