Chumash Indian Museum facts for kids
Plaque by entrance.
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| Established | 1994 |
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| Location | 3290 Lang Ranch Pkwy, Thousand Oaks, CA |
| Type | Chumash Interpretive Center |
| Public transit access | Thousand Oaks Transit (TOT) |
The Chumash Indian Museum is a special place in Thousand Oaks, California. It's a center where you can learn all about the Chumash people, who are Native Americans. This museum is built on the site of an old Chumash village called Sap'wi, which means "House of the Deer."
The museum is part of Oakbrook Regional Park, a big park with lots of land. Here, you can see a copy of a Chumash village. There are also very old Chumash pictographs (cave paintings) that are thousands of years old. Some of these paintings are in a nearby cave called Birthing Cave. You can see them on special tours led by guides. The Chumash people lived in this village as far back as 10,000 years ago!
This area became an important archaeological site in 1971. That's when almost twenty caves were found here. It was recognized as a historical landmark in 1983 and also by the city of Thousand Oaks. The museum has many cool things to see. These include Chumash tools, artwork, and other historical items.
The museum was started in 1994. It works to keep the history and culture of the Chumash people alive. A group called the Oakbrook Park Chumash Indian Corp runs it. The land is owned by the Conejo Recreation and Park District. Sadly, the museum grounds were damaged by the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
Contents
Ancient Cave Paintings
You can find ancient cave paintings, called pictographs, in two rock shelters near the museum. These paintings are made of red designs. One famous painting shows a broadbill swordfish. Swordfish used to be common in the waters nearby.
The swordfish was important to Chumash spiritual leaders, called shaman. The pictographs likely show a Swordfish Shaman’s spirit helper. It seems that swordfish shamanism was practiced at this cave for thousands of years. These amazing paintings are between 4,000 and 6,000 years old. You can see them on tours led by museum guides.
Museum Exhibits
The Chumash Indian Museum has many interesting things to explore, both inside and outside.
Inside the Museum
The museum building is about 5,400 square feet. Inside, you'll find artifacts that were found right here. These include tools used for grinding acorns. There are also murals, musical instruments, and games.
You can see a reconstructed tomol, which is a traditional Chumash canoe. There are also models of animals like cougars. A diorama shows what life was like before the Spanish arrived. The museum often borrows items from the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. These include woven bowls, grinding tools, and other artifacts.
Outside the Museum
Outside, you can explore several gardens. There's also a reconstructed Chumash village. You can see a traditional Chumash playing field, called a malamtepupi. The museum also has miles of hiking trails.
One trail leads to a huge oak tree. People say it might be the oldest and biggest tree in Thousand Oaks. It has a trunk that's 12 feet wide! This area also has 11 archaeological sites. These include ancient pictographs and bedrock mortars. Mortars are holes in rocks used for grinding acorns and other foods.
Behind the museum is a 25-acre nature preserve. It's in a canyon along the Conejo Creek. The shaded trail goes through old oak tree groves, some 200-300 years old. You'll also see mortar holes and the reconstructed Chumash village. There are cool rock formations too. The trail passes the remains of an old house with a brick oven. This was where the caretaker of Lang Ranch lived long ago. You can also find interesting sandstone formations like Elephant Rock and Calm Rock.
Ethnobotany Gardens
Near the museum, there are four special gardens. They feature native plants that the Chumash people used. Each plant has a sign explaining its purpose. These gardens were made possible by Edison International, local Eagle Scouts, and museum volunteers.
- Riparian/Basketry Garden: This garden shows plants that grow near creeks. Many of these plants were used for weaving baskets and making fibers. Examples include Giant wildrye, which was used for cigarettes and arrows. Basket Rush was a main material for baskets. Horsetail stems were used like sandpaper. Roots of Yerba Mansa were boiled for tea.
- Chaparral Garden: This garden has plants found on hillsides. These plants grow in chaparral and coastal sage scrub areas. Many species here provided food, like berries from Laurel Sumac. Wood from the Island Ironwood was used for harpoons and canoe paddles.
- Desert Garden: This garden features plants from drier areas. These include the Coast Prickly Pear, whose fruits were eaten and used for paint. Seeds from plants like Chia Sage were also eaten. The highly toxic roots of Jimsonweed were used to make a special drink for important rituals.
- Fruits and Flower Garden: This garden is by the museum entrance. It has native plants that produce flowers or fruits. Many fruits were eaten raw, like those from California blackberry and California wild rose. The Coast Live Oak was a key source of acorns. Its wood was also used for tools and firewood. Leaves from some plants, like Hummingbird Sage, were rubbed on the skin to help with sores or illness.
