THE HIDDEN CHUMASH
For many decades there were few people who knew that one or more of their direct ancestors were Chumash Indians and even fewer people who would admit it. The Chumash hid from the rest of society and did their best to integrate into that society. Many groups did not have citizenship in our society and others were second class citizens. Indeed, the schools were segregated in Simi Valley until 1940. To be an American Indian in Anglo-American society was the lowest possible rung on the social ladder. In this day, when it is socially acceptable to acknowledge your American Indian ancestry, the legacy of the treatment of Indians until relatively recently has generally been forgotten by the Anglo-American society. The terms “half breed” and “quarter breed” have largely been forgotten, at least in this part of the country. As evidence of the treatment of the Chumash people I offer one story.
Juanita - she was quite well known in the Santa Barbara/Santa Ynez area before her death some years ago - told me that when she was a child, she thought she was a “Mexican.” Then what her parents already knew, that is that they were part Chumash, became known in the Santa Ynez community. At that time, Juanita and her siblings attended the one room Santa Ynez School. When it was “discovered” that they were “Indians,” they were no longer permitted to use the outhouse and could not drink out of the drinking fountain. They were to get any drinking water out of the horse trough. Once they turned 10 years of age, people, including a police officer, came from the Indian school in Riverside, California, and forcible removed the child from their parents’ home to be raised largely in that school. The curriculum at the school included reading, writing and arithmetic and, for girls, other classes were confined to things like sewing, cooking and domestic skills. Juanita was describing an experience from about 1920. The depth of the pain and anger was apparent in her voice.
Mike Kuhn
11-15-04