Plants Located at the ʼal-tipašumawiš Garden

San Marcos Foothills Preserve, Santa Barbara, California

Channel Islands Restoration is nearing the completion of the first phase of an ethnobotanical garden that will educate the public about the native plants that grow at the San Marcos Foothills and will include information on how the local Chumash people used the plants for food, fiber, and medicine. In the coming months, we will install signs along the trail next to the plants that will contain the names of the plants in multiple languages and contain a QR code link to a web page that will provide details on how the plants were used and still are used.

The garden was conceived by Chumash elder Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto and is dedicated in her memory. The garden exists to honor the Chumash people on whose unceded land the garden sits.
It is named, ʼal-tipašumawiš, meaning “one at peace” which is pronounced as follows:

all-ti-paw-shoo-MAW-weesh

'all' rhymes with 'call'
'ti' are the first two letters in the word 'tick' or 'tickle'
'paw' rhymes with 'saw'
'shoo' rhymes with 'blue'
'MAW' rhymes with 'saw'. It's in capital letters because this syllable takes the stress.
'weesh' rhymes with 'leash'

All of the plant species in the garden grow naturally at the San Marcos Foothills and were raised by our staff at our native plant nursery. So far, 22 species have been planted in the garden, but in the coming months and years, additional species will be added. We hope that you will enjoy the garden and will honor the Chumash people and their ancestors as you explore the plants.