Editing Chumash people (section)

===American era (1848–present)===
[[File:Chumash indian museum thousand oaks.jpg|thumb|Reconstructed Chumash hut at the [[Chumash Indian Museum]]]]
[[File:CINMS - Tomol Crossing Sunrise .jpg|thumb|The Chumash revived their cultural tradition of traveling via ''[[tomol]]'' from the California coast to the [[Channel Islands (California)|Channel Islands]].]]

The Chumash reservation, established in 1901, encompasses 127 acres. No native Chumash speak their own language since Mary Yee, the last Barbareño speaker, died in 1965. Today, the Chumash are estimated to have a population of 5,000 members. Many current members can trace their ancestors to the five islands of [[Channel Islands National Park]].

Beginning in the 1970s, neo-Chumash arose, tracing their lineage nearly completely from the descendants of Spanish colonists to the domain of the initial Chumash people. They promote traditions of the Chumash, and are recognized locally. Their cultural assumption has been criticized by some, but is supported by others.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Haley|first1=Brian D.|last2=Wilcoxon|first2=Larry R.|date=September 2005|title=How Spaniards Became Chumash and Other Tales of Ethnogenesis|journal=American Anthropologist|publisher=American Anthropological Association|volume=107|issue=3|pages=432–445|doi=10.1525/aa.2005.107.3.432|jstor=3567028}}</ref>

The first modern ''tomol'' was built and launched in 1976 as a result of a joint venture between Quabajai Chumash of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation and the [[Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History]]. Its name is ''Helek/Xelex'', the Chumash word for falcon. The Brotherhood of the Tomol was revived and her crew paddled and circumnavigated around the [[Santa Barbara Channel Islands]] on a 10-day journey, stopping on three of the islands. The second ''tomol'', the ''Elye'wun'' ("[[swordfish]]"), was launched in 1997.

On September 9, 2001, the first "crossing" in the Chumash tomol, from the mainland to Channel Islands, was sponsored by the Chumash Maritime Association and the Barbareño Chumash Council. Several Chumash bands and descendants gathered on the island of Limuw (the Chumash name for Santa Cruz Island) to witness the ''Elye'wun'' being paddled from the mainland to Santa Cruz Island.

Their journey was documented in the short film "Return to Limuw" produced by the Ocean Channel for the Chumash Maritime Association, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. The channel crossings have become a yearly event hosted by the Barbareño Chumash Council. The [[Santa Ynez Band of Chumash]] is a [[Federally recognized tribe|federally recognized]] Chumash tribe. They have the [[Santa Ynez Reservation]] located in [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara County]], near Santa Ynez. Chumash people are also enrolled in the [[Tejon Indian Tribe of California]].

[[File:Chumash Dancer by Chris Seaton (49936483912).jpg|thumb|Chumash dancer|alt=A Chumash woman wearing brightly colored traditional attire]]

In addition to the Santa Ynez Band, the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation and the Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians are attempting to gain federal recognition. Other Chumash tribal groups include the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, descendants from the San Luis Obispo area, and the Barbareño Chumash Council, descendants from the greater Santa Barbara area. The publication of the first Chumash dictionary took place in April 2008. Six hundred pages long and containing 4,000 entries, the ''Samala-English Dictionary'' includes more than 2,000 illustrations.<ref>''Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Publishes Language Dictionary''. ([https://archive.today/20130202003631/http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS180466+21-Apr-2008+PRN20080421])</ref> The documentary film ''6 Generations: A Chumash Family History'' features [[Mary Yee]], the last speaker of the [[Barbareño language|Barbareño Chumash language]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kettmann |first=Matt |date=2011-01-27 |title=Santa Barbara on Screen |url=http://www.independent.com/news/2011/jan/27/santa-barbara-screen/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117234301/http://www.independent.com/news/2011/jan/27/santa-barbara-screen/ |archive-date=2013-01-17 |access-date=2013-05-08 |work=The Santa Barbara Independent}}</ref>

====Produce initiative====
In December 2010, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County was the recipient of a $10,000 grant from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation to support expansion of the Produce Initiative. The Produce Initiative puts an emphasis on supplying fruits and vegetables to 264 local nonprofits and food programs. The foodbank distributes produce free of charge to member agencies to encourage healthy eating. Expanding produce accessibility to children is important to the foodbank and the newly operating Kids’ Farmers' Market program, an extension of the Produce Initiative, achieves that goal.

The program trains volunteers to teach kids in after-school programs nutrition education and hands-on cooking instructions. This program currently operates at 12 sites countywide, including in the Santa Ynez Valley. After the children cook and eat a healthy meal, they get to take home a bag full of fresh produce, where they can help feed and cook for the whole family.<ref>Santa Barbara Independent.</ref> Obesity in children is a major health problem prevalent among Native Americans.<ref>Blackwell, Amy Hackney (2014). [https://archive.today/20140516184009/http://americanindian2.abc-clio.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ "Childhood obesity"]. {{dead link|date=July 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} In ''The American Mosaic: The American Indian Experience''. Retrieved February 28, 2014.</ref>

To promote sustainable agriculture and healthy diets, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Environmental Office and Education Departments' after-school program planted a community garden, which provided vegetables to the Elder's Council, beginning in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chumash Community Garden Update|url=http://syceo.org/2016/05/chumash-community-update/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918193525/http://syceo.org/2016/05/chumash-community-update/|archive-date=18 September 2016|access-date=26 August 2016|website=Santa Ynez Chumash Environmental Office}}</ref> The Santa Ynez Valley Fruit and Vegetable Rescue, also known as Veggie Rescue, is another effort to improve food sourcing for the Santa Ynez.<ref>{{cite web|title=Veggie Rescue|url=http://www.veggierescue.org/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816070630/http://www.veggierescue.org/|archive-date=16 August 2016|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref>