A Collaborative Journey of Education, Art, and Cultural Preservation at SBCC
Walking across the West Cliff Drive Campus of Santa Barbara City College, visitors pause to read the newly-installed series of Chumash educational signs. The signs cover a wide range of topics from history, language, and art as well as more recent history of colonization and the ways Chumash people continue to resist and thrive. Each sign is accompanied with stunning artistic elements to bring the stories to life in a visual way.
“Being able to work on this project and do a deep dive into our culture and language felt like a good use of all the skills I’ve learned in community and in school the last few years. I am excited for Chumash youth to be able to see our story in such a powerful way that talks about us in the present tense,” said Maura Sullivan, Chumash Signage Project Committee member.
“I love to create art with my relatives,” said Stephen Franco, another member of the Chumash Signage Project committee. “Inspiring one another. Wholeheartedly supporting one another. This is the journey I went on with Annette, Maura and Solange. Having hours-long conversations. Whittling down vast amounts of information, oral history and writing. Deciding and agreeing on what to share that best tells and depicts our stories not only in our past but in our present. I am excited for the students and all who walk the bluffs at Mispu to observe and read these signs.”
These visual landmarks represent just one facet of a growing collaboration between the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation and the college. Behind each installation lies a story of partnership and mutual respect, where Indigenous perspectives shape the physical and cultural landscape of the institution.
When classes gather for important occasions, a carefully crafted land acknowledgment—co-created through thoughtful dialogue between Tribal members and college leadership—honors the original stewards of the land. Words chosen with intention remind everyone whose territory they stand upon, transforming routine proceedings into moments of reflection and respect.
Perhaps most energizing has been the emergence of a Native American student group on campus, creating space for Indigenous students to connect, support one another, and celebrate their identities. These students now bridge communities, building relationships with their peers at UCSB's American Indian and Indigenous Student Association (AIISA), strengthening regional networks of Indigenous scholars.
Through these interconnected efforts, the collaboration extends far beyond symbolic gestures. Together, the Coastal Band and Santa Barbara City College are weaving Indigenous perspectives into the fabric of higher education, creating pathways for Native students and transforming how all students understand their relationship to place, history, and community.
