A centerpiece of our Chumash culture is that tribal elders should be admired and honored for the knowledge and experiences they've gathered over their lifetimes. Our elders, and the ones before them, have endured so much for us to stay together as a tribe.

For example, our reservation in the valley did not have running water until 1969. Some of our ancestors were sent away to boarding schools where teachers tried to stamp out our language and traditions...