by Beth McDonald
The celebration of the Fall Equinox—the first day of autumn—is one of the oldest spiritual observances known to man. In the Northern hemisphere, the Fall Equinox marks the day the sun
hovers directly over the equator before it crosses over, moving southward. It is one of only two days a year when the daylight and the darkness are the most equal in length. The seasons and weather played a dominant role in the lives of ancient people, so marking the progression of the planets was essential for survival.
Though it is no longer a survival issue, these observances are still significant on emotional, spiritual, and political levels, especially around here.
For the original inhabitants of much of Southern and Central California, the Chumash, this time of year was the most sacred. This is the time of Hutash. For the Chumash, Hutash is a big, big word. It is the name of their Mother Earth Goddess, the source of all food and sustenance, and as such is one of the most important deities in their pantheon. But Hutash is bigger than that. It is also the name for
this time of year, as well as the name for the harvest festival and ceremony that happens every year at the fall equinox, celebrating the bounty of Mother Earth.
The Hutash Celebration is similar to other harvest festivals around the world, in that it has gratitude and building community as key elements. But Hutash has elements that are unique to its people. Hutash festivities began around the time of the equinox, after the fall harvests were in. They could last five to six days and be filled with ritual ceremony, dances, great feasting and celebration.
Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, a local Chumash woman, explained the value of the Fall Equinox and Hutash Celebrations this way: “The earth was both Mother and God to the Chumash, for she gave
them their food, their shelter, and their lives. This is a time that we talk about values and remind each other to be grateful of the harvest. One of the main functions of the Hutash festival was to bring the
people back together again after the separateness of summer to prepare them for the winter.”
A major component of Hutash was the Fall Equinox Sun Ceremony, honoring Kakunupmawa,
the sun. During this and other related ceremonies and dances, the spiritual thoughts of the tribe
would become focused on the importance of unity in the face of winter’s confinement, death, and at the solstice, rebirth.
This unity and focus was also achieved by connecting the members of the tribe’s different generations. They looked to the children, and recommitted to raising them with the right values and a proper understanding of the roles they would later play as adults of the tribe. Honor was given to the elders for all they had been and done and given to the younger generations. Prayers were offered for
those who had passed away during the course of the past year, and for those who would pass in the coming year.
So, for those of you planning your own ceremonies and celebrations, the equinox is on Sunday, Sept. 23 this year [2007 - ed.].
Says Tumamait-Stenslie, “By learning about how the Chumash paid attention to the changing of the earths’ cycles, we can learn how their lives were kept in balance, how life was planned and prepared
for. This time of the year, the fall equinox, is when the Sun and the Moon are of equal power and one reflects the other. It is that same reflection that connects us all.”
