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To look forward, we must look back—to the beginning.
Origin Stories is a reverent exploration into the ancestral relationships between people and place. It invites us to listen deeply to the stories carried by the land and the First Peoples who have walked it for millennia.

In this series, we will delve into the origin stories of place and people for each feature that we release here at Farmers Footprint.

These stories illuminate the ways humans once lived in right relationship with nature—how food was not only cultivated, but honored; how culture and ceremony wove through the daily tending of land and kin; how reciprocity shaped every gesture toward the earth.

Centered on the knowledge and enduring presence of First Nations communities, Origin Stories pays particular attention to ancestral foods and the intricate webs of nourishment—ecological, cultural, and spiritual—they sustain. These stories are not relics. They are living legacies.

Through this series, we are invited to slow down and witness the nature present in our own lives—the rivers, birdsong, grasses, and seasons—and to imagine how life once flourished in reciprocity here. With humility and care, we ask: how might we honor these ways in our present-day lives?

Origin Stories asks us to restore reverence for origin. To acknowledge, with deep respect, the First Peoples of the lands we inhabit. And to see food not as commodity, but as connection—to earth, to ancestry, to community, and to the sacred cycles that sustain life through highlighting the original agricultural systems of each place.

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Elders carry with them wise stories that hold the power to reconnect us to the world and each other, reminding us that we are all of this earth… By embracing their wisdom and honoring their legacies, we can weave together a future that will endure. Their timeworn knowledge, like a river of ancient truths, flows into our hearts, offering us both guidance and resilience in the face of the unknown.

Through conversations and dialogues with indigenous elders across the globe, we bridge ancient wisdom with modern science. Honoring our roots to cultivate our future: this is a space to explore regenerative practices through ancestral paradigms.

By sitting with Elders from different cultures around the world, and engaging in their stories, we intertwine ancient wisdom with modern science to deepen our bond with the Earth. In this series, we will become accustomed with sacred insights that can illuminate our path towards a regenerative future.

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The history of our ancestors was not written in books. It was spoken, sung, and carved into the landscapes and spaces that held their lives. Stories lived in the words of our elders, in ceremonial songs that were carried through generations—in oral traditions that told us of creation stories and lessons of the lands that sustained us. Across cultures, storytelling binds us to place, to people, and to purpose. These stories tether us — to the earth, to one another, and to the eternal wisdom that reminds us we are a part of the living world. They are not just memories of the past; they are living instructions for how to move forward in reciprocity and respect.

To tell a story is to plant a seed — one that may grow into understanding, into action, into remembrance. Through stories of our lands, we carry the knowledge of our ancestors into the future, ensuring that the roots of our culture remain unbroken. And like seeds in the soil, stories are always waiting — for the right moment, the right listener, the right heart — to listen, to learn, and to grow once more.

Maria Elena ‘Mia’ Lopez, a Chumash Elder, university professor and wisdom keeper, speaks to this sacred remembering. She reminds us that we are all indigenous to somewhere, that our roots are not lost but waiting to be remembered. ‘A lot of people say we are all indigenous to somewhere, and we are,’ she says. ‘If you know about that place, that’s how you reconnect. If you know deeper about who you are, who your parents are, your grandparents and so forth — know your lineage, know where you came from — it’s the same as knowing history. We know history, why? Not because we can change it, but if we don’t know it, we can’t move forward in a better way. And so if you know your history, your people, your lineage then collectively, we can move forward together in a good way.’

“I don’t want you to go home, because we are all now home together,” she says, her voice steady as the earth itself. “But I do want you to know where your ancestral home was. I want you to know why your people thrived there, why they loved it, what was in that land that brought them health and family and community.”

This is an invitation—not to retreat, but to return. Not to claim, but to remember. The land does not ask us to possess it. It asks us to be in relationship with it, to understand that where we stand now is woven with the places our ancestors once called home.

