A replica of the Tomol, might grace the front of our City Hall.

Text and photo ©Robert Chianese [email protected]

Native Chumash representatives, the City of San Buenaventura, and the Ventura Mission Church have reached agreement to move the large statue of Father Junipero Serra that fronts the Ventura City Hall to the nearby Mission grounds. This may end the fight over where to site the statue of this iconic figure, a saint to some, to others an enslaver and cruel master to Native Californians up and down the state.

People’s heightened awareness of America’s real history enables its shameful legacy of enslavement, dominance of indigenous peoples, and oppression of minorities to take center stage. That grows out of the Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality this spring, and makes Serra’s central public place in Ventura’s community untenable for many. He should exit his pedestal, a santo obscando. The chain link cage around him protects him from being defaced or torn down before he can be moved, with bouquets and votive offerings signaling support of others.

Who or what to put in his place?

I propose that we Venturans commemorate the original founders of Buenaventura– the Chumash who established a village here called Shishalop. (Earlier residents, the Oak Grove Peoples, are obscured in the veils of pre-history.)

Specifically, a bronze replica of their fantastic ocean-going canoe, the Tomol, might grace the front of our City Hall. As a city monument, the Tomol would honor the Chumash’s look to the ocean and mastery of seagoing life and wise selection of a magnificent site to settle in, as we have done today. Placed on top the Padre pedestal, it would look out to the sea with ancient longing, but also with the heroic energy and ingenuity that these native peoples put to the complex engineering task of building these ocean-going watercraft that enabled strong, kneeling paddlers to cross to the Channel Islands.

A tomol at the Ventura Albinger Archaeological Museum, made by modern Chumash, clearly shows the deep-V curvilinear shape for speed and breaking through waves and planing on top of the water with a high bow and stern. The planking, binding and decorative details show the attention to their engineering artistry. A replica could proudly front our Ventura City Hall.

We already have a sculptural replica of the tomol. It graces the side of the downtown parking structure, vertically aligned with the building, its paddles forming an abstract pattern when the shadows are right. However, it’s more artistry than history and somewhat hidden from view.

A separate tomol sculpture in front of City Hall would bring to civic consciousness Native history and artistry, the painful ravages of racism, and the city’s modern commitment to the accurate portrayal of the past through an object worthy of public excitement and even veneration.

by M. Scott

This is our first Social Justice column. As the consensus continues to grow regarding the stark reality of systemic racism in American life, the Ventura Breeze recognizes the important role played by the press in helping to increase awareness and foster conversation around this very important issue. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has garnered the support of activists from every walk of life. Nationwide, these activists have organized protests and demanded the removal of statues and monuments honoring public figures connected to slavery or crimes against indigenous people. They are highlighting discriminatory hiring practices, calling for the defunding and/or restructuring of police departments and much more. These deeply emotive, controversial issues are forcing many of us to engage in serious reflection and some difficult conversations as we acknowledge a larger systemic issue and shared responsibility to commit to change.

We look forward to your contributions and input about this difficult subject.

Black Lives Matter Movement

BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. The Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc. is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.

The Black Lives Matter website goes on to say that, “By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.”

To learn more, visit www.BlackLivesMatter.com

Social Movement News & Happenings:

Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial, often called “the granddaddy of all Confederate monuments,” is once again at the center of an ongoing debate over a symbol that some see as a shrine of southern American heritage, and others see as a depiction of white supremacy etched into stone. Calls for racial equality have swelled in Georgia following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks.

The carvings of three Confederate leaders Gen. Robert E. Lee, General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis sits 400 feet above the ground, which is larger than a football field. The memorial overlooks an outdoor recreational park and casts a shadow over Stone Mountain, Georgia, a predominantly black city.

Mississippi has made it official: The state’s flag, which bears the familiar cross of the Confederate battle flag, will officially be changed. The state’s Republican governor, Tate Reeves signed the decision into law, solidifying yet another response to ongoing racial reckonings around the country.

Governor Reeves said: “There are people on either side of the flag debate who may never understand the other. We as a family must show empathy. We must understand that all who want change are not attempting to erase history. And all who want the status quo are not meanspirited or hateful.”

Stop Hate for Profit: www.StopHateForProfit.org

‘Stop Hate for Profit is a diverse and growing coalition that wants Facebook to take common-sense steps to address the rampant racism, disinformation and hate on its platform. It includes some of the most prominent civil rights groups and nonprofit organizations in the country including ADL, Color of Change, Common Sense, Free Press, LULAC, Mozilla, NAACP, National Hispanic Media Center, and Sleeping Giants.

