5/18/2023 0 Comments Santa cruz island![]() Owing to millions of years of isolation, eight of these plants are “endemic”-they grow nowhere else in the world. Permanent and seasonal water sources, plus a number of microclimates, support over 650 species of plants and trees in ten different plant communities, from marshes and grasslands to chaparral and pine forests. The Nature Conservancy owns and manages the western 76% of the island the eastern 24% is owned and managed by the National Park Service. Today, Santa Cruz Island is divided between The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service. The Nature Conservancy came into full ownership of the west end of the island, including Main Ranch in the central valley in 1987. Caire’s legacy of ranching and land husbandry would remain until the National Park Service bought the east end of Santa Cruz Island from Caire’s descendants in 1980 and the last of the flocks of sheep were taken off the island in 1999. Ownership of the ranch passed on to the businessman Justinian Caire in 1886, who had a vision to establish both sheep and cattle ranching on Santa Cruz Island as well as one of California’s first commercial vineyards. The ranching period on Santa Cruz began with a small sheep ranching operation managed by James Barron Shaw and grew to be one a well-recognized operation by the 1860’s. He would be the first of many private owners who would shape the island into what it is today. Santa Cruz Island was gifted to Andres Castillero for his role in brokering a shaky peace in California. The Mexican government claimed the island as its own territory in 1821 before California’s independence movement began in 1838. Thus ended 10,000 years of habitation by the Chumash on Santa Cruz Island. From that day, the island was called “La Isla de la Santa Cruz,” meaning “the island of the sacred cross.”īy the early 1800’s the Chumash were said to have ‘voluntarily’ moved to the Santa Barbara and Santa Buenaventura missions. ![]() The next day, the Chumash paddled in a tomol to the expedition’s ship and return it. Legend has it that on one such visit during a gift exchange, a staff with an iron cross atop of it was forgotten. The explorers and missionaries that visited after him discovered the complex aboriginal society of the Chumash. The journey would eventually be Cabrillo’s demise, as he is rumored to have died in the winter of 1543 on San Miguel Island, though some postulate we very well could have died on Santa Cruz. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and his men made first contact with the Chumash of limuw in 1542. ![]() In teams of as many as ten people, the Chumash would paddle across the channel and trade shell-bead money and island goods for food staples and other goods from the mainland. Their trade was made possible by tomols, plank canoes constructed from driftwood and sealed with tar and pitch. This formed the backbone of an intricate inter-island and cross-channel trading system with the counterparts on the mainland. The island Chumash produced shell-beads that they used for currency. They developed a highly complex society dependent on marine harvest and craft specialization. The island had over 10 villages and was home to over 1,200 people. Chumash of limuw had their largest village, swaxil, located near present day Scorpion Anchorage. Lying directly on the boundary between cold northern and warm southern waters, this island hosts unique plant, animal, and marine communities representing nearly 1000 miles of marine diversity from California’s coastline.Īrchaeological investigations indicate that Santa Cruz Island has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. The central valley splits the island along the Santa Cruz Island Fault with volcanic rock on the north and older sedimentary rock on the south. Deep canyons, year-round springs and streams, plus 77 miles of craggy coastline cliffs, giant sea caves, pristine tide pools, expansive beaches, and a central valley are features of the unique island. ![]() The highest peak on the island is Devil’s Peak, at 2450 feet. The scenic beauty of Santa Cruz is reflected in its many landforms including its two rugged mountain ranges. The Chumash that inhabited this island for well over 11,000 years call this island ‘limuw,’ meaning “in the ocean.” The island Chumash consider this island to be the cradle of their civilization the birthplace of their people. Located 23 nautical miles (nm) off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, the island is 22 miles long, from 2 to 6 miles wide, and is 97 square miles in area. Santa Cruz Island is the largest island off the continental United States.
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