I have spoken with elders from many indigenous traditions, and every single one of them has told me the same thing: The time is now. The time to remember that we are all indigenous is now. Every human being is indigenous to this earth, yet many have been severed from the knowledge of their origins. If we do not know where we come from, how can we ever know how to truly belong? But if we trace our lineage, if we seek out the lands that nurtured our ancestors, the food they ate, the ways they spoke to the earth, we will find that indigeneity is not exclusive—it is our birthright.

As a Māori woman, I carry the understanding that my people, like all peoples, have been gifted the wisdom of those who came before. Our ancestors left us knowledge, practices, and principles so that we may come together and move forward in unity. The more I delve into Regenerative Agriculture, the deeper I am reminded of our ancestral food systems. This wisdom was not given to be hoarded or lost; it was meant to be lived, shared, and remembered. Our tūpuna (ancestors) understood reciprocity, how to listen to the land, how to cultivate abundance in a way that sustained generations.

Many of us today are disconnected, not just from our ancestral lands, but from the very understanding that we belong to the earth, not the other way around. Colonization and industrialization have pulled us from the cycles that once sustained our people. The knowledge that once passed from grandparent to grandchild, through hands in the soil and songs in the air, has been severed. And yet, as Mia reminds us, the memory of that relationship still exists—it is waiting for us to listen.

She speaks of Syuxtun, now renamed Santa Barbara, and how her people lived in deep harmony with the land. “Our landscape here was abundant because we allowed our plants to live together. The Three Sisters—corn, beans, and squash—grew as companions, supporting and nourishing one another. But colonization brought monocropping, and in severing those relationships, the land suffered.”

This severance is not just agricultural; it is cultural, spiritual, and systemic. The shift to extractive farming mirrored a broader shift in human consciousness—a mindset of control, ownership, and dominance over the natural world. But the land has not forgotten. Regenerative agriculture is not a trend, not a new solution, but an old knowing. It is the remembering of what has always been true: when we farm with the land, rather than against it, abundance follows.

Dr. Zach Bush calls this moment one of profound imbalance—where chaos stretches from the cellular to the societal to the planetary. Yet within the disorder is a promise of renewal. “We live in a universe that practices centropy—the emergence of order from chaos. What will bring us back into balance is the moment we just give witness to beauty. He reminds us that for 10,000 years, human economies have been built on scarcity. Nature has never operated this way—and we must return human economies to the value systems of the earth itself.”

Zach also speaks of a deeper cultural shift that must take place. “If we’re really going to change everything, it’s going to be the culture of food. NANA is our description of this culture of food that will be birthed. It is going to be the culture of food that makes the regenerative story become relevant and palpable in every single home in this world—where we start to eat the future that we want to live in.”

Storytelling, then, is not merely a tool—it is a path. It is how we remember, how we re-story ourselves back into balance. As Oliver English puts it, “We have the solutions already. This is not about inventing something new; it is about a realignment. This is going back to ancient and indigenous wisdom, to the practices that have sustained life for generations.”

We must embrace our ancestral wisdom, and those that hold it, and bridge our current science with ancient truths. This is not about discovering new technologies but reclaiming ancient principles that have been disregarded by the industrial mind and movement.

Mia listens to these words and reminds us of the power of community. “We are not alone. If everything we do, we do with ten others in mind, we will do better. And we must choose to move forward with positivity. No more narratives of despair—we turn that story around. We start small, but we start. Even if it’s 5%, even if it’s 1%, it is something. And we do it together.” As the human species indigenous to this earth, we are truly in this together.

Beginning, after all, is everything. The first seed planted, the first story told, the first step taken back toward reciprocity.
This is what re-story-ation looks like. A remembering. A return. A seed planted deep in the soil of our collective knowing, waiting for us to witness it, to learn from it, and to let it grow for future generations to come.

It is time to remember the culture in agriculture, through food, story, and ancestral wisdom.

Written By: Briar Rose, Director of Storytelling

Watch the Dialogues Below to Explore the Story of Our Return to Culture through Land, Lineage, Food, and Story

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What is the indigenous name of that country?

