Native American Facts For Kids was written for young people learning about the Chumash Indian
tribe for school or home-schooling reports. We encourage students
and teachers to visit our Chumash language and
culture
pages for in-depth information
about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with
Chumash pictures and links we believe are suitable for all ages.
Chumash Tribe
How do you pronounce the word "Chumash"? What does it mean?
It's pronounced "choo-mosh." This was originally the name of the Chumash band who lived on the Santa Barbara islands, and meant "shell bead people."
Today it is used to refer to Chumash bands on the mainland as well.
Where do the Chumashes live?
The Chumash are natives of southwestern California.
How is the Chumash Indian nation organized?
The Chumash people live on a reservation today.
Indian reservations are lands that belong to the tribes and are under their control.
The Chumash tribe has its own government, laws, police, and services, just like a small country.
However, the Chumashes are also US citizens and must obey American law.
In the past, each Chumash village was ruled by its own chief, who was similar to a mayor. Village chiefs were chosen from important and wealthy
Chumash families by village elders, and could be either men or women. Today, the Chumash tribe is led by a tribal council elected by all the Chumash people.
What language do the Chumash Indians speak?
Almost all Chumash people speak English today, but some of them, especially elders also speak their native
Chumash language. Chumash is a complex language with many long words.
If you'd like to know an easy Chumash word, "haku" (sounds like hah-koo) is a friendly greeting in Chumash.
You can also read a Chumash picture glossary here.
What was Chumash culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here is the homepage of the Santa Ynez Chumash Tribe.
On their site you can find information about the Chumash people in the past and today.
How do Chumash Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house.
Many Chumash children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more
chores and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have
dolls, toys, and games to play.
One favorite Chumash children's game was a contest to throw a javelin through a rolling hoop. Chumash kids also
enjoyed swimming on the beaches. A Chumash mother traditionally carried a young child in a
cradleboard
on her back--a custom which many American parents have
adopted now.
What were men and women's roles in the Chumash tribe?
Chumash men were fishermen and hunters, and sometimes they went to war to protect their families. Chumash women ground acorn meal,
did most of the cooking and child care, and wove baskets. Both genders took part in storytelling, music and artwork, and traditional medicine.
A Chumash chief could be either a man or a woman.
What were Chumash homes like in the past?
Chumash people lived in grass houses, which are made
of a domed wooden frame thatched with grass. Some of these houses were quite large (fifty feet in diameter) and could house an
entire extended family.
Chumash people do not live in these old-fashioned dwellings today, any more than other Americans live in log cabins.
Chumash families live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
What were Chumash clothes like? Did the Chumashes wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Originally, Chumash people didn't wear much clothing-- women wore only knee-length grass or deerskin skirts, and men usually went naked except for a
ceremonial belt. Shirts were not necessary in Chumash culture, but the Chumashes sometimes wore deerskin capes or feather robes
when the weather became cooler. Unlike most Native American tribes, the Chumashes never wore moccasins. They either went barefoot or wore sandals.
Here are some photos and links
about Indian clothing in general.
The Chumashes did not wear warbonnets like the Plains Indians.
Men usually went bare-headed, while women wore fez-shaped basket hats. Both men and women wore their hair long and flowing.
The Chumashes painted their faces for special occasions.
They used different colors and patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and festive decoration.
Today, Chumash people wear modern clothes like jeans instead of grass skirts...
and they only wear traditional regalia for special occasions like a dance.
What was Chumash transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
Yes, the Chumash built unique a unique kind of plank canoe called tomol in their own language. Unlike the canoes of other Indian tribes,
Chumash boats were made of wooden planks sealed with natural asphalt. Here is a good website about
Chumash canoes.
What was Chumash food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Chumashes were fishing people. Chumash men caught fish, seals, otters, and clams from their canoes, while Chumash women ground acorn into
meal for bread and gathered nuts, fruits, and herbs.
What were Chumash weapons and tools like in the past?
Chumash hunters used bows and arrows, and fishermen used nets, harpoons, and fishing hooks. The Chumash were not known as an especially warlike tribe,
but when they did have to fight, Chumash warriors usually fired their bows.
What other Native Americans did the Chumash tribe interact with?
The Chumashes traded regularly with other tribes of the Southwest, particularly the
Pima and Papago tribes. They especially liked to trade their pottery for Pima baskets
The Mojaves
were frequent trading partners, but also frequent enemies, who sometimes raided Chumash villages.
What kinds of stories do the Chumashes tell?
There are lots of traditional Chumash legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the
Chumash Indian culture. Here are some Chumash stories about the sky.
What about Chumash religion?
Sorry, but we cannot help you with religious information. Religions are too complicated and culturally sensitive to describe appropriately
in only a few simple sentences, and we strongly want to avoid misleading anybody. You can visit this site to learn more about the
Chumash religion
or this site about Indian religion in general.
How do I cite your website in my bibliography?
You will need to ask your teacher for the format he or she wants you to use. Our names are Laura Redish and
Orrin Lewis and the title of our site is Native Languages of the Americas. The site was first created in 1998 and last updated in 2009.
Thanks for your interest in the Chumash Indian people and their language!
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