1992: Fighting for Freedom of Religion—In the Church

On October 21, 1992, at the Vatican, Pope John Paul II publicly asked for forgiveness:

“We do not cease asking these people for ‘forgiveness.’ This request for pardon is primarily addressed to the first inhabitants of the new land, the Indians, and then to those who were brought from Africa as slaves to do heavy labor.”

For many tribal members who practiced both Catholicism and their traditional ceremonies, those parts of their identities had long been forced apart. The Catholic Church demanded separation—our songs, our drums, and our beliefs were treated as incompatible with Christian worship.

After the Pope’s visit to the U.S. and his statements, Coast Band leaders called the arch dioces of Los Angeles, asking him to put pressure on local priests in Santa Barbara to ensure that these new views held by the Pope would be upheld on a local level.

As a result, local priests were forced to comply and allow Chumash ceremonies inside Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and Our Lady of Sorrows Church. The funeral of Chi Chio, one of the Brother-hood-of-the-Tomol and Keeper of the Drum saw a Mass and then a drum ceremony on the same pupit. Parents who weren’t baptized could baptize their children—something once strictly forbidden. These were important steps forward for Chumash people to live their chosen spiritual lives in freedom.