Who were the original peoples of the land?

• Southern Africa’s first indigenous peoples have been referred to as the San. The San peoples (also Saan), or Bushmen, are the members of any of the indigenous hunter-gatherer cultures of southern Africa, and the oldest surviving cultures of the region (9).
• The San peoples were joined by the Bantu peoples, who introduced Agriculture.
  • San Peoples → Bantu Peoples – the Introduction of Agriculture

How far back can we see the agriculture of this land?

What tools did they use?

• Both stone and iron tools were utilized for farming (3).
• Their introduction of iron tools led to increased food production and supported population growth.
• Iron-smelting technology was developed, producing more efficient agricultural tools like hoes for planting, weeding, and land clearing (3, 4).

What animals did they manage?

• Cattle, sheep, and goats.

What resources did they have available?

• Water Resources: Rivers and water sources were crucial for both agriculture and hunter-gatherer lifestyles.
• Forests
• Diverse wildlife: Including elephants, hippopotamuses, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, and various antelopes
  Plant resources: The varied flora of Angola’s savannas and forests would have provided edible and medicinal plants.
• Raw Materials: Woods, reeds, and animals (and, formerly, stone) are the main raw materials from which their clothing, carrying bags, water containers, and hunting weapons were made. For hunting they used bows and poisoned arrows, snares, throwing sticks, and sometimes spears.

The Bantu practiced slash-and-burn agriculture in forested areas (5).

• They created small clearings by cutting down trees and burning stumps and undergrowth (5).
• In savanna regions, they prepared fields with rows of earthen mounds (5).
• Planting typically began in April or May, coinciding with the first rains (5).
• Women and children often performed tasks like weeding and transplanting (5).

What were the staple crops?

• Staple crops: Yams, cassava, cocoyams, plantains, and bananas (5).
• Grains: Millet, sorghum, and rice (5)(3).
• Other crops: Beans, okra, onions, melons, and peppers.

What foods did they eat?

Examples of common foods include. wild game, beef, tortoises, crayfish, coconuts, squash, fermented grains (maize, sorghum, millet), okra, pumpkin, beans, goat, antelope, zebra, shellfish, fish, wild hare, lion, giraffe, snakes, hyena, eggs, bananas, yam,, cassava, sweet potatoes and wild honey, fermented milk (6).

What did they trade and who did they trade with?

The Bantu people traded several agricultural products as they migrated across sub-Saharan Africa including:

• Yams: This was one of the staple crops cultivated and traded by the Bantu (2).
• Oil palm products: The Bantu grew oil palms and likely traded palm oil and other related products (2).
  Bananas, taro and plantains: These were important crops introduced and spread by the Bantu (1).
• Sorghum and millet: These grains were cultivated and traded by Bantu farmers (1)(2).
• Dry rice: A variety of rice adapted to drier conditions was among their agricultural products (1).
  Beans and groundnuts (peanuts): These were also part of the Bantu agricultural package (1)(2).

Other Agricultural Products

• Cattle and livestock: The Bantu people were animal herders and likely traded cattle, goats, and sheep (1).
• Iron tools and weapons: While not crops, these were significant trade items produced using their advanced ironworking technology (1)(3).

Trading Partners:

• Indigenous hunter-gatherer societies they encountered during their migration
• Other Bantu-speaking communities
• Non-Bantu agricultural societies
• Later, with coastal traders and Arab merchants along the Swahili coast (1)(3)
  • The Bantu migrations facilitated the development of extensive trade networks across sub-Saharan Africa, exchanging these agricultural products and other goods like iron, copper, and ivory for salt, cloth, and other commodities (1)(3). This trade not only involved the exchange of physical goods but also agricultural knowledge and techniques, contributing to the spread of farming practices across the continent.

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What is the indigenous name of that country?

Who were the original peoples of the land?

