THE SPACE

Through culture, art and education, our mission is to celebrate the rich Indigenous culture of the Chumash People to inform both the local Indigenous community and surrounding communities, fostering understanding and appreciation by sharing traditional skills and perspectives, to build capacity and resilience within our community, ensuring a legacy of advocacy, collaboration, confidence, strength and stewardship.

Our vision is to create a future of cultural preservation and environmental stewardship where history, wisdom and traditions are respected and celebrated, a connection between generations inspires appreciation for heritage, a deeper connection to the natural world, and empowers people to lead the charge in protecting the lands, waters, cultures, and environment.

Our primary function is to build community, share cultural knowledge and traditions, and create healing through honest examination of history and how we can do better moving forward, together. 

Our community coffees, break down barriers through relational learning, build social capital and trust required for long-term coalition building. Monthly workshops move education from a passive state to an active one, creating an environment where participants can discuss deconstructing their own biases, and dismantling unfair structures. Site tours shift the power dynamic, moving from "being allowed in" to "owning the room. When a community sees their art, language, and rituals centered in a space that once excluded them, it validates their right to occupy any space. We have rebranded the Casa De La Guerra Courtyard to “Under the Oak & Olive” reindiginizing and reclaiming land back in the heart of Santa Barbara.