The Fund for Santa Barbara has launched the Chumash Reparative Action Fund with an initial $25,000 offering that supports the Northern Chumash Tribal Council’s work to reclaim ancestral land at Dos Pueblos Ranch.
The Chumash Reparative Action Fund is designed to advance reparations for all Chumash peoples and deepen the organization’s commitment to Indigenous justice.
The announcement comes during Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize and honor the histories and ongoing contributions of Indigenous peoples.
The fund’s work begins with the recognition that Santa Barbara County is located on unceded Chumash land.
“The history of settler colonialism in this country has caused lasting harm to the Chumash people, their culture, and the lands they have stewarded for thousands of years,” The Fund for Santa Barbara said. “These injustices persist today, perpetuated by those in positions of power who continue to terrorize and traumatize Indigenous communities and people of color.”
Starting this year The Fund will make annual, rotating offerings to each of the seven Chumash Bands in the region.
“The offerings are an acknowledgment that The Fund, like almost all of us, has benefited from historical and ongoing harms,” The Fund said. “These contributions aim to give back in ways that are authentic to The Fund’s mission while leveraging decades of experience in grantmaking, philanthropy, and community building.
“Finally, these offerings aim to help chart a new future for repairing and rebuilding in community with the Chumash peoples, guided by Indigenous knowledge, experience, expertise, and ecological wisdom.”
The first offering of $25,000 will go to the Northern Chumash Tribal Council (NCTC), which is leading a major campaign to purchase and reclaim ancestral Chumash land at Dos Pueblos Ranch, a sacred coastal site along the Gaviota Coast.
“This once-in-a-generation opportunity represents not only the return of land to Indigenous stewardship but the restoration of cultural, educational, and ecological relationships that have long sustained this region,” The Fund reports.
Whether this offering supports that campaign or other community needs, the decision rests solely with NCTC.
“I am honored to receive this generous offering to support the acquisition, protection, and restoration of our ancestral lands. In a time like this, the steadfast stewards for social and environmental justice rise up to help calm the storm,” said Violet Sage Walker, chair of the NCTC.
“We are sincerely grateful for The Fund for Santa Barbara and their strength and dedication to Indigenous People and causes,” she said.
As this initiative evolves, The Fund will work with partners and an advisory committee to establish a clear funding strategy and collaborative process, ensuring future offerings are thoughtful, transparent, and aligned with Chumash community priorities.
The Fund for Santa Barbara is calling on its philanthropic partners, foundations, and donors to join in this effort in the following ways:
● Give directly to the Northern Chumash Tribal Council to support the return of ancestral land at Dos Pueblos Ranch.
● Establish parallel funds or initiatives that support this broader reparative vision.
The Fund for Santa Barbara is a 501c3 foundation that provides grants and support to organizations that advance progressive change by strengthening movements for economic, environmental, political, racial, and social justice.
Learn more at fundforsantabarbara.org.