Summer Solstice Celebration At Chumash Indian Village - Malibu

This was sponsored by the Ventura Coservancy and the Sierra Club of Oxnard.I was invited by my Friend Trevor Smith local Oxnard Sierra Cub chairperson.The authentic village recreation is funded by a 20 year grant by the State of California. The location is on a bluff in Malibu overlooking Nicholas Beach(Point Zero) where the members of the tribe actually live and maintain it. Proceedings commenced around 5:30 with food served to guests in the form of BBQ chicken rice and beans. The village is an eerily authentic recreation of a 3,000 year old Chumash Indian Village with straw warming huts, a long boat just like the Indians used to use to sail and fish from and a ceremonial "pit" constructed in the middle of the village in a circular "Stonehenge" configuration. Three male members of the tribe emerged at around 6:30 and proceeded to sing, dance and chant their way to the ceremonial pit area from one of the warming huts up the hill from the pit. A Chumash princess then lit a fire in the center of the pit and sage was added to the fire as a blessing. The 100 or so Celebrants were then instructed to alternately face North, South, East and West as an incantation in the form of blessings was read with each direction representing the different seasons of the year, and hopes and prayers expressed for each of the seasons in the year ahead. Blessings were then given and the current BP oil crisis addressed as the earth "bleeding" in response to man's mistreatment of the planet. As celebrants sat in a circle around the pit as the sage burned, stories were told about tribe members who were called out and celebrants invited to chant and respond to solicitations given to them from the chief. Three hours later the group disbursed to their respective cars parked on nearby Pacific Coast Highway and homes nearby. Quite an enriching cultural experience.

NEIL YOUNG COCAINE EYES 1/11/89