News Release

Chumash Tomol Crossing to Channel Islands National Park

Robert Schwemmer, NOAA

News Release Date: August 10, 2023

Contact: Jasmine Reinhardt, 805-658-5725

Members of the Chumash Indian community, for the 20th time in modern history, will paddle across the Santa Barbara Channel on a 24-mile journey to Santa Cruz Island in a traditional Chumash tomol plank canoe called Muptami, or “Deep Memories.” This crossing, planned for Saturday August 12, 2023, will continue the cultural tradition of crossing the channel in a tomol to the Channel Islands as the Chumash did for thousands of years. 

A rotating crew will paddle for about eight hours. Chumash people from San Luis Obispo to Malibu and beyond will take part in welcoming the tomol when it lands at Swaxil, present day Scorpion Harbor, on the island of Limuw, also called Santa Cruz, in Channel Islands National Park.

This crossing and arrival represents a pilgrimage for the Chumash people, and an opportunity to spend time together on Limuw celebrating Chumash culture and the deep spiritual connection to their sacred ancestral island. Chumash belief is grounded in the fact that all life is sacred. They originate from the beautiful Channel Islands off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara. Chumash life has never been separate from the islands. Nevertheless, the Chumash were removed from their ancestral islands. Not until the tomol crossings began in modern history, did the Chumash come full circle back to their ancestral homelands.

Chumash and their ancestors lived on the northern Channel Islands for more than 13,000 years before the arrival of Europeans. Tomols are plank canoes made with redwood sewn together by Chumash people designed for ocean navigation which were developed at least 1,500 years ago. They provided the means for Chumash to fish deep waters, trade between the islands and mainland, and sustain their extensive social, economic, and political networks. Today, tomols and channel crossings provide Chumash and all peoples with a deeper understanding of the rich Chumash maritime heritage and connections with the Channel Islands.

This event event also highlights the many partnerships that support the crossing and arrival, including the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, the Barbareño Chumash Tribal Council, other local Chumash groups, the Ti’at Society (the Traditional Council of Pimu), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and the National Park Service (NPS) at Channel Islands National Park. Every year the crossing continues to grow, as the relationships deepen between the tribes, partners, and supporting agencies. Other voices from Canoe Indigenous Nations will share their support with celebratory announcements. The Chumash crew will launch Muptami from the Channel Islands Harbor before dawn on Saturday morning and will reach Limuw by midday, where they will be welcomed by families and celebrate on the shore with a ceremony.

Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary acknowledge the ancestral homelands of the Chumash people which predate the agencies. As stewards, both agencies are entrusted to conserve and protect for future generations, including sites and resources that hold significance to Chumash who have lived and cared for Limuw since time immemorial. NPS and NOAA hosts these events in keeping with its responsibilities to embrace and support Chumash people with original cultural and historical ties to the island of Limuw. The public is welcome at Scorpion Harbor via day trip. Park visitors are reminded to be respectful of the gathering, to observe the landing from a distance, and to not photograph or record the events other than the tomol arrival.