Oxnard Beach Renamed to Honor the Chumash

Native AmericansPhoto byBoston Public LibraryonUnsplash

Author’s note: This article is summarized from various sources, and attributions are linked within.

As the second Monday in October approaches, and with it the federal holiday (formerly Columbus Day and now known as Indigenous People’s Day), it’s an appropriate time for the renaming of Oxnard Beach.

Per keyt.com, there’s an effort to rename several Ventura County destinations to Chumash names to honor the tribe’s previous ownership of the properties.

The “'olołkoy Beach Park sign was unveiled on Saturday morning along Harbor Blvd. in Oxnard. The name 'olołkoy with the lower case "o" means dolphin.” The previous sign read Oxnard Beach.

Community member, Manual Herrera suggested the idea and the Chumash Elders are pleased. “We are literally making history today here in Oxnard and you are all part of it."

Chumash member Julie Tumamait-Stenslie added that dolphins are “one of the most adorable creatures” and that the name change “…shows people that we are still here still thriving and being part of the community." Though Chumash do not have a written language, “anthropologists put a phonetic alphabets to their language.”

The park was given the new name because the park which overlooks the channel islands, often offers views of dolphins swimming off the coast.

If you’d like to learn more about the Chumash, visiting the Chumash Museum in Thousand Oaks is a great way spend a day. In addition to the indoor exhibits, you can also take a walk outside to see structures.

Per their site “The Chumash Indian Museum is a historical site and living history center. This museum is dedicated to restoring and preserving an awareness of the Chumash people and their historical, cultural, material and present-day influence, as well as the natural environment and historical significance of this site. Through exhibits, events, and educational programs, the Chumash Indian Museum serves as a gathering place for a partnership with the native and non-native communities connecting the past with the present to continue our shared future.”

Until 2021, the U.S. celebrated the second Monday of October as Columbus Day. The country lauded Columbus’ claim to the country. In 2021 the Biden Administration issued a proclamation declaring the second Monday of October Indigenous Peoples Day. “The commemoration of Native American history and culture is now federally recognized alongside Columbus Day, which has been historically observed on the same day.”

Per Newsweek, Columbus Day was formalized on October 12, 1792, 30 years after the explorer’s landing. A hundred years, later, former U.S. president Benjamin Harrison declared it a federal holiday and described Columbus as "the pioneer of progress and enlightenment."

Though generations of “Native Americans have protested Columbus Day, calling for its renaming because the colonial takeovers of the Americas, starting with Columbus, led to the deaths of millions of Native people and the forced assimilation of survivors," it was only recently that action was taken.

A 2001 report showed, “the 15th century or "pre-Columbus" population of North America at around 10 to 12 million and by the 1890s, it was reduced to around 300,000.”

Though states are not required to rename the holiday, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed yearly proclamations marking Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday in October.