Due to the lack of a consistent water source, Anacapa Island was likely inhabited on a seasonal basis. Approximately 148 historic village sites have been identified, including 11 on Santa Cruz Island, eight on Santa Rosa Island, and two on San Miguel Island. Today, with the exception of the Islands, Chumash people live in these territories and areas far beyond. Traditionally the Chumash people lived in an area extending from San Luis Obispo to Malibu, including the four Northern Channel Islands. The word Michumash, from which the name Chumash is derived, means “makers of shell bead money” and is the term mainland Chumash used to refer to those inhabiting the islands. The native populations of the Channel Islands were primarily Chumash. Archeological sites on San Miguel Island show continuous occupation from 8,000 – 11,000 years ago. Human remains excavated by archeologist Phil Orr from Arlington Springs on Santa Rosa Island in 1959, recently yielded a radio-carbon date of over 13,000 years of age. Archeological evidence indicates that there has been a human presence in the northern Channel Islands for thousands of years.
