Chumash Story: The Rainbow Bridge

My name is Julie Tumamayet Stenslie.

I am an island descendant.

My father Vincent Tumamayet, the son of Cecilio Tumamayet,
and the grandson of Juan de Jesus Tumamayet.

Our families come from Santa Cruz Island and Santa Rosa Island.

From villages such as Shuahill, Laoopsh, Nanuawani and mashChal on Santa Cruz.

And from the village of Hegeman on Santa Rosa Island. Saheepaka, once upon a time.

Here on this beautiful island that we call Limu meaning in the sea.

You know it today, a Santa Cruz Island mother Earth Hutash was out here.

And as she had created many things here on the island.

She thought something was missing.

So she went to a very special plant.

And she gathered some magic seeds.

And she threw the seeds out into the earth here on the island.

And pretty soon up from the ground.

Up from this beautiful earth grew these beautiful people.

She gave them many gifts here and showed them how to live happily on this island.

Well, her husband, Ajioposh the sky snake today we know him as the milky way.

He wanted to give the people a gift too.

So he gave them the gift of fire by shooting a bolt of lightning to the ground.

While the fires burned hot.

And they kept warm with these fires.

And they cook their food.

The village has started to grow and grow.

And be populated with more and more Children.

Pretty soon with all the noise from these Children.

Hootash was annoyed.

And she decided that it was time for these people.

To move on and to move to another place.

So she said to herself.

I've got to think of some place to put these people a different place.

A place where they could spread out and be very happy.

Well, the next morning, she gathered all the people up to a very high high mountain.

Siwut.

Or as we know it today, Mount Diablo.

And as she told the people to look, as they looked up into the sky across the ocean.

They saw a beautiful, beautiful rainbow wishdoyle.

And she told them that that image was a rainbow bridge.

And the Rainbow Bridge was going to take them.

To a new land that was very large.

And they could fill that with people.

Well, as people started to climb over the bridge and cross over.

Many became very dizzy and very frightened because there was a mist and a fog below.

They couldn't even see the ocean.

Well, as they started falling off, crying out to Hootash.

For help.

She took pity.

And she changed them and transformed them into dolphins.

And that is what.

We call our brothers and sisters today of the ocean.

Alokoy

Those people who crossed over on the bridge went to a place called Tismahu.

Where it steams out today. We know that place is Carpenteria.

And the people came off that Rainbow bridge and spread out.

Into all these beautiful places on our mainland.

And that is all.