An Introduction to the Barbareño Chumash Language

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napašnipit hihe'it'i he'lšup, 'ipwakapi hiptayašnipit, k'ayke swil 'it'i hisiywe' hi kiynohnonočwaš.
Walk softly over the land. Beneath it, the ancestors sleep.



Many Indigenous languages around the world are in danger of disappearing forever. In this presentation, you will learn about one of these languages, the Barbareño Chumash language of southern Santa Barbara County.

This is a rare glimpse of a community and its language that once thrived on and are closely tied to the land where the cities of Goleta and Santa Barbara stand today, and which are surviving after 250 years of contact with Spanish, Mexican, and American culture and society.

What distinguishes this language from other Chumash and California Native languages? What events have led this community and its language to their present condition? What are their hopes and dreams for the future?

These questions and more will be answered in this presentation!

Our talk is co-hosted with James Yee, a descendent of a long line of Native American Chumash ancestors who have lived in the southern Santa Barbara County area for untold generations.