Book Review: Chumash Tribe

Chumash Tribe: California Native American Tribes by Mary Null Boule, Merryant Publishers, Vashon, WA, 1992

 

This book is a bit of a misnomer.  I realized after I had been reading that the first 25 pages were written about all California native American Tribes, and then the last 20 pages were particular to the Chumash.

The Chumash were the native American people that built the most sophisticated boats.  These were boats made out of planks, and were used to navigate the oceans.  With these boats they were able to visit the Channel Islands, and these were off the coast where most of the Chumash lived.  The Chumash would have been considered a wealthy tribe.  They had plentiful food, and also natural resources with which they could make things.  The women were excellent basket weavers.  They made pots out of soap stone which were good for cooking.  The wealthiest were allowed to wear bear skins, and also owned boats. There was a boat makers type of guild.