Chumash Indians

Location

• California

Housing

• Domed houses
• Made from, willow branches, whale bone, tulle mats, grass, and wood
• Several families lived in one house

Daily Life

• Women- cooked, collected food, made baskets, and took care of children
• Children- chores, played games, and sometimes the boys would hunt and fish
• Men- hunt, fish, gathered food

Food

• Acorns, nuts, bread, fruits, herbs, plants, pinenuts, wild strawberries, laurel berries, madrona berries, cat tail seeds, fish, seal, otters, clams, mollusks, sea mammals, and birds

Transportation

• Canoes also called "tomals"
• Made from redwood logs

Clothing

• Women- knee-length skirts made from deerskin or grass, basket hats, sandals or barefoot
• Men- cerimonial belt, deerskin cape, feather robe worn in winter, sandals or barefoot
• On special occasions they would paint their faces

Crafts

• Woven baskets, woven mats, beads carved from seashells, painting, charcoal drawings, jewlery, made bowls from serpentine
• Carried seashells in a medicine bag on their way back from the shore

Traditions

• Chief perfomed a dance honoring swordfish
• The Chief would dress as a swordfish
• They believed the swordfish brought whales to the shore

Current Day

• Current population: 5,000
• Current location: Southwestern California
• Most Chumash live like regular people