• Before European contact in 1500, an estimated 2,000 indigenous tribes and nations inhabited what is now Brazil, with a total population of around 2 to 3 million indigenous people (2).
• The two main indigenous groups were the Tupi and Tapuia (Jê) peoples (2).
• The Tupi occupied the coast, while the interior was inhabited by the Tapuia (Jê) peoples, along with Caribs and Nuaraque groups in parts of the Amazon region (3).

How far back can we see the agriculture of this land?

Agricultural practices varied among indigenous groups, with many combining cultivation with hunting, fishing, and gathering. Some groups, like the Tupi, practiced slash-and-burn agriculture and crop rotation (3). After European contact, some indigenous groups also adopted and cultivated introduced crops, such as coffee (7).

What tools did they use?

• Fire was used in swidden agriculture (slash-and-burn) to clear land for cultivation.
• Simple hand tools like hoes and digging sticks for planting and cultivating crops (8).
• Axes and Machetes (11)
• Mortars and Pestles (8)
• Bows, arrows, and blowguns for hunting.

What animals did they manage?

What resources did they have available?

• Diverse crop varieties
• Traditional heritage seed banks
• Wild harvesting
• Brazilwood
• Cotton
• Natural resources – fertile soil and access to rivers and streams were vital for irrigation and agricultural practices (12).
• Cultural practices – planting times were guided by lunar phases and seasonal changes, reflecting a deep understanding of ecological relationships (8).
• Communal farming – communities often worked together in agricultural activities, sharing knowledge and resources to enhance productivity and sustainability (13).

What were the staple crops?

• Staple crops – Cassava, corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts, Pumpkins (Jerimum), yams (Cará), bananas, and pineapples (3)(5).
• Other crops – Tobacco, beans, peppers (cumari), brazil nuts, cashews, cacao, açaí and other palm fruits (7).

What foods did they eat?

A traditional diet of indigenous peoples of Brazil consisted of staple crops, proteins, fruits, nuts and wild honey. Fishing and hunting were fundamental to the indigenous diet, with fish as a primary food source. Hunted animals included peccaries, tapir, monkeys, and birds like the curassow (5). Meat was often cooked in its own fat, enhancing flavor and preserving nutrients. Cooking methods varied, including grilling over an open fire, roasting on a wooden grid called “boucan” or “moquém, smoking, cooking in clay pots, and burying food underground (9).

• Staple crops – cassava, sweet potatoes, corn, bananas, pineapples
• Proteins – fish (pirarucu), game animals–includingcapybara, peccaries (similar to wild pigs), tapirs, monkeys, deer, and armadillos.
• Fruits and nuts – açaí, guava, passionfruit, wild fruits, berries, peanuts, brazil nuts, cashews.
• Traditional dishes – Wàt tynondem (baked fish wrapped in banana leaves), Karak’ kuréum (edible leaves of a variety of elephant ear plant), Onatji magarapa (corn cake).

What did they trade and who did they trade with?

Indigenous peoples in Brazil engaged in various forms of trade, both among themselves and with European traders, before and after European contact. Tribes traded with neighboring groups, exchanging goods like agricultural products, fish, game meat, and crafts based on regional specialties (14).

After European contact in the 1500s, indigenous peoples began trading with Portuguese settlers, who sought brazilwood and other resources. In return, they received European items such as metal tools, textiles, and firearms. The introduction of a cash economy altered traditional trade practices (14).

• Cassava and corn: Staple crops cultivated by the Tupi peoples and traded with neighboring tribes and European settlers (8)(15).
• Sweet potatoes: Widely traded across indigenous regions and with European settlers (8).
• Peanuts: Staple crops cultivated and traded by the Jê peoples (15).
• Tobacco: Traded amongst indigenous groups, as well as European traders who valued it highly (15).
• Squash and Pumpkins: Key crops in their agricultural repertoire, traded locally (15).
• Cotton: Grown by the Tupi for making textiles and to be traded for other goods (15).

Other Agricultural Products

• Fish, Game, Meat: Surplus fish from rivers and game meat from hunting were commonly traded among tribes, enhancing dietary diversity and food security.
• Handicrafts: Including pottery, woven baskets, and tools were also traded locally.