More than 1,000 advertisers have joined in a month-long boycott of Facebook. The “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign has signed on big-name advertisers including Unilever (ticker: UL), Starbucks (SBUX), and Coca-Cola (KO).

College Athletics

College athletes in Mississippi and across the country have harnessed their collective power to call for the removal of Confederate monuments, symbols and honorifics and demand their institutions and communities account for racial inequities.

Stars from the University of Mississippi football team in this North Mississippi town have used their platform to push for the removal of Confederate statues on and off campus and marched alongside their coaches, fellow students and residents for social change. Meanwhile, a star running back at Mississippi State University, Kylin Hill, publicly threatened to quit his team if the Confederate battle emblem wasn’t removed from the state flag that had flown in Mississippi since 1894.

The University of Oregon and Oregon State University Departments of Athletics have mutually agreed to no longer refer to Oregon-Oregon State rivalry games as the “Civil War.” This decision is effective immediately and includes all athletic competitions in the 2020-21 academic year and in the years ahead.

The schools made the decision following mutual discussions as well as conversations with university officials and input from current and former student-athletes from both schools.

Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Spirit of Entrepreneurship awards by announcing this year’s winners in 10 categories. In addition to the 10 category winners, the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards has also recognized Lynne Tahmisian, President of La Arcada Investment Corporation as the 2020 Rock Star: Life Achievement Award recipient.

The 10 category winners and Tahmisian will be celebrated at a virtual event on Tuesday, July 21 from 4 – 5:30 pm.

WEV is thrilled to celebrate these outstanding entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 crisis when women owned businesses have been hit especially hard by shelter in place COVID-19 related restrictions.

by Maria Loveday

I recently received my B.A. degree in art history/art studio from CSUCI. My final capstone project was a research paper analyzing the history, controversy, and vandalism of Junipero Serra and his commemorative statues in California with a focus on the bronze Serra statue in front of Ventura City Hall.

Some interesting research findings include :

Seventy-five years after Serra’s death, 19th c. writers and historians constructed Serra’s civic persona with the goal of masking his Catholic identity which made him more acceptable to non-Catholics as the founder of California.

Both the bronze and wood Serra statues are in violation of the 1st Amendment, just as the Serra Cross was in a 2003 case brought against the city which involved issues of separation of church and state which forced the city to sell the property and cross to a local preservation group.

Recontextualization of controversial monuments and memorials through the commission of counter monuments and interpretive plaques reflecting previously oppressed narratives serve educational purposes.

Serra had a medieval mindset derived from the founding of the Franciscan Order in Assisi, Italy in 1209. Corporal punishment for sins was one of the values upheld by Saint Francis of Assisi and Serra took this to heart as he was known by his fellow friars for being particularly drawn to self flagellation to atone for sins of the flesh. Certainly, scantily clad indigenous Californians would have represented sin to such a pious man as Serra. When natives refused to convert to Catholicism they were flogged if not by Serra, then as a result of his orders. These tactics were hardly respectful of indigenous traditional cultures which had not known corporal punishment.

Contemporary California historians provide ample evidence that the mission system which Serra founded in 1769 laid the foundations for the enslavement and genocide of California’s indigenous peoples regardless of whether Serra intended this outcome or not. The decimation of indigenous cultures in California extends from the 1500’s with the first European explorers to Serra’s mission system to Mexican rule to the Gold Rush and California’s statehood to 2020 Serra statue conflicts. These statues embody oppressive ideologies which have caused generational trauma and continue to cause suffering for indigenous peoples.

It is unfortunate that Ventura has yet to remove their prominent Serra statue, a marker defining its citizenry as supporters of indigenous enslavement and genocide. This is an unpopular position to uphold when historically oppressed peoples are calling for justice through peaceful protests worldwide. The most talked about solution is to remove the statue to San Buenaventura Mission where it would not be recontextualized. If this happens an interpretive plaque needs to replace the statue to explain what happened for the benefit of future generations. An alternate solution might be to replace the statue with one that more accurately reflects Ventura citizens in 2020 and add a plaque about what used to be there. If the Serra statue remained in place the City could fund Chumash artists to sculpt counter monuments and author interpretive plaques for educational purposes balancing the current Eurocentric narrative.

