First Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Santa Barbara, CA

The Tribal Trust Foundation collaborated with local community members on a successful campaign urging the Santa Barbara City Council and County Board of Supervisors to officially recognize the first Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, replacing Columbus Day.

After a year of advocacy, the Mayor of Santa Barbara issued a formal declaration, supported by local Chumash leaders, including representatives from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians (SYBCI), the Coastal Band, and the Barbareño community.

This unified support was deeply meaningful, marking a powerful step forward in community healing and acknowledgment. Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the survival, strength, and cultural resurgence of Native communities in the face of centuries of colonization, genocide, and erasure. It represents a commitment to truth-telling, reconciliation, and shared responsibility.

Here in Santa Barbara, we recognize and honor the Chumash people as the original stewards of this land, whose enduring presence and wisdom continue to shape the ecological and cultural fabric of our region.