The combination of sea level rise, warming sea surface temperatures (SSTs), and increased storm intensity, are substantially increasing rates of coastal erosion. Faced with sea level rise and attendant coastal erosion and risks to coastal Chumash cultural heritage, coastal managers and Chumash communities will be forced to make hard choices about how best to adapt and respond to risks to cultural archaeological sites.
This proposed project will build on a preliminary study sponsored by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians that includes an assessment of coastal hazard exposure of Chumash coastal village sites. This work serves a screening level of analysis to provide a characterization of the timing and severity of the full range of coastal hazard exposures to Chumash village sites that have been identified and described in public documents.
This project will provide a more detailed assessment of the vulnerabilities of coastal Chumash village sites and “cultural keystone places” or CKPs to sea level rise and coastal hazards. CKPs influence the development of Tribal cultural identity, language, stories, history, and ceremonial practices. The interdisciplinary research will include the use of CEK; incorporate an analysis of publicly available scientific and technical information on coastal Chumash archaeology; and will include a characterization of the severity of risks to coastal Chumash village sites based on data and information incorporated into a coastal hazard model. The research activities will include a focus on cases that describe coastal village areas of “high risk”.
Tribal staff and technical consultants will create a “matrix of adaptation planning measures” that can be used in future vulnerability assessments and climate adaptation strategies and plans in California. This matrix will include an analytical review of diverse strategies and adaptive measures needed for the Tribe to respond to coastal vulnerabilities, threats and risks to coastal Chumash cultural heritage and identified archaeological sites. Chumash community members will play an important role in identifying the CKPs that are at risk and the Tribal members’ preferences and values associated with the types of adaptive strategies and response measures that are needed by the Tribe to respond to threats and risks to coastal Tribal cultural heritage. In addition, the proposed project will include a database framework with attribute tables and GIS data sets for internal use by the Tribe in consultation and engagement activities. This will contribute to Tribal development of a decision-making tool and a much-needed organization of the Tribe’s archaeological, ethnographic, historical, and traditional data and information that can be used by the Tribe.
Report Information
Prepared By:
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians