Petition to Rename Offensive Santa Barbara Street Name

I'm with the Edhat commenter who said The Santa Barbara Mission is next to go. And La Purisima Mission. Why not all the Old Missions? Doesn't the Tribal Trust Foundation find those edifices offensive in the extreme? Don't forget there is a collection of Chumash artifacts at The Museum of Natural History. There must be someone who finds this offensive and disrespectful. Is Alameda Padre Serra next on the list to be renamed? Should we pull down all the sandstone walls that were erected using Chumash as slave labor? What about the historic dam and aqueduct system at the Botanic Gardens? That dam was constructed via use of "neophyte" Chumash labor. Is that all going to be dismantled now, too? According to Santa Barbara history, Indio Muerto was so named because a "deceased aborigine" was found in that location. Some say it might have been a Chumash chief (Wot). Do we even know how long that body had been there before the survey team of that area uncovered it? Did the man die of natural causes, perhaps even before Spaniards and The White Man arrived on the scene? "Indio Muerto" is a dramatic, colorful rendition of that part of our Santa Barbara history. Milpas refers to maize fields and/or vegetable plots. I'm willing to bet at least some Chumash were conscripted to work those fields. Shall we petition to rename Milpas St. now, too? Where does this officiousness end?

Not really clear what is per se offensive about the name. Don't 'indians' die? Are we not to notice? At worst it is awkward. If it gets renamed let's do so without the pejoratives and worse.

While it is a morbid name, given the time period it was named in, I always thought of it as a memorial to the deceased who was found there. It could have been named a bit less morbidly. Why not rename it to the name of the deceased, or his title, that was found there?

Re name it.

The Chumash have decided that the new name will be Hutash Street, named for the Chumash "earth mother." I understand this is pretty much set in stone. Other names may be suggested, but that's only a legal formality. The new name will be Hutash Street. Pretty much 100% guaranteed.

Hasn't been an issue for how many years now? Suddenly everyone want to change everything. Grow up people.

Cancel Culture....
With no disrespect, it is a part of history..

How about renaming it to Agradecido Muerto?

They should just rename it State Street as the current State Street is a failure that will be boarded within the next year or two.

As much as I am against this knee-jerk renaming of anything the snowflakes find offensive, I will acknowledge that Indio Muerto is blatantly offensive, and I'm surprised that no one's made a real issue of it until now. I came across the following sentiment in some other discussion of the matter, and it puts it into perspective: imagine that at some point, someone found a dead rabbi at a certain site, and that site was then named Dead Jew Street. Not so "colorful," is it? I have no problem with the already signed, sealed and delivered Hutash Street.

This effected my grandmothers house in Woodland Hills. On average it cost the city $2,800 per mile of a busy blvd to update city maps, notifying emergency services, changing street signs, notifying mapping companies, notify USPS/shipping companies, legal documents, etc. Each resident was required to update everything themselves, mail, work payroll, insurance, bank, property title, notify social security, etc. Cost my grandmother about $600 mailing copies to dozens of companies. When we sold the home escrow got held up due to reports having conflicting streets names. The local hazard inspector wrote the old street name. They probably will change a few streets, but we know the city has a huge deficit and can't afford too many of these on their dime.

If we are going to change street names, do we drop De La Guerra Street, Orena, Carrillo, Castillo, Alameda Padre Serra, and a host of other references to Spanish Californian history? What about changing the name of Wilson School--presumably named for Woodrow Wilson who has been criticized for his racist policies, particularly in the US armed forces? I think many of us have too much time on our hands.

To quote Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?" Santa Barbara's history is a long and interesting one; it has been punctuated by various natural disasters like the 1925 earthquake and by conquest(Spanish) both of which had profound impacts on our community. I would submit that those of us with a sense of history are richer for the experience.

Why not name it MacKenzie St, after George Mackenzie ex City Parks Director -who donated his nursery property to the city(Mackenzie Park) no one has ever acknowledged the nice things he had done for the City of SB (including his wife Charlene)

How about renaming it "Happy Hunting Grounds"?
Or the name of the individual who is buried there?

I'm highly offended by literally everything. I demand everything be renamed to my liking. I will not rest until all the things are changed. Where is my justice?! I demand justice!!

The Chumash lived here for 10,000 years, until 19th century European colonial genocide, even though they had saved the town from Bouchard’s pirates in 1818 who had already destroyed Monterey. The time to honor genocide has past.

The only street name with "dead" in it should be "Dead End".

Rather than a bunch of white people getting their panties in a bunch, I'd ask the local Chumash population. If they find it offensive, change it. If they are fine with it, the let it remain. Go straight to the offended party.

