Protecting Our Land - Sharing Our Culture

We are the Band of the Land, the Barbareño Band of Chumash Indians! As we unify our people, we are revitalizing our culture, protecting our ancestral lands and sharing our heritage with the community.

Barbareño Band of Chumash Indians

hu l-mol-moloq-iʼwaš hu l-kuh-kuʼ
The ancient people.

We are the true descendants of the first people and the land that is now called Santa Barbara and Goleta. We have been the caretakers of the land since time immemorial. We are the survivors of genocide: The Spanish colonized Santa Barbara, put us through the mission system, stole our land, and spread their diseases. After the missions we maintained a community known as La Cieneguita; however, that was eventually taken from us by appointment of Indian Agent Thomas Hope.

Today, we are landless and we are not recognized by the government, we have lost many things, but we are still here. We operate as a non-profit, we are striving for recognition, we maintain our community and the continuation of our culture.

kiy kǝ ’i ka šiš-kuhkʼúʼ hi ‘itil šup o kiya nu na!
We are the people of this land!

From the BBCI Founder-

I was inspired by the spirit of my father Ralph C. Morello and on February 10, 2014 founded the Barbareño Band of Chumash Indians in his memory. My father descended from the same bloodline as Juan Justo, the last full- blooded Chumash Chief who passed in 1941. I wanted to unite descendants of Chumash families from Cieneguitas and the greater Barbareño community.

Signed Patty Morello

Family & Ancestors

We are the Barbareño Band of Chumash Indians (BBCI). The BBCI is a nonprofit corporation composed entirely of families of documented Barbareño Chumash descendants who have continuously existed as a community in the Santa Barbara/Goleta area from the time before first Spanish contact until the present day. There is no other organization claiming Barbareño affiliation who can document any comparable claim to the traditional territory of the native peoples of the Santa Barbara region.

Our Land

We are the first caretakers of the land we now call Santa Barbara and Goleta. Our ancestors rest on this land, and our culture is intimately connected to this land. We maintain the relationship with our land and strive to continue our care taking responsibilities.

Language & Culture

We are dedicated to the nurturing and the revitalization of our language and culture.

Community

Community and relationships are the heart of BBCI.