Layers of Legacy

Spending the Morning at the Chumash Painted Cave

We carve our path through the contours of the mountain on our journey across California. I take the window seat and peer outside as we climb higher, enjoying the sweeping views of green covered mountains reminiscent of a wrinkled blanket over piles of haphazardly placed pillows. 

A couple of hairpin curves and a U-turn later, we find our destination and park on the side of the narrow, two-lane mountain road. The entrance to the Chumash Painted Cave, known as Alaxuluxen in the Chumash language, is so unassuming that if you blink you’ll miss it. I step out of the car, stretching my legs in a wonderful reprieve from the butt-numbing cushioned Prius seats. A few squats and a lap around the car, and I’m ready to see the cave. 

The sun shines through leaves in beams and lights a patchwork spotlight on the golden sign welcoming our visit: “Chumash Painted Cave — State Historic Park.” I turn my head 90 degrees and am greeted with the first few signs of human markings. Graffitied carvings proclaiming initials of love and existence stand stark gray against a backdrop of mossy green rocks adjacent to the mouth of the cave. A few paces away is another sign of human presence: a small, sienna-colored circular cog painting on the flat side of the mostly pockmarked rocks. 

Farther up the worn steps is a hulking, crisscrossing grate embedded into the rock walls. I gaze through an especially large diamond in the metal, designed for viewing purposes. Beyond are swirls of dark amber, slate blue, and chalky green in organic shapes similar to leaf branches, amidst large circular paintings depicting wheels with spokes. The grate leaves me feeling as if the viewing is a little secret for just me and the few people that are able to squeeze up the steps alongside me. With every glance, the images seem as if they are on the verge of coming to life to interlock with each other as they float around the cave. However, the magic of the paintings is lost as the grate feels like a suffocating mesh over a mouth struggling to breathe. The burnt orange paintings become frozen in time within a stagnant cave void of air. 

This unnatural stillness of the cave feels bare in comparison to the vibrant community working to revive the lost meaning behind the art. Currently, this art is being restored with 3-D renderings, part of the ongoing collaborations between educational institutions and the indigenous people. These joint efforts of restoration, and uncovering the narrative behind these paintings, continue to build on the lasting legacy and rich heritage of the Chumash. 

As our team admires the cave, a family of four parks their SUV behind our car and also makes their way up the rocky and worn stairs, waiting their turn to glance into the mouth of the cave. As part of the quintessential road trip, they take a look around, snap a few smiling photos of their boys, and are on their way in a span of just 10 minutes. To many, the Chumash Painted Cave is a mere pit stop on a journey down to Solvang and beyond. But for the Chumash people and those interested in their history, this cave is a legacy of the indigenous community and their imprint on the land.

This imprint is just a small stroke in the larger mural of the community — a mural depicting the dynamic culture of the Chumash people. Driving through part of the reserve, I spot the skeleton dome of a new cultural center that signals a continuing effort to educate the public about the community and celebrate their past, present, and future. 

Encountering the ever-growing culture of the Chumash, I cannot help but think about the spark of magic I felt in the interactions between the historic wall paintings and modern wall taggings. They are a product of the human desire to feel permanence in a world where we are just passing by. Long after artists have come and gone, these cave walls filled with coexisting snapshots of moments in time stand strong as evidence of the universality of humanity. 

Our team signs our names in the welcome composition book laid out for visitors at the cave, leaving our own mark in remembrance of this small but monumental sight, and go on our way. 

Words: Sophie Yang

Photos: Niko Frost