A local Chumash artist completed a new mural on Cambria’s post office. It’s meant to honor Chumash heritage and raise awareness about a proposed national marine sanctuary that would protect 150 miles of coastline in the San Luis Obispo County area.
The mural was revealed to the public for the first time on Friday.
Before the unveiling, members of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council (NCTC) locked arms with each other and blessed the mural with a traditional Chumash song.
When it was revealed, the colorful mural showed a Chumash leader watching people ride a traditional canoe called a tomol, over a rainbow, or wishtoyo.
As the wishtoyo stretches across the mural, the colors break out into forms of human and animal spirits.
Artist John Khus said he felt incorporating a tomol into the mural was essential for representing his Chumash heritage.
“It represents quite a lot, including how we traded, how we navigated around the land, the islands and the mainland. As well as different parts of the nation itself,” Khus said.
Khus said after his mother died, the wishtoyo was also an important detail for him to add, as Chumash people see them as bridges to the sacred.
“She was very fond of Cambria in a lot of ways. I wanted to make sure I brought her fondness in, that was why I wanted to bring the spirits in as well,” Khus said.
Khus said the mural also honors the NCTC’s efforts to designate the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, which would protect most of San Luis Obispo County's coastline.
He says he blended images of water, land and sky into the painting to highlight the marine sanctuary.
The mural is called Tomol Rides Wishtoyo. More details about its Chumash symbolism is here, and more details about the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Santuary is here.