Enough! The descendants need to be involved as well as other City interest groups. This is a cost process-- one not justified by current budget pressures, and the ignoring of anecdotal history- remember Salem? Horrible city histories can attest to one sided views--extreme in nature. Look North west? Changing the names of street will not make this any less politically offensive to those of us who want to be respectfully correct, RC and not politically motivated PC/destructive. This is NOT supposed to be partisanship/ideology once elected. These are local elections.Bring State street back to a "living state" so one can make a living.

Ok. So ive been hearing on various blogs and posts that the 'chumash' or the 'tribe' is advocating for this change.
Just so its clear, in this area there is not just one tribe, but rather independent groups and individuals.
In this article the SYBMI, coastal and barbareno chumash being used. This online petition is driven by the Tribal Trust Foundation (TTF).
First things first. This TTF is a bunch of caucasian women and one male. The male is art Cisneros and is a chumash descendant. Comes from the chumash village of Tipu' as so do i. But neither me or he can claim to speak for the chumash community as a whole and i know he does not. I do commend his efforts to find people in the industry to advocate for a cause and by the looks of the board that makes up this ttf they seem very successful and professional. But they do not appear to be native based on the discriptions they provide. But really hard to say.

As for SYBMI, ive seen the work they do and know they try not to be involved in undertakings on this side of the mountains. My guess is someone from the rez said they are ok with what this group is proposing.

This leaves the coastal and barbareno.
Who are the barbareno and coastal to the outside world of the chumash? well not quite sure...the barnareno chumash council used to have actual chumash descendants till they found out their leader wasnt chumash then broke off to form the barbareno band of chumash indians. They have actual chumash santa Barbara descendants.

As for the coastal i suppose that could mean a select few of the coastal band of chumash nation which was formed from the quabahi back in the late 70s. But they have over 2 thousand members not all are actually chumash by descent but rather added based on name associations in the 1998 -1999 by the then Tribal enrollment officer. Which is what lead to the director of indian health to expunge the cbcn in 2005 for no tribal blood records.
I am a cbcn member and pretty much a black sheep of the chumash community because i say what needs to be said regardless of the drama causes.
So its hard to gleam who of the chumash community has been brought in to this topic.

Im also a santa Barbara history buff and ive never heard of this native found here to be some chumash chief. The location and proximity to known and past recorded archaeological sites does not correlate to any known burial practices in this area. As a professional in cultural resources, the location of this area does not fit within any known burial practices of the chumash or recorded sites within a mile. Chumash are well known for buring their loved ones within close proximity to where they lived in order to honor and cherish them. Not off in some distant marshes. Which is what was there when haley surveyed the area.

I know the nighborhood very well,spent my highschool days living there. No this was not a chief or wot that was found here. Just a lost soul whose only memory is this reference.

I don't know who else is beind this cause, i just know the relative that is apart of this TTF group. But i would hope that if in deed actual lineal descendants like ernestine desoto, frank lemos are called to participate in this change they be brought forward with their blessings and recognition rather than a board of women who are well meaning but doesnt appear to be of chumash descent.

The subjugation of Native American people is historically genocide. Native Americans had lived in balance with nature for thousands of years, and had changed their habitats into gardens which provided sustenance for their cultures. More Native Americans lived in a given area than the same given area in Europe, at the time of discovery of the Americas by Europeans. European-borne diseases decimated the populations of the Native Americans to the point where less than five percent survived. Europeans felt that Manifest Destiny was responsible for this, and proceeded to bring even more bloodshed and heartbreak to the Native Americans. This was and is pure genocide. It is time to honor Native American culture by promoting how Native Americans lived, and honoring their heritage and names. This cannot be done by glorifying the conquestors. Let's make a model village representing the Chumash lifestyle before Columbus. Let's teach our children of the Native American philosophies and seek to exemplify those values in our own lifestyle. Many of our problems would be solved if we decided to live in harmony with our environment and each other. Native Americans should be used as role models for the ideal lifestyle. Let's not glorify the people who attacked those cultures; let's remember the real values that can return us to a harmonious lifestyle.

This is NOT a new issue. About 30 years ago someone 'took offense' and approached the city to get the name changed. The suggestion for the "NEW name" was "Indio Vivo". It was opposed by a couple of interested businesses and the family of a homeowner who lived on the street. The MAIN ISSUE was NOT about insulting anyone, or being morbid about death, but the fact that that the name is an IMPORTANT part of THE HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA. When Captain Haley was mapping out the streets and naming them, he HAD A REASON for the names! It is part of HISTORY and something that makes SANTA BARBARA the colorful and interesting place that it is.
IF you want, then be "Politically Correct" and don't offend anyone. RE Name all your streets with numbers and letters, like Lompoc, 1,2, 3, A. B,C,, etc.
IF you want to hang on to at least SOME of your rich history, KEEP the names as they are!