'Those are our people'
More than a dozen years ago the Phoebe A. Hearst museum fired its anthropology team that was supposed to be monitoring human remains and said it had a final inventory of some 2000 human remains and funerary objects. All of those remains and objects are associated with the Chumash people. Even now the tribe has said the University of California Berkeley is a “documented bad actor” that continues to deliberately obstruct repatriation. Today we speak with Chairman Kenneth Kahn of the Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians.
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Team Chumash makes donation to local sports programs
Team Chumash, a branch of Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation, is the employee volunteer program for Chumash Enterprises. The program rewards team members for their volunteerism by awarding them with $500 All-Star grants from the foundation to be donated to a nonprofit of their choice.
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Kahn, Business Committee re-elected to Santa Ynez Chumash Leadership Team
Kenneth Kahn was re-elected tribal chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians in a recent vote that was held to appoint the tribe’s governing body. Also re-elected were all four members of the tribe’s Business Committee: Mike Lopez, Maxine Littlejohn, Gary Pace and Raul Armenta.
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‘We prayed this day would come’: California tribes welcome Haaland as first Native American Cabinet member
WASHINGTON — On Monday, Rep. Deb Haaland became the first Native American confirmed to serve in the president’s Cabinet — a historic moment celebrated by American Indians throughout the country.
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Chumash Museum and Cultural Center shaping up as construction continues
Construction continues on the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ $32 million museum and cultural center, with completion expected later this year.
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Chumash Foundation Accepting Applications for Technology in Schools Program Grants
For local schools looking to acquire high-tech resources and provide an added boost to their curriculum, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation is now accepting grant applications for its popular Technology in Schools Program.
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Chumash Casino Resort raises over $12K for local cancer patients
Sales of pink-colored desserts, snacks, treats and drinks at the Chumash Casino Resort generated $6,483 toward the annual Project Pink campaign, which raises funds throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. This year’s campaign beneficiary, Mission Hope Cancer Center, which is supported by the Marian Regional Medical Center Foundation, also received a matching grant from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, bringing the total donation to $12,966.
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Chumash Casino Resort receives award for Zero Waste efforts, green building
The Chumash Casino Resort was named one of 10 recipients of the U.S. Green Building Council’s 2020 Leadership Award during the Greenbuild Virtual conference.
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Chumash donate $100K to help Santa Ynez Valley schools reopen
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation has delivered $100,000 in donations to Santa Ynez Valley schools to help them meet high-tech needs for distance learning as classes resume amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Raul Armenta: Giving our local educators a hand
I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize our local teachers, administrators and school staff members for all of their hard work and their ongoing commitment to educating our youth in this uncertain climate.
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'A great educational piece': Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden completes construction of traditional Chumash dwelling
Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden of Buellton recently completed the restoration of its resident tule hut — a traditional dome-shaped Chumash dwelling assembled with native plant materials — that community members now can enjoy.
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SY Chumash commit $100,000 to valley schools to help with COVID costs
As local schools prepare to reopen with distance learning in place, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation has announced it will commit $100,000 to Santa Ynez Valley schools to help address unforeseen costs caused by COVID-19 restrictions.
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Chumash Casino Resort reopens after 3-month closure
The Chumash Casino Resort reopened its doors with heightened safety restrictions on Wednesday, June 10, following a three-month closure due to COVID-19. Tribal Chairman Kenneth Kahn says "... Our team has worked diligently to prepare for this moment, and we're confident that our new safety guidelines will help protect our team members and guests while they're on property.”
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Chumash recognized by EPA for waste reduction efforts
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and Chumash Casino Resort as its EPA WasteWise National Tribal Partner of the Year. Tribal Chairman Kenneth Kahn says “As the original stewards of the Santa Ynez Valley, our tribe understands the importance of minimizing our impact on the environment by any means necessary. The casino’s Facilities Department has taken our recycling efforts to another level, and it has required a lot of cooperation throughout our resort to get us where we are today.”
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Chumash honored with Zero Waste award
The Chumash Casino Resort has been honored for its waste recycling and reduction in areas from foam cups and cigarette butts to unused food products. In May, the tribe earned the TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Zero Waste certification from Green Business Certification Inc. Tribal Chairman Kenneth Kahn says they have studied ways to recycle the waste on site or with off site non-profit and private partners.
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Chumash Casino Resort closed through end of March due to coronavirus
Days after announcing the cancellation of shows and postponement of future concerts, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians elected to temporarily close the Chumash Casino Resort through the end of the month. Tribe members will continue to monitor the progress of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and take necessary precautions based on governmental directives, according to Kenneth Kahn, tribal chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
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Chumash Hotels and Restaurant Earn AAA Four Diamond Awards
The Chumash Casino Resort Hotel, the tribe’s Hotel Corque in Solvang and its Willows fine-dining restaurant all maintained their long-standing AAA Four Diamond Award status, earning spots on the American Automobile Association’s lists of hotels and restaurants that achieved excellence during inspections in 2019.
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Chumash donate $100K to Camp Rancho Alegre rebuild; Outdoor School on track for October reopening
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has donated $100,000 to the Rancho Alegre Boy Scout Camp reconstruction project, bringing the total in the $18 million rebuild campaign to $13.5 million, according to Carlos Cortez, scout executive and CEO of the Los Padres Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
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Chumash Casino Resort's Project Pink campaign donates $12K to local cancer program
Paul Hohe, director of food and beverage at the resort, announced at the Thrive Fashion Show that this year’s Project Pink efforts raised more than $6,000, and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation issued a matching grant, which allowed him to present a donation of $12,234 to the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Santa Barbara.
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Chumash donate $25,000 to local Toys for Tots program
Since 2004, the Chumash Casino Resort has designated a December concert to bring awareness to the Central Coast Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots campaign, which serves families in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties through partnerships with local agencies. On Dec. 6, before pop and R&B group 98 Degrees were to take the stage and perform at the Chumash Casino Resort Samala Room , the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians announced a donation of $25,000 to the local Toys for Tots campaign.
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