The Chumash creation story tells that Hutash, the Earth Mother, planted magical seeds on Limuw (Santa Cruz Island), from which full grown men and women sprung. People prospered so well on the island that it soon became too noisy, and food became scarce. Hutash then built a Rainbow Bridge from Mt Diablo on Limuw to the mainland, where they found food and land aplenty. During the perilous journey across the channel, some fell in the water, to save them, Hutash transformed them into dolphins.

Propulsed by our twentieth century, diesel-fueled ‘rainbow bridge’, the stealth crew of “Smile”, Phil, Stuart, Caroline and yours truly, made the crossing from Ventura to Scorpion Bay, for a daylong ramble around Santa Cruz Island. On the return journey, we were escorted, for a short while, by a small school of dolphins who, no doubt, had come to greet the pack of rambunctious fifth or sixth graders traveling with us. Sustained by delicious ‘samiches’, ice-cream and beer, powered by negative ions, we smiled.

The full Chumash creation story in verse.

Video of the story told by Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, Chumash elder.

Walking Project 043_behind the smile – Santa Cruz Island from chris worland on Vimeo.