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What is the indigenous name of that country?

Who were the original peoples of the land?

How far back can we see the agriculture of this land?

The Neolithic Revolution, or First Agricultural Revolution, in India is believed to have begun around 8000-4000 BCE, marked by the earliest evidence of wild rice, wheat, and barley cultivation, as well as animal domestication in Northern India (3)(4)(5).

What tools did they use?

• Plows: Wooden plows drawn by oxen were a primary implement for tillage (6, 7).
• Sickles: Small hand sickles used for harvesting crops like wheat, barley, pulses, and grass (8).
  Levelers and Clod Crushers: Rectangular wooden beams drawn by bullocks, used to smooth the soil surface before sowing (6).
• Kodali: An iron blade fitted to a wooden handle, used as a hand tool for digging and weeding (6).
• Seed drills: Bamboo tubes attached to plows,used for sowing seeds (6).
• Threshing tools: Wooden poles or mallets used to thresh grains by beating (8).
• Winnowing tools: Sieves made of grass stalks or bamboo,used to separate grain from chaff (6).
  Spades (Pharwa) and Hoes (Kudali): Used for digging and weeding operations (8).
• Axes (Kulhari): Used for harvesting crops like sugarcane (8).
• Stone Tools: Used in very early periods before the widespread adoption of medal tools (9).

What animals did they manage?

What resources did they have available?

• Land and Soil: Fertile plains, especially along river valleys like the Indus and Ganges, with various soil types suitable for different crops, classified into categories like urvara (fertile), ushara (barren), and maru (desert).
• Water Resources: Rivers, monsoon rains, and irrigation systems, including wells, canals, and tanks (11).
• Crop diversity: A wide range of crops cultivated, including cotton for textiles, spices, and medicinal plants.
• Farming Practices: Use of organic fertilizers like cow dung, ash, and compost; traditional knowledge of crop rotation, plowing, fallowing, and regenerative farming methods.
• Climate Understanding: Knowledge of seasonal and climate patterns to guide agricultural activities.
  Tools: Use of plows (initially wooden, later iron) and sickles (1) (15).

What were the staple crops?

• Barley, rice, cotton, and sesame (6).
• Wheat: einkorn, emmer, durum, and bread wheat (6).
• Legumes: mung beans, black gram, horsegram, and pigeon pea, field peas, and lentils (6).

The cultivation of these crops marked the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural communities in the Indian subcontinent.

What foods did they eat?

• The indigenous diet was characterized by its reliance on locally sourced ingredients, reflecting a deep connection to the land and nature. It varied across different regions based on local ecosystems and available resources (14) (12) (13).
• A traditional diet consisted mainly of meat, rice, wild game, seasonal vegetables, forest fruits, fish and insects. Cooking methods such as fermenting, sun-drying,pickling, smoking, drying, and roasting were commonly used. Ingredients were minimal, typically limited to salt, turmeric, chili, onion, and garlic (13).
• Examples of common foods include rice, millets, maize, pork, field rats, chicken, fish, wild game, fermented raw milk, snails, red ants (for chutney), wild fruits and berries (bael), seasonal vegetables (sabzi), bamboo shoots, tubers, and roots (14)(12)(13).

What did they trade and who did they trade with?

Trade between indigenous groups in India predates European contact. Different tribes exchanged goods across  ecological zones, often trading items  from different altitudes or regions (2). The original indigenous peoples of India traded several agricultural resources:

1. Crops: Kidney beans, potatoes, garlic, maize and rice (traded for by communities unable to grow them locally).
2. Processed foods: Finger millet flour, honey, clarified butter (ghee).
3. Spices
4. Cotton: Used for textiles.

Other Agricultural Products

• Milk products, Dried and Pickled Foods: Examples include dried radish, taro roots, gourds, fenugreek leaves, pickled garlic and chillies.

• Dried Meat: Primarily sheep and goats.

