The Chumash Tribe

1. The Chumash Tribe By Jason Ma

2. The Chumash The Chumash is one of the great native American tribes in California. They lived on the northern coast of the Santa Barbara Channel. Their forests had oak trees and their oceans had fish and sea animals. Climate was mild, with misty rain in winter. Many things made the Chumash different than other tribes such as the homes they lived in, the food they ate, the jobs they had, what they wore and the ceremonies they celebrated.

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

4. Chumash Jobs What different roles did the Chumash have? The men hunted, built houses, 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.

5. Chumash Clothing • Do you know what the Chumash used to wear? The Chumash made clothes out of animals skins, bird feathers and plant fibers. In winter they wore caps, made from woven rabbit skins. Women made skirts and dresses with patches of rabbit and bird skins. They decorated clothes with shells.

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

7. Chumash Interesting Facts • The Chumash had some other interesting facts about their lives. The Chumash people used to live in an area that covered 7,000 square miles. A Chumash person would eat up to 300 pounds of acorns a year. They played a gambling game using a walnut shell dice for fun.

8. Chumash Ending • The Chumash is one of the great native American tribes in California. They held elaborate ceremonies to honor the dead, an earth goddess, and certain animals. They also had art, such as carved beads, bowls and charms from stone. Chumash homes were shaped like a giant round oven, spacious, and comfortable.