How do Chumash Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do–play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many Chumash children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls, toys, and games to play. One favorite Chumash children’s game was a contest to throw a javelin through a rolling hoop. Chumash kids also enjoyed swimming on the beaches. A Chumash mother traditionally carried a young child in a cradleboard on her back–a custom which many American parents have adopted now. What were men and women’s roles in the Chumash tribe? Chumash men were fishermen and hunters, and sometimes they went to war to protect their families. Chumash women ground acorn meal, did most of the cooking and child care, and wove baskets. Both genders took part in storytelling, music and artwork, and traditional medicine. A Chumash chief could be either a man or a woman.