Trading Partners:

• Personalized Trade Networks: Trade was highly personalized, with groups establishing long-term relationships, sometimes through fictive kinship ties, to ensure reliable access to goods from other regions year after year (19).
• Trade Between Indigenous Groups: Highland communities with pack animals (like llamas) traded with lowland agricultural communities, exchanging goods from different ecological zones (19).
• Early Maritime Trade: Coastal indigenous groups engaged in maritime trade, with evidence of trade connections to Babylon and other ancient civilizations (20).
• Response to European Contact: Many indigenous groups adapted their existing trade networks to engage in new forms of commerce, particularly in the fur trade, after European arrival (21).

Cultural exchange: Trade facilitated not only the exchange of goods but also the sharing of ideas, technologies, and cultural practices between different indigenous groups and later with non-indigenous traders (22).

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What is the indigenous name of that country?

Who were the original peoples of the land?

The area now known as Senegal was home to various kingdoms and empires, each with their own names. For example, The Jolof Empire, founded in the 13th-14th centuries, covered much of present-day Senegal (1). The Kingdom of Tekrur (or Takrur) existed in the area from around the 9th century (2).

How far back can we see the agriculture of this land?

• Neolithic Era: Agriculture began in Senegal during the Neolithic period, around 3000 BCE, marking the domestication of plants and animals (3).
• Iron Age: Around 1000 BCE, agricultural techniques became more advanced, with communities practicing mixed farming and engaging in trade. The introduction of iron tools significantly improved farming efficiency (4).
• Medieval Period: From the 8th century onward, agriculture was further developed alongside the rise of significant empires in West Africa, such as the Ghana and Mali Empires (5).
• Islamic Influence: The arrival of Islam in the region around the 11th century brought new agricultural practices and crop varieties (3)(6).

What tools did they use?

• Hand Hoes: Used for tilling, weeding, and planting (14).
  Animal-Drawn Plows and Cultivators: Used in agriculture and pulled by oxen or donkeys.
• Sickles: Used for harvesting crops
• Carts: Pulled by animals and used for transporting goods and produce from fields to markets or storage areas (13).
• Mortars and Pestles: Used for processing grains and seeds

What animals did they manage?

What resources did they have available?

• Arable Land: Approximately 75% of the population engaged in agricultural activities (14).
• Water Resources: The Senegal River, along with the Gambia and Casamance Rivers, provided essential water sources for irrigation and fishing.
• Forests: Offer timber and fuelwood, with baobab trees being particularly important for their fruit and wood (15).
• Crops: Staple crops cultivated by indigenous peoples include millet, sorghum, rice, groundnuts (peanuts), maize (corn), cassava, and beans.
• Fisheries: Rich coastal waters abundant in fish species such as tuna, sardines, and shrimp make fishing a major economic activity and a vital protein source for the population (14).
• Livestock: Indigenous peoples managed various livestock, including cattle, goats, sheep, and poultry,providing meat, milk, labor for farming, and other essential resources.

What were the staple crops?

Staple crops: Millet, sorghum, maize, rice, cassava, peanuts, cowpea (1)(6)(7)(8).

What foods did they eat?

• A traditional diet in Senegal consisted mainly of millet and sorghum, broken rice (Riz Brisé), seasonal vegetables, fish and tropical fruits. A variety of cooking methods were also used, such as fermenting, soaking of all grain, stewing, and cooking over open fire.
• Specific examples of foods include millet, sorghum, fermented cassava (Attiéke), fish, chicken, okra, eggplant, mangoes, bananas, boab.
• Cultural eating traditions include communal eating, where meals are typically served from a communal bowl and family members share food using their right hands, fostering togetherness (16) (17) (18) (19).

What did they trade and who did they trade with?

The indigenous peoples of Senegal were integral to broader West African and trans-Saharan trade systems long before Europeans arrived. The Wolof people, one of Senegal’s major ethnic groups, were “known throughout the region for their robust trade economy” (24). There were extensive “long-range trade” networks within Africa that connected various peoples and regions (23).