The removal and/or recontextualization of oppressive statues does not lead to the erasure of history, but seeks to reveal histories that have been repressed. Restitution for harms done to indigenous peoples during California’s colonization is long overdue. While it is admirable that citizens, the City Council and the Mayor of Ventura are reevaluating the Serra statue for removal, it remains to be seen whether or not this city and its people are ready to face its’ past and move forward or deny its’ past and remain stuck in illusions which uphold repressive colonialist ideologies.

Serra statue not historic landmark

The Ventura Historic Preservation Committee has decided that the bronze statue of Father Junipero Serra standing in front of City Hall is not a historic landmark. Based upon the fact that it is a replacement of the original statue.

Ventura Community Development Director Peter Gilli stated “It’s important to note for the public that a statue of a historic figure at a prominent location does not automatically make the statue a historic landmark. Also, just the fact that an object is important to the community would not automatically make an object historic.”

The committee voted 4-1 against the statue’s historic status with Vice Chairwoman Ann Huston casting the no vote

CC decisions on statue is scheduled for 6pm

The Ventura City Council on Tuesday night delayed their decision on whether to permanently remove two statues of Father Junipero Serra. One is located in city hall and the other across the street. The delay was due to a technical oversight.

The next meeting on the statue is scheduled for 6pm on Wednesday, July 15. The meeting will be virtual. Go to cityofventura.ca.gov for information on how to watch and participate in the discussion.

Hello fellow Venturans. Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis the CAPS Media Center has been closed, however CAPS crews have continuously provided extensive communication services to the City and County to help inform the public. For example, every week CAPS produces updates by City officials and CAPS continues to direct the broadcast and streaming of City Council meetings and other committee meetings with remote participation by board members, committee members and city staff. Plus, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday CAPS Crews record the live County COVID-19 updates at the County government center and then edit/format the updates with titles and subtitles in Spanish. In addition, CAPS crews continue to produce numerous videos for Ventura County Fire, Public Health and other agencies.

For years the Ventura Breeze has given CAPS Media the opportunity to provide updates on our activities. Despite serving the Ventura community for twenty years, many people do not know what CAPS Media is, what it does, where it is located or how the organization was founded or evolved.

Community Access Partners of San Buenaventura or CAPS, as it is commonly known, is a Public Access, non-profit 501 3(C) corporation was formed on December 20, 2000 by a group of public and media-minded Ventura citizens.

Public Access is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. This provided a catalyst for the Ventura group in forming a Public Access entity created by the cable franchise negotiations between the City of Ventura, Avenue Cable (later Charter Communications) and Adelphia Cable (later Time Warner and now Spectrum). The public-private agreement provided for multiple PEG access television channels in Ventura.

Twenty years ago our visionary founders ensured that the operation of the Public Access media center for community service would be managed as an independent non-profit organization without discrimination. Today CAPS continues to train and guide members and collaborate with the City of Ventura, Ventura Unified School District, Ventura College, Ventura County and other community, educational, service and faith-based non-profit organizations. Primary funding for CAPS is derived from franchise fees paid by the cable companies to the City of Ventura. A portion of these franchise fees were allocated to CAPS Media.

CAPS is managed by a small staff with oversite from an unpaid Board of Directors which includes community members, elected by the CAPS Media membership and/or identified by the Board of Directors, as well as representatives from the City of Ventura, Ventura Unified School District, the Ventura Community College District and the County of Ventura. CAPS Mission is “to create an engaged and informed community through participation in electronic media.” Our vision is to Engage, Educate and Entertain.

CAPS Media is a membership organization. Anyone who lives, attends school or works in the City of Ventura, as well as non-profit organizations can become members of CAPS Media for a nominal annual fee. With various training classes, strong mentorship and support, our members share their voices and have produced award winning programs.

For over fifteen years CAPS has managed two Public Access Television Channels 6 and 15 and more recently. one Public Access Radio Station, KPPQ.

In 2019 alone CAPS provided over 27,000 hours of services. These include directing, broadcasting and streaming 55 City meetings, including City Council, Design Review, Planning and Historic Preservation and 19 VUSD board meetings. We rebroadcast VC Board of Supervisors meetings. The CAPS staff provided more than 15,000 hours of Production Services in support of the community. Our well- established programs of media education for students and community groups totaled almost 10,000 hours. More importantly, we’ve helped to inspire and support youth voices as they created award winning programs.

Exciting new chapters in the story of Community Access Partners of San Buenaventura await us all when our community emerges together from the current crisis. With that in mind, all of us at CAPS Media hope everyone is Staying Safe and Healthy during this challenging time.