Supporting Local Chumash Heritage
Foothills Forever has been working with a well-respected elder, Ernestine Ygnacio-DeSoto from the beginning of this journey. Ernestine is the daughter of the last kiy -aqliw speaker. As a Chumash elder, Ernestine is the Spiritual Advisor and guide for Foothills Forever. We have also included others in the Chumash community. Our goal has been to follow Chumash Protocol and we will continue to do so. We are dedicated to respectfully adhering to Chumash Tribal Sovereignty. New things will be added to the page to help educate the public on everything from animals to the Indigenous community. We are committed to speaking the truth, educating and upholding Chumash values.
Pictured: Ernestine Ygnacio-DeSoto (Right) and Melissa Parra-Hernandez (Left)
The Hawk in Chumash Traditions:
The Red-tailed hawk (kwich’i) is calmer and wiser than us. kwich’i has the vision we do not.
kwich’i flys high above, he is able to see the problems of today but also has a wider view of issues. He flys high above and can see what is taking place today but can also see for miles with clarity. We need to have vision like kwich’i, to see the problem and resolution, to see the bigger picture.
This story was told to us by the bear (xus) dancer and passed down through oral history for many years from Santa Ynez Reservation. kwich’i is used to describe a hawk and sometimes a condor in samala Chumash.
Sometimes in Chumash everything doesn’t always have a specific name for it. There are approximately seven different languages in Chumash, samala is the name for the language of the people on and around the reservation in ancient times.
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On any given day, Red-tailed Hawks can be found soaring the thermals above the San Marcos Foothills Preserve, taking flight in search of prey such as snakes, voles, and insects.
They are commonly seen above the grasslands and coastal sage scrub on the West Mesa, perched on roadside poles, tall trees, or sailing over the fields.
Their long broad wings and short tails have a reddish hue that becomes more distinct as they age, and their bodies are typically colored either a dark brown or reddish-brown dependent on their specific type of morph.
Both Ernestine Ygnacio-DeSoto and Marianne Parra have been involved with Foothills Forever since January 2021 and joined the Leadership Committee in February 2021.
Ernestine Ygnacio-DeSoto
Ernestine Ygnacio-DeSoto is a well known and respected Chumash Elder for the Goleta, Santa Barbara and Montecito areas. She is recognized by Santa Ynez Reservation and her families picture is in the cultural hall there. She is the daughter of Mary Yee, the last native speaker of the coastal Chumash tribe. Mary Yee was also a Chumash storyteller.
Her grandmother was Lucretia Ygnacio. Ernestine’s mother worked tirelessly with John Peabody Harrington to document and preserve the language and culture. James Yee the nephew of Ernestine is working towards his Phd in Chumash linguistics and holds a masters in education. Ernestine was a Mental Health nurse for many years and has written a few books. One endearing story Ernestine grew up listening to was the Sugar Bear story, Ernestine turned this into a book as well as illustrated it.
Ernestine is active in speaking her native language as well as Chumash basketry.
Ernestine’s 4X great grandfather was Chief Yanonali. Ernestine Ygnacio- Desoto’s family is one of the oldest documented Chumash families to still reside on ancestral lands.
Marianne Parra
We are excited to have Marianne Parra, on the Foothills Forever executive committee. Marianne Parra is Chumash with lineage to Santa Ynez, Goleta, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Ventura.
Marianne spent many years from early childhood to late teens on the Santa Ynez Reservation with family, learning and practicing culture and being connected with elders. Family and building connections within her communities have always been very important.
She has a lengthy background in the medical field and doing volunteer work with domestic violence survivors. Her education in forensic psychology is on hold while she explores Chumash ethnobotany and other areas. Marianne is the granddaughter of a Chumash healer/medicine woman who first shared stories with her regarding pygmy woolly mammoths in the area long before any had been discovered.