Chumash Country
Sam’s ramp is tucked into the landscape of Chumash Country. At times it’s hard to concentrate on skating because of the surrounding beauty. Shredding while Red-Tail Hawks dive-bomb nearby is otherworldly. Sam though, seems to have no trouble tearing his ramp to shreds.
“Balance and Sustainability
We need to respect this balance and be responsible for it, as were our ancestors. The three bodies of life – land, air and water – sustain us; we are dependent on them for our existence and survival. The Chumash tribes came together each year, to share our stories, and meet the newborn, and dance together. We shared our knowledge and our experiences with each other.
Man wants to control everything; this is a problem. Man’s greed interrupts nature’s way of life. We need to incorporate nature’s laws into man’s laws. In today’s world, we have forgotten this balance. We have forgotten our responsibility. Our mind’s eye – our 3rd eye – knows this; one cannot ignore their inner thoughts and visions. It drives our interpretation of what we deem right or wrong. Through our sacred fires, our ceremonies, our dances, we remember: m’uptamai – memory – the visions of our past. This can never be taken away from our people. We carry our ancestors’ thoughts and ways. The prayers and ceremonies teach us to respect our balance with nature. We must listen.
The more we remove ourselves from nature’s role – our natural role – the more we will become obsolete; we won’t be a part of it. What we do in this century will set the stage for future generations. From the strongest to the weakest, we have to remember that we are ALL in this together. As the foreigners saw the frontier as a place to explore new horizons and bring their families, the Indian people see nature and the environmental laws as a frontier.
It is said, without man, this world would flourish. It is true. We have to learn to live in this world in a sustainable way. Life will continue, it will find itself again, with or without us.” – Mati Waiya, to read more visit wishtoyo.org
“The Hawk and the Deer represent the Spring season. The Hawk is the Deer’s helper. Chumash legend has it that the Hawk returned the missing sun on its red-tipped tail.” – Mati Waiya
