Humaliwo facts for kids

Humaliwo was an old Chumash village located in what is now Malibu, California. The name “Humaliwo” meant "where the surf sounds loudly." This village sat on a hill across from the lagoon at Malibu Lagoon State Beach. The neighboring Tongva people called the village Ongobehangna. Humaliwo was recognized as an important historical site in 1976. Many old things like human burials, tools, and other cultural items have been found there. Some parts of the site are as old as 7,000 years!

The Chumash People

Chumash Culture and Society

Archaeologists have learned a lot about the Chumash people by studying their burial sites. It seems the Chumash lived in large communities. These communities were led by important chiefs and other leaders. These leaders were protected by armed men who also helped provide food.

One way to tell if someone was a chief was if they had more than one spouse. Regular people usually had only one spouse. This tradition changed after the Spanish arrived, as the Catholic church did not allow it. Chiefs were often buried with many beads, showing their high status. Wealthy Chumash families were sometimes buried together in family plots. This shows how important family and social class were in their society. The Chumash often traded valuable items like shell beads with their neighbors, the Tongva and Acjachemen.

Living Off the Land

The Chumash people have lived along the Santa Barbara Channel for thousands of years. Evidence shows they were there at least eleven thousand years ago! They lived in many places along the California Coast. This included the mainland, inner valleys, and even islands near Malibu and San Luis Obispo.

They had plenty of resources from the ocean, the land, and even some plants and animals they raised. This allowed them to live well and stay strong in their homeland. After European colonization, the land faced new challenges. Things like droughts or shortages of resources happened. These problems were caused by more people, using too many resources, and changes to the climate.

Chumash Territory

People traveled by sea to the Channel Islands about 13,000 years ago. These early seafaring people, who spoke Hokan, traveled between the islands and the California mainland.

The Chumash had a large territory. Their name for themselves was pavajmkar, meaning “in the water.” Their lands stretched from San Luis Obispo south to Topanga Canyon (Topaa’nga). This included present-day Malibu (Maliwu). They also lived across the Santa Barbara channel on islands like Santa Cruz (Limuw), Anacapa (Anyapakh), San Miguel Island (Tuqan), and Santa Rosa Island (Wi'ma). Before the Spanish arrived, the Chumash population was between 15,000 and 20,000 people. Some villages near Humaliwo included Malibu Canyon (Ta’lopop), Point Dume (Sumo), Lechuza Canyon (Loxostox’ni), Westlake Village (Hipuk), Conejo Grade (Lalimanux), and El Escopion (Huwam).

Tomols: Ancient Canoes

Point Mugu (Muwu), meaning "beach," was a place where tomols were launched. It was about a half-day trip by tomol to the east side of Santa Cruz Island. Humaliwo village was a landing spot for Ti’at plank canoes coming from P’imu or P’imungna (Catalina Island).

The Chumash tomols are the oldest known ocean-going boats in North America. They were made from redwood driftwood found along the coast. The Chumash used yop, a sticky tar-like mix of pine pitch and asphaltum, to seal the planks. Animal sinew was used to fasten the planks together. Tomols helped the Chumash get to more ocean and land resources. They also created important trade routes. These plank canoes were fully developed by about A.D. 1100-1150. Owning and using a tomol gave a person a higher social status.

Burial Customs and Social Status

The type of funeral a Chumash person had showed their wealth and social standing. People often left special items at graves. These items showed the person's role in society. For example, friends and family might leave a piece of a canoe at a canoe maker's grave.

• Commoner's Burial: An average person, or commoner, might have a very simple funeral. Only close friends and family would attend. They usually did not have many items buried with them. Most of their belongings were burned to remove memories of the person. Commoners' graves were usually unmarked.

• Periodic Mourning Ceremony: Every few years, the Chumash held a large ceremony. This honored all the commoners who had passed away since the last ceremony. Because it honored many people, it was very grand. It could take up to two years to gather enough resources for a proper ceremony.

• Burial of an Important Person: In contrast, someone of great social importance had a much larger and more expensive ceremony. Important roles included chiefs, religious leaders, or other wealthy people. There would be a public mourning ceremony, with many people attending. A chief might be buried with many strings of beads and a fur cape to show his status. More beads meant the person was wealthier or more important. Unlike a commoner's unmarked grave, an important person's grave would have a large pole. This pole showed their significance. There is also evidence that Chumash people had family burial sites. The location of a grave was very important for social status.

Special people called Aqi handled the burials. They were chosen because they were not able to have children. This was thought to protect them from any harm during the ceremonies.

• Body Position: Chumash bodies were usually buried with their heads facing southwest. This was likely so the person's spirit could travel over the ocean to the land of the dead.

Malibu Regional History

Early European Visits: 1542-1770s

From October 1 to 13, 1542, explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo anchored at Malibu Lagoon. He claimed the land for the King of Spain. He called the lagoon “Pueblo de las Canoas” (Town of the Canoes). This name referred to the many Humaliwo canoes he saw there. Cabrillo's journey ended when he died on Catalina Island in 1543.

Later, on February 22, 1776, Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza led an expedition. His group camped at Malibu Creek.

Franciscan Missions in Chumash Lands: 1769 – 1834

The Chumash people played a big part in building three of the twenty-one Franciscan missions. These were the Mission San Buenaventura, Mission Santa Barbara, and Mission Santa Inés. The Spanish settlers used Chumash land. They also started raising livestock. They even used Chumash resources like shell beads as money.

Early stories say the Chumash welcomed the Spanish before colonization. They offered food and entertainment like dancing and singing. However, by 1805, all the people from Humaliwo were moved into these missions:

• 1772: San Luis Obispo
• 1782: San Buenaventura
• 1786: Santa Barbara
• 1787: La Purisima Concepcion
• 1804: Santa Ynez

Mexican-American California

After Mexico gained independence in 1821, it ruled California from 1822 to 1848. The Mexican government encouraged people to settle in Alta California. They gave large land grants called "ranchos" to important men. In the 1800s, Jose Bartolome Tapia received a large land grant. It was the 13,330-acre (5,390-hectare) Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit, also known as "Rancho Malibu." This was a reward for his service to Spain. Jose Tapia owned the rancho until 1848. Then, it was sold to Leon Victor Prudhomme. This happened during the time when California was changing from Mexican to United States rule.

After the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, Mexico gave Alta California to the United States. The United States passed the Land Claims Act of 1851. This act did not always honor the land ownership promises made in the treaty. Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit could not prove Tapia's ownership, so the claim was rejected. In 1857, Matthew Keller bought the entire property from the Prudhommes for only $1,400. That was about 10 cents per acre!

On October 24, 1864, Keller's claim to Rancho Malibu was confirmed. By 1892, Frederick Hastings Rindge and May Knight Rindge bought the 13,330-acre property. They were the fourth and last owners of the entire Rancho Malibu.

The Adamson House

The Adamson House is a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1929 by Rhoda Rindge Adamson, Frederick Rindge's daughter, and her husband Merritt Adamson. The Adamson House and Malibu Lagoon Museum are located on Vaquero Hill. This spot is just east of the Malibu Lagoon. For many generations, this area was used by the native Chumash people as a place for waste and burials.

Sharing Histories

Many Chumash elders recorded their history and experiences with Europeans. However, early published stories were often translated and told by non-Native scholars. These early accounts sometimes showed the Chumash people as primitive. They even sometimes said their culture was gone.