Qasil was a Native American village of the

Chumash people The Chumash are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the central and southern coastal regions of California, in portions of what is now Kern County, California, Kern, San Luis Obispo County, California, San Luis O ...

located in the county of Santa Barbara,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Juan Crespí Juan Crespí, OFM (Catalan language, Catalan: ''Joan Crespí''; 1 March 1721 – 1 January 1782) was a Franciscan missionary and explorer of The Californias, Las Californias. Biography A native of Majorca, Crespí entered the Franciscan ord ...

described an old abandoned village at Refugio when he passed by in 1769 ... apparently resettled by 1776 ... occupied until its inhabitants were recruited into the mission system. The village was situated on the

Gaviota Coast The Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County, California is a rural coastline along the Santa Barbara Channel roughly bounded by Goleta Point on the south and the north boundary of the county on the north. This last undeveloped stretch of Southe ...

, near an ocean bluff slightly to the east of

Refugio State Beach Refugio State Beach (Chumash: Qasil, "Beautiful") is a protected state beach park in California, United States, approximately west of Santa Barbara. One of three state parks along the Gaviota Coast, it is west of El Capitán State Beach. T ...

Trade center

Qasil may have been used as an important trading point and port for the neighboring Chumash people of

Santa Cruz Island Santa Cruz Island (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Isla Santa Cruz'', Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''Limuw'') is located off the southwestern coast of Ventura, California, United States. It is the largest island in California and largest of the ei ...

. The village was also connected to the

Santa Ynez Valley The Santa Ynez Valley ( Spanish: ''Valle de Santa Ynez'') is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley f ...

further inland by a trail which may have been used to transport trading items. Some evidence has been found to indicate that the village was a center for boatbuilding. Remains of

boats A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size or capacity, its shape, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically used on inland waterways s ...

have also been found at Qasil's site.

Decimation

The settlement was known to be inhabited until 1796 when it had a reported population of 142. Shortly afterward, the villagers were "recruited" in

Indian Reductions Reductions (, also called ; ) were settlements established by Spanish rulers and Roman Catholic missionaries in Spanish America and the Spanish East Indies (the Philippines). In Portuguese-speaking Latin America, such reductions were also c ...

into the local Christian mission and displaced from their land.

Etymology

The word 'Qasil' means 'beautiful' in the local Chumashan language (known as Dos Pueblos).

References

{{Coord, 34.4669, -120.0645, display=title Chumash populated places Former settlements in Santa Barbara County, California Former Native American populated places in California

Trade center

Decimation

Etymology

See also

References