Chumash Hutash Honoring Project and Winter Solstice Celebration
Join the Chumash December 7th-21st, to participate in very special ceremonial traditions and celebrations.
The first ceremony will involve making ‘prayer bundles.’ This entails forming handfuls of spiritually medicinal herbs into balls wrapped and tied in cloth. Herbs such as sage and mugwort in Chumash culture, and pirul (pepper-tree leaves,) pericón (Mexican tarragon) lavender, copal, sweetgrass and cedar in other Native cultures are often used. These handfuls of herbs or resins are wrapped in cloth or paper and tied into a bundle like ‘flags,’ originally used to signify sacred rites, sacred sites and prayerful intentions. These prayer bundles or prayer flags signify one’s thoughts, wishes, good visions, and aspirations. They also serve as conflict resolutions that may have individual or communal intentions for peace, tranquility and blessings to all and reflect each one’s commitment to these positive endeavors of healing and wellbeing. If one is not Native, then one can participate in the offering (if not the making) of prayer bundles with guidance and explanation of the meaning and practices.
Another method of prayer will be in the preparation of prayer poles. This is a Chumash tradition used to honor all the Chumash and Native peoples who have died. This is a traditional form of ‘wrapping the posts’ by creating certain symbolic designs made by the interchanging variety of colored paper and cloth ribbons. These wrapped posts will transform into prayer poles for unknown people who have suffered and/or have died from state and domestic violence, abuse, terror, and the current effects of the pandemic.
A prayer for Peace, Love, and Tranquility will be offered as the common denominator of the world and of Native Peoples and as the antidote for hate.
The Hutash Honoring Project is sponsored by the Barbareno Chumash Tribal Council (BCTC) of Santa Barbara, Ca. and supported by the TTF.
The intention is to “celebrate the name change of “Indio Muerto/Dead Indian” street to “Hutash/Earth Mother” by encompassing the many sectors of our spiritual and civil society. We will ask people to join us in solidarity and with a good heart especially for the protection of our earth mother, climate change, and the protection of women and girls from femicide. Recognizing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and girls and the LGBTQ community. We also pray that we can recognize each other as human beings and that we can live in balance and harmony with each other, nature, and all living things from the Mountains to the Ocean here in Santa Barbara.”
Celebration Timeline:
December 7th to the 21st Solstice time: Video by the City of Santa Barbara to acknowledge the name change from Indio Muerto Street to Hutash Street:
Putting up the prayer ties. The beginning of prayer bundles or prayer poles being offered.
December 14th: The Indio Muerto posts come down by the City of Santa Barbara. 2:30 RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY
HANG pray ties on the sign post of NEW HUTASH STREET SIGN till Dec. 21ST.
December 19th: Prayer vigil march down Hutash Street. CANCELLED Celebration will happen when pandemic is over.
Wrapping of the poles; and putting up the prayer bundles on the posts; Chumash individuals will lead, then Danzantes and singers march in prayer and celebration, followed by car caravan down Hutash street. Neighbor offerings.
December 23rd: Stripping the paper wrappings off of the poles and taking prayer ties down and collected for proper disposal