The Chumash made ocean-going canoes of sewn planks which might be as long as 30 feet, called tomols. They hunted sea-lions, otters and fish and scavenged whale if they were washed ashore.

They made bowls and distinctive sculptures of sea creatures of steatite, or soapstone. They gathered chia, the seed of a sage plant. They used asphaltum to attach disks of shell to their artifacts and ornaments, and to waterproof basketry vessels.

The Chumash are the people responsible for the wonderful Painted Cave near Santa Barbara, which contains images of the vision quest made while under the influence of tolache, or the datura plant. The datura was taken by young men about to become adults, and also to seek guidance from one's particular spirit helper. They live on the Santa Ynez Reservation in Santa Barbara County where a visitor may see a reconstruction of a Chumash camp made of tule reeds.

A site with paintings by a modern Chumash artist, Mitchell E. Robles may be found at http://www.designplace.com/chumash

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California Native American Language Map