Chapter 12: The Chumash of the Southern Coast

The coastline of California takes a distinctive turn in appearance from the general vicinity of San Luis Obispo southward to the border with Mexico. The ocean current is a warm current, heading northward from the tropics; and as the coastline turns increasingly to the southeast, the beaches are sheltered from the huge swells produced by prevailing northwest winds. Wide beaches and low surf, combined with moderate winters, provided an environment that was conducive to marine transportation, hunting, and fishing. At the same time, the interior to this coastal region consisted of broad semi-arid river valleys associated with an almost continuous ridge of mountains, running roughly parallel to the coast (closest at Santa Barbara and farthest removed at Mt. San Jacinto). Such a wide variety of ecological zones provided ample resources for hunter-gatherer lifeways.

The Chumash lived along the coast from the site of San Luis Obispo south to a point near presentday Malibu. The Tongva lived from Malibu south to presentday San Juan Capistrano. Others, similar to the Tongva, lived from Capistrano south to presentday Oceanside. And both the Ipai and the Tipai lived from Oceanside southward, well into Baja California. While the focus of all these economies was the ocean, the interior valleys and hills were utilized in many ways and included many permanent residences. The interior Tongva remained in the valleys and low hills, including San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, and Pomona Valley; the interior Chumash ranged throughout Santa Ynez Valley and well into the higher mountains associated with Mt. Pinos and north-east toward Tejon Pass. The Tipai utilized Mission Valley and Imperial Valley, beyond.

Unfortunately, the Tipai, Ipai, Tongva, and others living along the coast south of Malibu were all missionized relatively early in the history of Spanish intrusion. As a consequence, knowledge about their cultures is fragmentary. The Tipai and Ipai have been known as the Diegueno, because of their association with the Mission San Diego de Alcala. The Tongva have been known as the Gabrielino because of their association with the Mission of the Archangel Gabriel. Those living inbetween have been known as the Luiseno, for Mission San Luis Rey, and the Juaneno, for Mission San Juan Capistrano. Whoever these people were, prior to their "guardianship names," we have no prehistoric names for them. The Chumash were missionized late in this period and, being less passive toward incorporation into mission feudalism, were never confusedly re-named.

The Chumash, the Ipai/Tipai, and most of the Indians of Baja California were like the Washo in being Hokan speakers; and like the Washo, their dialects of Hokan suggest a final separation from other Hokan speakers in the period around 4000 BP. The Tongva, Juaneno, and Luiseno, like the people of California's southern deserts, however, were Uto-Aztecan speakers and were bound into a band of common linguistic roots that came out of the Great Basin, across the Mojave Desert, and down to the Pacific Coast, driving a lingistic wedge between the Chumash and the Tipai. Nevertheless, in spite of these obvious differences in origin, the cultures of all these people grew together under the strong influence of the Pacific Ocean and the coastal river valleys.

Chumash culture is almost definitive of the Pacific Period of development. They had located excellent sources of staple foods and had developed specific technologies for harvesting them and for preserving them throughout the year. As a consequence, they had well established villages and an infra-structure for the distribution and re-distribution of resources. In this respect, they had risen to a height of development that was comparable to that of the northwest coast. In contrast to the people of the northwest, however, the lack of high surf encouraged ocean navigation and Chumash culture came to depend upon the tomol, a magnificently crafted plank canoe that could carry a number of people or cargo items as far out to sea as the Channel Islands.

The basic construction of housing and dependence on acorns, deer and other game, united all the people of the southern coast with California Indians in general, but especially with those of the Central Valley and foothill environments. What really distinguished these people was the influence of the ocean's resources.

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