[14][15][16] The original Chumash village was just north of Big Sycamore Canyon in southern Newbury Park, at the foothills of Mount Boney.

It includes a Chumash Indian demonstration area, where Native American docents or park rangers are available for presentations during weekends.

The landscape is characterized by the dramatic backdrops of Boney Mountain, rocky canyons, coastal shrubs, creekbeds, oak and sycamore trees, rolling green slopes, and chaparral.

They also gathered acorns from the surrounding oak trees, which they ground to process for food, often combining them with roots or berries.

The thriving tribes lived in the center of a commerce that extended up and down the coast, as far west as the California Channel Islands.

[23][24] Native Americans of Chumash, Tataviam, Tongva and Vanyume ancestries now organize programs at Satwiwa Center in order to keep traditions alive.

The center offers a diverse range of educational lectures and workshops, Native American art displays, and more.

[30] The village served as a post for travelers and traders who crossed the Santa Monica Mountains through the Sycamore Canyon in order to get from the Conejo Valley to the Mugu Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean.

[10][12] Numerous Chumash artifacts and petroglyphs have been discovered in the surrounding area, particularly along the Arroyo Conejo on its way to its estuary in the Mugu Lagoon.

Commonly encountered species include rabbits, coyotes, deer, prairie falcons, roadrunners, hawks, golden eagles, foxes, and raccoons.

[49] The surrounding Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is home to more than 45 species of mammals.