Šmuwič Language School at Wishtoyo's Chumash Village

With the opening of the Šmuwič Language School in the Spring of 2010 at Wishtoyo’s Chumash Village, Chumash Elders Johnny Moreno and Deborah Sanchez are “reawakening our memory” by keeping the sounds of the Šmuwič language present. Under their leadership and guidance, current and future generations of Chumash can learn the Šmuwič language. They adjust to our communities needs by holding zoom sessions as well!

The preservation and continuation of our language—these vital sounds that carry our culture—remains essential to our cultural survival. By keeping our Šmuwič language alive, we sustain our songs and stories, maintain our unique ways of describing the landscape, plants, and animals around us, and continue to view the world through our distinctive cultural perspective.

We give great thanks to all those Chumash ancestors who passed down the language, Liz Dominquez (Chumash) who dedicated her life to bringing back language, songs and traditions, and Richard Applegate (linguist) who has worked with us since the beginning—supporting our learning and creating a richer dictionary.