Dear Friends:

Welcome to the website for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. We invite you to browse through the various sections on our site and learn about our tribe.

The positive economic impact of our Chumash Casino Resort has been quite remarkable. If you took the total direct impact from the Resort to Santa Barbara County residents and businesses and consider the multiplying effect of these dollars on the local economy, the total economic impact is estimated at $436 billion over the next 50 years. This is an important number because it demonstrates how much our tribe has contributed, and will contribute, to the local economy. It also directly contradicts tribal opponents’ claims that the tribe will be a drain on the community, costing the county millions over the next 50 years. Quite the contrary. The positive economic impact of our Resort is dramatic – and it’s very real.

Information regarding our positive economic impact can be found on our website by clicking on the Economic Impact button. In addition, last fall we launched a series of ads that detail not only our economic impact on the community, but also other important information regarding our tribe’s commitment to the community. You can see the ads by clicking here.

We are quite proud of our business enterprise, the Chumash Casino Resort, and equally proud of our tribal cultural programs. Last October, we held our 10th annual Chumash Inter-Tribal Pow-Wow at the Live Oak Campground. Participants and spectators experienced native dance and culture along with a wide array of vendors selling native foods and goods. Click here for more information.

We are excited that we have an opportunity to share our way of life with you and hope you learn more about our Tribe by fully exploring our website. You can also view our two new brochures by clicking, “Our Tribal Community,” and “Realizing Our Vision.” The first brochure provides information on our tribe – tribal government, history, culture, etc. along with a helpful section on dispelling myths regarding Indian gaming. The second brochure tells the story of the Chumash Casino Resort construction project, including fun construction facts and figures on both the casino and hotel construction.

Sincerely,

Vincent Armenta
Tribal Chairman