Dear Council Members,
As a non-profit organization existing to connect people of faith and of conscience in the work of economic justice locally, we, the board of CLUE SB (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice), are writing in solidarity with the local Chumash community and the Tribal Trust Foundation in favor of the street name change from the existing name “Indio Muerto,” to “Hutash” — which represents the sacred Earth Mother of the Chumash tradition. The larger Santa Barbara area has a long and tragic history of colonization, especially as it pertains to the historic extinguishing of the majority of the Chumash population, and we feel that this street name is not only a gross oversight by the city, but also a direct representation of the white supremacy that we believe our city does not want to perpetuate. In this time where racial justice is at the fore of our collective consciousness, we believe that it is time to respond and take action to remove this title.
Indigenous teacher George Erasmus has said: “Where common memory is lacking, where people do not share in the same past, there can be no real community. Where community is to be formed, common memory must be created.” We want to express our explicit support for the urgent change of this street’s name in order to help our community move forward with the acknowledgment of a common memory of harm done in order that we might move on toward a more just and reconciled future together as a Santa Barbara community. As people from diverse faith convictions, we come together in unity to echo the concerns of the Chumash people and to help move for the renaming of this street as soon as possible. While we recognize the challenges this name change might place upon local businesses, we feel very strongly that the continued perpetuation of this monument to colonialism in the form of a harmful and dehumanizing street name and its damage far outweighs these challenges to local businesses. We write with hope and faith that your votes will reflect our faith communities’ deep concern to remedy this quickly. Thank you for your time in considering this matter.
In Peace and Love,
CLUE SB Board