The indigenous  peoples of Senegal traded several agricultural and natural resources including:

1. Peanuts (groundnuts) (20).
2. Grains: Millet, sorghum, and rice (21).

1. Fish: Seafood such as fish, and shrimp (20).

1. Soups and broths (20).

Other Products

Trading Partners:

Prior to the European voyages of exploration in the fifteenth century, African rulers and merchants had established trade links with the Mediterranean world, Western Asia, and the Indian Ocean region. Within the continent itself, local exchanges among adjacent peoples fit into a greater framework of long-range trade (23).

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What is the indigenous name of that country?

Santa Barbara’s original indigenous name was Syuxtun (1) (2). This was the name of a large Chumash village that existed in the area before Spanish colonization.

Who were the original peoples of the land?

The Chumash people were the original inhabitants of the Santa Barbara region, having settled there more than 5,000 years ago (3). They called the broader region Siujitu and believed they were caretakers of the western gateway of the Pacific (3). Several Chumash villages flourished in what is now Santa Barbara:

• Syuxtun: The largest village, located between Bath and Chapala streets
• Mispu: Now occupied by Santa Barbara City College
• Amolomol: At the mouth of Mission Creek
• Swetete: Above the present bird refuge

We can trace the Chumash people back approximately 13,000 to 15,000 years in the coastal regions of southern California.

How far back can we see the agriculture of this land?

The Chumash people have a long history of plant management and food production practices that evolved over thousands of years. While they did not practice agriculture in the modern sense, their sophisticated approach to plant use can be traced back approximately 8,500 years:

• Early Plant Use: During the “Millingstone Horizon” or “Oak Grove” period, the Chumash began using milling stones (basin metates and manos) to grind small, hard seeds from grasses and sage (4). This marks the earliest evidence of plant-based food processing in the region.
• Intensification of Plant Management: Around 5,000 years ago, stone mortars and pestles appeared, indicating that acorns had become an important food source (4). By 3,200 years ago, the Chumash were practicing more sophisticated plant management, including selective burning to promote the growth of seed-bearing plants (4).
• Impact of European Contact: The arrival of Spanish colonizers in the late 18th century brought significant changes to the Chumash landscape and traditional food systems (5). The missions and ranchos introduced large herds of cattle, horses, and sheep, which devoured much of the native vegetation (5).

What tools did they use?

• Grinding Implements: Mortars, pestles, metates, and manos were used for grinding seeds, nuts, and acorns (6)(7).
• Stone Tools: Knives, saws, scrapers, chisels, axes, hammer-stones, and drills were made from flaked stone (6).
• Wooden Tools: Many tools were made from wood and fitted with wooden handles (6).
• Antler Tools: Antler wedges were used to split logs (8).
• Shell Tools: Rubbing tools made of shell were used for smoothing wooden planks (8).
• Baskets: The Chumash were skilled basket weavers, creating a variety of baskets for different purposes, including storage and food preparation (7).
• Plank Boats (tomols): These were built from driftwood, preferably redwood, sewn together with plant fibers and sealed with moss and asphaltum (6).
• Fishing Equipment: Fishing lines were made from dogbane (7).
• Cooking Implements: Waterproof cooking baskets lined with tar were created (6).
• Hunting Tools: Bows, arrows, and spears were used for hunting.

What animals did they manage?

What resources did they have available?

• Seafood and Marine Resources: The Chumash homeland was rich in marine life, providing a wide variety of food supplies. They relied heavily on the sea, using over a hundred kinds of fish and gathering shellfish such as clams, mussels, and abalone (9).
• Land Animals: They hunted both small and large animals, including deer, rabbits, bear, and quail (9).
• Plant Foods: The Chumash gathered acorns, a staple food, as well as over 150 species of wild native plants for food, medicine, clothing, shelter, basketry, and tools (9).
• Vegetation for Tools and Shelter: Materials like juncus rush and tule (bulrush) were used for basketry and building shelters. Driftwood, especially redwood, was used to build plank boats (tomols) (9).
• Medicinal Plants: The Chumash utilized various plants for medicinal purposes. For example, willow bark was used for its medicinal properties (6).
• Water Resources: The Chumash had access to freshwater sources such as rivers and creeks. Today, the Santa Ynez Chumash Environmental Office monitors water quality in Zanja de Cota Creek to ensure ecosystem health (6).
• Raw Materials for Trade: Shells were used to make bead money (‘alchum) and traded obsidian (volcanic glass) obtained through their extensive trade networks (9).

