Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians

The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Chumash people located in Santa Barbara, California. The tribe refers to itself as Samala and their ancestral homeland as ’alaxulapu. Their reservation, the Santa Ynez Indian Reservation, was established on December 27, 1901, and originally spanned 127 acres. In 2019, the reservation expanded by 1,390 acres through the inclusion of Camp 4 into tribal trust lands.

The tribe is governed by a democratically elected five-member council, with Kenneth Kahn serving as Chairman. The Santa Ynez Band operates several businesses, including the Chumash Casino Resort and other hospitality ventures such as the Corque Hotel, Chumash Cafe, Creekside Buffet, The Willows restaurant, and Root 246.

The Samala Chumash language, also known as Ineseño, faced extinction after its last native speaker died in 1965. Linguistic efforts led by Richard Applegate and Nakia Zavalla have aimed to revive the language through educational programs and documentation. The tribe has also repatriated significant cultural items under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), including Arlington Springs Man, an ancient Paleoindian remains found on Santa Rosa Island, which were returned in 2022.

The reservation is served by local school districts, and the tribe has made efforts to preserve its culture and heritage.