 The Chumash was one of the great
Native American tribes in California. They lived on the northern coast of the Santa
Barbara Channel. They had oak trees and an ocean with fish and sea animals. The climate was mild, with misty rain in the winter. A few things make the Chumash unique such as the homes they live in, the food they eat, the roles they had, the clothes they wore, the ceremonies they celebrated, and some other things.

 The Chumash built and lived in interesting homes. Chumash homes were shaped like a giant round oven, spacious and comfortable. Each house was 50 feet across and 4 to 5 families shared one house.
Chumash homes were made using frames and poles. The roof was covered with bundles of grass and tule reeds. The homes had a hole in the middle of the roof for the sun to come in and for cooking.

 The Chumash got their food from their surroundings. They hunted big animals like deer, bear, and mountain lions using bows and arrows. They also trapped and ate rabbits, quails, ducks, and blackbirds. The Chumash also killed whales, seals, otters, and porpoises using harpoons. They ate abalone and cooked edible roots to eat.

 The Chumash had different jobs. The men hunted , made tools, and made canoes out of redwood. The women gathered edible roots and cooked. They carved beads, bowls, and charms from stone. The elders took care of the children.

 The Chumash wore interesting clothing. They made clothes out of animal skins, bird feathers, and plant fibers. In winter, they wore capes made from woven rabbit skins. Women made skirts and dresses with patterns of rabbits and birds. They decorated clothes with shells.

 The Chumash celebrated different ceremonies during the year. They held mourning ceremonies when someone died. The Hutash ceremony honored the earth goddess. The Chumash celebrated the winter solstice ceremony to honor the sun. They also danced honoring the condor, bear, beaver, fox, coyote, and blackbird.

The Chumash had some other interesting facts about their lives. The
Chumash people use to live in an area that coverd 7000 square miles. A Chumash person would eat up to 500 pounds of acorns a year. They played a game of gashed using walnut shell dice for fun.