These resources supported a complex society with a rich cultural heritage that was deeply connected to the natural environment around them.

What were the staple crops?

The Chumash did not cultivate crops in the traditional agricultural sense. Their primary staple foods were gathered from the wild rather than grown. The Chumash relied on a variety of plant foods, including:

• Acorns: A staple food, gathered in fall and processed to remove tannins (4).
• Seeds: Manzanita, chia, and others were ground into meals (4).
• Bulbs, Roots, and Tubers: Roasted or baked in underground earth ovens (4).

Rather than cultivating crops, the Chumash practiced sophisticated plant management:

• Selective burning to promote desired plant growth (4).
• Gathering expeditions to mainland areas for plants less abundant on the islands (5).

What foods did they eat?

• A traditional diet in Senegal consisted mainly of millet and sorghum, broken rice (Riz Brisé), seasonal vegetables, fish and tropical fruits. A variety of cooking methods were also used, such as fermenting, soaking of all grain, stewing, and cooking over open fire.
• Specific examples of foods include millet, sorghum, fermented cassava (Attiéke), fish, chicken, okra, eggplant, mangoes, bananas, boab.
• Cultural eating traditions include communal eating, where meals are typically served from a communal bowl and family members share food using their right hands, fostering togetherness (16) (17) (18) (19).

What did they trade and who did they trade with?

The Chumash people engaged in extensive trade with various tribes both along the coast and inland. They had well-established trade networks that facilitated the exchange of goods over long distances, helping maintain social connections and alliances with neighboring tribes. This contributed to regional cohesion and stability (11).

The indigenous Chumash peoples traded several agricultural and natural resources including:

• Marine Resources: Items from the sea, such as abalone, clams, and shell beads (11).
• Crafted Goods: The Chumash were known for their finely crafted baskets and wooden boats (tomols), which were also traded (11).
• Food Items: Plant foods like acorns and seeds were traded for their importance in ritual offerings (12).
• Raw Materials: Obsidian, salt, and black pigment (11).

Trading Partners:

• Yokuts: The Chumash traded marine resources with the Yokuts of the Central Valley in exchange for goods like obsidian and antelope skins (11).
• Salinans: They supplied the Salinans in the north with wooden boats and beads (11).
• Mojave Indians: The Chumash traded with the Mojave Indians, who lived over 400 miles away (11).

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This multi-sensory event invited attendees to step beyond data and into embodied connection through culture, community, and the land that sustains us. Through each space, participants were guided not only to remember where they come from, but to reimagine where we might go.

Who are We?

“Always” – The Biome

Where do we come from?

“Yesterday” – Ancestral Bloodlines

Where are we?

“Today” – The State of the Soil

How Do we want to proceed?

“Tomorrow” – A New Ancient Emerging

What is the role of agriculture in shaping our future?

From Soul to Soil was inspired by the belief that “Every tomorrow emerges from culture.” The evening honored Indigenous wisdom from Angola, India, Senegal, Brazil, and beyond, weaving together the past, present, and future into one shared moment of reverence and reconnection.

Together, we rekindled the bond between culture and agriculture—through story, scent, ceremony, and song. And together, we asked what it means to be truly human in this era of planetary transformation.

From Soul to Soil—an evening where storytelling, science, and spirit converged in celebration of Earth, ancestry, and the path ahead.

Watch the Video Below to Immerse Yourself in Living Traditions from Around the World