Wishtoyo Foundation

Cultural preservation: wishtoyo's cultural preservation program protects and preserves the ancient wisdom, practices, and culture of chumash and indigenous peoples through cultural, spiritual, and educational programs and outreach. Our ongoing programs preserve, maintain, and protect chumash lifeways, culture, history, and indigenous traditional knowledge, for the chumash community, as well as the public at large. We continue to expand our projects and capacity, from our popular smuwic language apprenticeship program, traditional land tending mentorship, and basketry programs. In this way, knowledge and traditions can continue to be passed inter-generationally, and non-native communities can engage in cultural appreciation and deeper understanding. In 2024 wishtoyo continued planning, design, and continued from "planning, design, and": implementation of our new first nations cultural & ecological conservancy. In 2024 we also continued our longstanding work toward the full build out of wishtoyo's authentic chumash village in present day malibu, and the thomas fire and subsequent flooding at the village presented us with both setbacks (loss of a traditional structure and restoration areas) and opportunities (new restoration work and education programs based in indigenous fire management).

Chumash environmental education: wishtoyo's chumash environmental education program protects and preserves the world's natural resources through education programs and outreach. Generally, we provide cultural environmental programs to over 1,200 youth and members of the general public per year, teaching awareness of our natural resources, ancient chumash values of sustainability, and the cultural heritage of california's native peoples. Our chumash tribal marine protected areas education program and first nations summer field studies, and other education initiatives geared towards k-12 students, maintain our commitment to building supportive coastal partnerships and constituencies amongst diverse communities through outreach and education. Specifically, our education programs aim to provide continued from "aim to provide": impactful experiences for youth so they feel empowered to contribute to their communities and environment through career choices and behavior throughout their lives. We seek to remedy inequalities and disadvantages in mainstream education by focusing on underserved and intertribal students.