Anonymous
Source: Tribal Trust Foundation
The Tribal Trust Foundation (TTF), a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit with the mission of supporting the preservation of indigenous cultures and wisdom through philanthropy and education, has started a change.org petition to rename Indio Muerto Street. This street name, which means “Dead Indian” has long faced criticism within the Santa Barbara community. The petition urges our local city council members to change this hurtful name, and demand recognition and acknowledgment of the Indigenous people of this land.
The street – which runs between the 101 to Milpas Street – allegedly came from Captain Salisbury Haley’s 1850 survey of Santa Barbara when a deceased Chumash man was found near the street. It is claimed that the street was named after the Wot (Chief) of the village who was killed and buried there.
TTF believes this name is disrespectful to Native Peoples and shows a disregard for the original inhabitants of this land. As part of its local efforts, TTF led a group of local allies in proposing that the Santa Barbara City Council and the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution acknowledging the first Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, replacing Columbus Day. After a year of campaigning, a Declaration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day by the Mayor of SB was implemented, which gained the support of the local Chumash bands including representatives of the SYBCI, the Coastal and the Barbareno.
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?
“Dead Indian” is dramatic and colorful? It must be nice to live in your racist delusional world. There’s a big difference between renaming an offensively named street and destroying all of the missions, which will not happen. I love how people like you have to plant fear in people to defend your racism and to keep things like “the good old days.”
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.
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.
Historically, the definition of racism had a lot to do with racial discrimination. Times change and words evolve. In 2020, it seems a racist is defined as someone who engages in independent minded and non-conforming thinking. The word has been devalued like a Zimbabwe dollar.
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.
1:46 – “Natives were given respect here from the beginning. ” – How you figure?
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.
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.
SBTRAVELER: Wilson School closed in 1979, due to declining enrollment. But don’t discount renaming Roosevelt School—these days, both Roosevelts could be considered racists. In fact, I’ll bet with a very little research, ANY SB elementary school named after a US president could probably not stand up to any kind of politically correct scrutiny.
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.
At least this was better than the other Edhat poster that said it cost each resident $20K to change all of their legal documents in reference to San Andres. These sound like more reliable numbers. Maybe the trust can provide funds for the residents to make these changes if they feel it is important.
So was slavery, but we got rid of that. Why the resistance to change?
Always been an issue, you just weren’t listening.
See Rex’s comment about the Dead ___ St, put any ethnicity in the blank and see if you like it. I don’t.
Chip gives all racists a pass- they must be independent thinkers! Non-conformists! And puts a slam on Zimbabwe in Africa to disprove his assertion.
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.
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)
@426 DING DING DING….WINNER! Yes it’s a bit over the top…i think people need to find some better hobbies. we are just nit picking at every thing right now and this isn’t change, this is just a bunch of bored people with too much time on their hands and thinking….way over thinking things. Indio muerto isn’t a bad name and my daughter is native american. doesn’t seem to bother her or her mom’s family….or any other native i personally know.
thank you Winter! a little clarity does this forum wonders….
Already has the park named after him. Doesn’t need a street.
just as bad as the others, which includes you, I guess. nice that you acknowledge it. I guess you assume you have the only valid viewpoint here? You know what assuming does for you.
You get my vote… and I’m not even a Dead Head.
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.
Get enough people behind you, and your justice can be had. Good luck with that. Enough people are behind current efforts to make things better, although you do not appear to be one of them.
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.
How about changing the name of the street now named Calle Cesar Chavez despite his routine use of the ‘W’ word as a derogative term for illegal immigrant.
The historical argument is a tired one. Our society changes and evolves, eliminating slavery, giving women the vote, protecting more rights over time. The people arguing against this change don’t see why it might be offensive to some people, and they hate being forced to change something they are comfortable with. If we had any other Dead _____ Streets, (insert your ethnicity in the blank), then maybe you could argue to keep this one. But we don’t, for good reason.