Chumash
the Chumash (name Ughuigh, Oxoix) are an Indian - trunk from the Hoka Sprachfamilie. The Chumash lived in south California, on both sides the Santa Barbara channel.
the Chumash operated a building of fields, but nourished themselves by hunt, fishing and collecting wild plants in the seasonal rhythm, like acorns, Kelp or cure bites. They carried on in addition move trade with their neighbour trunks, like the Gabrileno, the Ipai and the Digueno. To the animals admired by them the grey fox and it belong dedicated to it among other things a “fox dance”. It is assumed that they brought the grey fox on the southern three channel islands before of California coast. They have thereby contributed that the verzwergte island grey fox developed there, an endemic kind, which descends from the grey fox, but genetically and phenotypische characteristics to have, which from the grey fox differentiates it clearly.
The Chumash was organized in approx. 150 villages, which could have inhabitants up to 1.000. The guidance of a village was incumbent on a chieftain, whereby this office was left. Further the Chumash society was divided into low office holders, religious functionaries and common ones. Often the individual villages argued among themselves about courses of the border, which could lead also to wars.
Of in 17. Century estimated 15,000 Chumash on the mainland and the 3,000 on the pre-aged islands, are today still approx. 280 as nationally recognized trunk remaining remained, which lives on the Santa Ynez reservation in the Santa Barbara County. The remainder fell epidemic diseases and the settlement of California by the white ones to the victim. Approx. 1,500 humans feel as descendants of the Chumash, are however not led not in the master roles.
Center of the 1960er years died the last speaker of the Chumash language. There are however attempts to animate the language again.
The Chumash belonged to the North American culture area California.
see also
list of North American Indian trunks
