DATE: Thursday, May 11, 2023
TIME: 7:00 - 8:00 PM (Pacific)
Hidden behind the iconic salmon-colored bell tower at
Mission La Purísima Concepción is the vibrant history of a 19th-century Chumash
community, referred to in Samala as Amuwun. While the mission today recollects a romantic
Spanish past, recent archaeological investigations exposed the Indigenous side
of the story and the enormous diversity that formed the fabric of mission
towns. Differences in the material assemblage between the Native adobe barracks
and the area where traditional tule-thatched houses once stood suggest that the
village was socially stratified, with higher-status individuals living in the
adobe barracks. Moreover, a unique room in the adobe residences had
characteristics that indicate an occupant held a higher rank, such as an
Indigenous alcalde or governor. In collaboration with members
of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and California State Parks, this
archaeological research provides a counter-narrative to the myth that missions
were places of culture loss by highlighting diverse stories of Indigenous
agency and cultural persistence.
Bio: After attending UC San Diego for her undergraduate
degree, Kaitlin took a job at California State Parks, where she was exposed to
the wonderful world of California archaeology. Inspired by the state’s deep
history and sheer diversity, she went on to pursue a master’s at CSU Los
Angeles and recently received her Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara in 2021. She is
currently a presidential postdoctoral fellow at UC Santa Cruz. Her research
focuses on the colonial era in the Chumash homeland of South-central California
where she has worked collaboratively with descendants over the course of her
broader project.
***RSVP by 6:00 PM on
Thursday, May 11, 2023 ***
***Please ensure that you CORRECTLY SPELL YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS (below)!!***(RESERVATION ONLY & SPACE LIMITED, WITH PREFERENCE TO CURRENT SCAS MEMBERS)
PLEASE NOTE: This meeting will take place using Zoom. If you don't have Zoom on your computer, or don't know how to use Zoom, please go here for helpful instructions:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-How-Do-I-Join-A-Meeting-Once you have registered for the event using this form, a link and instructions for joining the virtual event via Zoom will be sent to that email address approximately 1 hour before the event starts.
