What do you know about the Chumash Indian Museum?
The Chumash Indian Museum in Thousand Oaks, CA, is a historical site that seeks to explore, inform and teach on the heritage of the Chumash Indian community. The museum is located in an area that has been historically associated with the Chumash Indian community. As a heritage site, the museum offers exquisite historical information on the Chumash tribe that has been occupying the territory for at least thirteen thousand years. The museum stands as a reflection of the world of the Chumash Indians from a practical level. Inside the museum, artifacts related to the Chumash Indians and their way of life are in full display. Historically the museum is known to have recreated all the objects that the Chumash community used in their day to day engagements. The 'Chumash Indian Museum, was created with the sole aim of not only preserving but also restoring the historical and cultural awareness of the Chumash community. The Chumash Indian Museum in Thousand Oaks, CA, is a community partnership between the native and non native communities in the area that seeks to not only restore the heritage of the native community but also create a level of awareness among non native communities on the life of the Chumash Indians. The museum serves as a vital historical reference to the life and times of the Chumash Indians. The museum is expertly designed as a historical and living site that dedicates its content to the exploration and restoration of the nearly forgotten aspects of the Chumash Indian community. Since its establishment, the museum has played a leading role in establishing a learning partnership between the non native and native communities in the region. As a living center, the museum captures the contextual aspect of the Chumash people from a communal perspective thereby making it a reliable source of information on the life and activities of the Chumash Indians. Historically the museums content dates back to 10000 years ago before the community established contact with Europe. The museum offers a living experience of the Chumash community before contact was established with Europeans especially the Spanish. It is important to note that native had a unique life with a complete social structure that characterized its heritage1. The coming of Spanish and other European settlers is said to have upset the socio cultural setting of the Chumash Indians thereby disintegrating their more than one hundred closely know villages that were a hallmark of the community’s heritage. The museums historical aspect focuses more on the existence and living aspect of the Chumash people. The need to preserve and give credence to the Chumash Indian community formed the basis for the establishment of the museum. It is also important to note that, the museum has a long history of exploring and offering learning experiences to non native communities in the greater Thousand Oaks region. Based on the historical facts presented by the museum, it can be stated that the Chumash community first established contact with Europeans in 1542 after which the communities facilitated the overall colonization by the Europeans especially the Spanish2. This phenomenon is exhibited in the founding of military presidios in san Diego and other areas of the north. Based on available evidence, one can easily conclude that the history of the Chumash Indian Museum in Thousand Oaks, CA, dates back to several centuries ago when the Chumash Indian community was still active in the greater California region.
The importance of this museum to the local community lies in its ability to fully explore the social-cultural context of the Chumash Indians. The museum works well in establishing the core facts relating to the human Indians and their role in the creation of the current community. As stated earlier, the museum is both a learning and living center. It is a dual purpose center that deeply explores the life and ancient times of the human community. The importance of this approach to the local community is that it elevates the stature of the Chumash Indians into a higher level that is highly recognized in the society. The facts presented by the Museum give credence to the widely held belief that the region owes its existence to native Indian communities. The social, cultural depiction of the community’s early life is also important to the local community. Through its artifacts and informative materials, the museum plays an important role in creating social awareness in the greater Chumash Indian community. As facts have pointed out, the museum is partnership between the native and non native community in the region. This, therefore, creates a learning experience especially for the non native communities in the locality thereby increasing social cohesiveness and awareness3. The museum is also important in creating social awareness in the local community. As a point of reference for the Chumash Indian community, the Chumash Indian Museum in Thousand Oaks, CA, acts as a biding factor between the ancient Chumash way of living and the modern native way of living in the locale. The museum acts as an important tool for the restoration of native cultural aspects in the local community. It also acts as a reliable point of reference to historical facts on the Chumash Indian community that is a core requirement in improving cultural awareness in the local community. Other than serving as an educational institution, the museum also serves as a living center. The importance of such duality to the local community is that it offers credible facts that concerning the way of life of the native community. This forms a core aspect of general understanding and appreciation of other communities’ values and heritage. The importance of the museum to the community also lies in its direct approach to the facts surrounding the lifestyle of the Chumash Indians before contact was established with Europeans 3. Such a depiction of heritage and culture underlines the important role that the native community played in preserving the identity and status of the local community. This is important in understanding the socio economic context of the Chumash Indian community as a native entity. By offering vital information on the socio-economical transformation of the community, the museum acts as a bridge between the ancient and contemporary native communities in the area. The ability to establish a connection between the ancient and contemporary Native Indian societies is a core component of social awareness, which is a core requirement in enhancing social awareness in the local community. It has to be appreciated that, the local community has undergone significant transformations in the last centuries. The ability of the museum to document all these culturally and sociological changes over time makes it an important point of reference for the local community.
References:
1 Bial, E. 2004. The Chumash. Lifeways, Raymond Bial. Benchmark Books, 2004
2 Bush Gibson. 2003. The Chumash: Seafarers of the Pacific Coast American Indian Nations. Washington: Capstone, 2003
3 Suntree , S. 2010. Sacred Sites: The Secret History of Southern California . U of Nebraska Press
