Chumash Indians

In 1911 a mysterious man emerged from the wilderness of Northern California. No one knew who he was or could understand his language and he was immediately put in a jail. A couple of anthropologists befriended him, and he told them the story of his life. As the last surviving Yahi, Ishi was able to provide invaluable insights into his culture, ensuring that his tribe would not be forgotten. To learn more about California Native American tribes, use the direct links on The Times's Launch Point Web site at http://www.

Before strip malls and wide freeways became symbols of life in and around the Valley, a legion of Native Americans burned incense, collected precious eagle feathers and danced away bad spirits. As a boy, Charlie Cooke heard his grandmother reminisce about darker times for Native Americans, when they were forced to live in a San Fernando mission by Spaniards who had taken the land for their own.

Charlie Cooke was driving a cement truck for a construction project on Ventura Boulevard 11 years ago when workers uncovered the "Lost Village of Encino." "I refused to go in there," said Cooke, chief of the Chumash of the Southern region. The Chumash, Gabrieleno and Fernandeno graves and artifacts uncovered on the ancient site most likely belonged to some of his ancestors.

Botanist Jerry Sortomme unlocks the mysteries of ancient Chumash culture by studying plants. On Wednesday at Soka University, he will discuss the role of jimson weed in Chumash religion. The Chumash used the hallucinogenic plant in puberty rituals and last-rites ceremonies, among other things, said Sortomme, who is chairman of the environmental horticulture department at Santa Barbara City College.

Imparting Chumash tribal wisdom to students at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School on Thursday, Mark Mendez warned the children to beware of coyotes, the "tricksters" of Native American lore, as they journey through life. "Stay true to your path," Mendez said, concluding a fable about a young boy who was led astray by a coyote. "There are no shortcuts. Don't be misled by the coyotes you may encounter."

There's clearly no love lost between them, but Thousand Oaks' two top Chumash leaders proved the town was big enough for both of them as each put on a powwow Saturday. "I don't care what anyone else is doing right now," said Paul Varela of the Chumash Interpretive Center as visitors began pouring into the center's oak grove. "I'm trying to raise money for my organization." Across town, Richard Angulo of the California Indian Council and his counterparts were saying similar things.

Jack Skene has big plans for his piece of Malibu. On five wind-swept acres, he envisions a $1-million chateau with rose gardens overlooking the winding coastline. But Skene, 43, has yet to break ground more than a year after buying the vacant site for his dream home. The mortgage broker has been battling the city over a law requiring property owners to conduct archeological studies before construction.

Jack Skene has big plans for his piece of Malibu. On five wind-swept acres, he envisions a $1-million chateau with rose gardens overlooking the winding coastline. But Skene, 43, has yet to break ground more than a year after buying the vacant site for his dream home. The mortgage broker has been battling the city over a law requiring property owners to conduct archeological studies before construction.

Deep in the heart of Rocketdyne property in the Santa Susana Mountains, the Native American cave painting is so closely guarded that even the aerospace company's employees are not allowed to view it without special permission. Manny Tessier, a quality assurance manager for the firm, said the last time he saw the ancient, abstract drawings was in 1969, when he and a fellow worker visited the scooped-out rock formation on a whim.

A Native American group's attempt to block construction of a home in Malibu suffered a setback Monday when Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Diane Wayne tentatively ruled that the city has taken adequate precautions to protect artifacts on the property. Next week Wayne is expected to make final her decision rejecting a claim by the American Indian Movement, which wanted to prevent construction on what it says is an ancient Chumash burial ground.