We are preservation advocates working together to preserve archaeological sites and other cultural resources. WHAT ARE CULTURAL RESOURCES?
Our mission is to protect and preserve cultural resources such as sacred sites, archaeological sites, historical sites, and resource gathering. The term "cultural resources" generally refers to aspects of a cultural system that are valued by or are significantly representative of a culture or that contain significant information about a culture. Cultural resources may be tangible entities (such as
sites, buildings, and objects) or cultural practices. The term is often applied to sites, areas, or buildings which represent significant places or events in the flow of human experience. The term sometimes specifically refers to the remnants, evidence, and areas associated with human activities or otherwise considered significant or important, and may include the following:
* Prehistoric and ethno-historic Native American archaeological sites.
* Historic archaeological sites.
* Historic buildings or structures.
* Elements or areas of the natural landscape which have traditional cultural significance.
* Prehistoric and Ethnohistoric Native American Archaeological Sites
* Prehistoric sites represent the material remnants of Native American societies and their activities.
* Ethnohistoric sites are defined as Native American settlements occupied after the arrival of European settlers in California. Such sites include villages, seasonal camp sites, stone tool quarry sites, hunting and butchering sites, traditional trails, and sites with rock carvings or paintings. Archaeologists identify such sites by the presence of one or more of the following:
* Stone flakes made of chert, jasper, quartzite, quartz, basalt, obsidian, and other rock types.
* Shell, animal bone, ground stone tools used for grinding seeds, such as manos, mutates, or bedrock mortars.
* Plant foods, such as carbonized seeds.
* Artifacts, such as arrow or spear points, and fragments of pottery vessels.
* Darker soil with evidence of human activity, called midden.
* Circular depressions representing houses or ceremonial structures. Areas of Traditional Cultural Significance
These are areas that have been, and often continue to be, of economic and/or religious significance to people today. They include Native American sacred areas where religious ceremonies are practiced or which are central to their origins as a people. They also include areas where Native Americans gather plants for food, medicinal, or economic purposes. A certain degree of protection is provided for such resources by California state law.
06/08/2026
Summer brings the return of one of our favorite summer traditions... Concerts in the Park is back in July! 🎸☀️
Grab a blanket, a picnic, and some friends and join us at the Great Meadow in Chase Palm Park for our free summer concert series!
This year's lineup:
🎵 JULY 2 - The New Vibe
🎵 JULY 9 - Jason Libs and the Liberation
🎵 JULY 16 - The Mighty Cash Cats
🎵 JULY 23 - Spencer the Gardener
SB Small Dog Meetup Group Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Small dog meet up group meets every Sunday at 3pm at Ambassador Park (in front of Hotel Milo). Bring your pup and come hang out with fellow small dog lovers!
Join us Friday, May 15th for a discussion around the risks of oil extraction and the ongoing work to protect our region’s vital resources. This annual Memorial Lecture honors the legacy of Darcy Aston, a 1981 UCSB Environmental Studies alum and beloved member of the Santa Barbara community, and brings us together to explore solutions for water quality, watershed protection, and environmental stewardship.
This year’s program will feature a moderated panel discussion led by Linda Krop, Chief Counsel at the Environmental Defense Center, featuring Assemblymembers Steve Bennett and Gregg Hart. They will reflect on the legacy of environmental action since the 1969 oil spill and examine the impacts of oil extraction and transport on water quality, the role of policy and advocacy in driving change, and the challenges and opportunities ahead. A reception with light refreshments will follow the discussion.
May 28th, 2026 | Featuring: John R. Johnson, Ph.D - "Fr. Gerónimo Boscana, Franciscan Missionary Ethnographer"
🗣Fr. Gerónimo Boscana, Franciscan Missionary Ethnographer -- Father Gerónimo Boscana’s extensive description of the “Acágchemem” or Juaneño Indians of Mission San Juan Capistrano is one of the classics of California anthropology, representing the only full-length ethnography left to us by a Franciscan missionary who served in Alta California. The most-familiar version of Fr. Boscana’s manuscript was titled “Chinigchinich,” when it was first published in English translation by Alfred Robinson in 1846 as an appendix to his Life in California. The name Chinigchinich refers to the principal deity of the Juaneño and Luiseño in their traditional religion. Boscana’s original Chinigchinich account in Spanish has been lost, only two earlier manuscripts are known. Dr. Johnson will discuss Fr. Boscana’s significant contribution to California ethnography and will also describe research in the Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library and elsewhere to determine what happened to the original manuscript translated by Robinson.
📍 Location: Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library, 2201 Laguna Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
💲 Cost: $30 public ($25 members) admission fee to support the work of the Archive-Library
Early-Bird Access for Good Friends+ starts May 1st. General public tickets start May 2nd.
ℹ️ Logistics: RSVP Required | Light Refreshments | Doors at 5:30pm
For additional details about our speaker and the series, see our website: www.sbmal.org/events