Sweet Lovable Very Handsome Horse

At the time of European contact in the 18th century, Camarillo had been inhabited by the Chumash Indians for thousands of years. Present day Camarillo and the larger Oxnard Plain were portions of a paramount Chumash capital at the village of Muwu (today’s Point Mugu). Simo'mo (CA-VEN-24), which translates to “the saltbush patch”, was a Chumash village located upstream from Mugu Lagoon near the city of Camarillo. Caves with ancient pictographs are located in the area around Conejo Grade including a site used for religious ceremonies dating back to 500 A.D., where two Chumash villages were located: Lalimanux (Lalimanuc or Lalimanuh) and Kayɨwɨš or Kayiwish (Kawyis) (CA-VEN-243). The village of Kayɨwɨš ( Chumash: “The Head”) was first encountered by Europeans of the first Portola expedition on August 16, 1795.