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I was lucky enough to get an advanced screening of a documentary called Six Generations airing on KCET November 12^th at 8:30. Ernestine De Soto is the daughter of the last speaker of the Chumash language. The film, Six Generations, tells the story of her ancestors going back to six generations of Chumash woman. The Chumash Native Americans lived on the California coast from Malibu, CA north to San Luis Obispo, CA. By hearing the story of the woman in her family going back to first contact with the Spanish we get a glimpse into what life was like for the Chumash woman and we also find out more about California’s history.

Ernestine De Soto’s narration is intertwined with notes of anthropologist John Peabody Harrington, Santa Barbara Mission records, and the research of Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History anthropologist John Johnson PhD. Performance, photos, old drawings, interviews and scenes from Santa Cruz Island standing in for prehistoric California bring us through 200 years of family stories. 

The historical and human insight that comes from storytelling makes this film a must see. Listening to Ernestine voice her ancestors’ stories helped me appreciate the past in a personal way. 

Tune in to see Six Generations airing on KCET November 12^th at 8:30.