Northern Chumash Tribal Council honors two members with Sanctuary Wavemaker Award

CENTRAL COAST REGION, Calif. – The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation announced both Chair Violet Sage Walker and her late father former Chief Fred Collins as honorees for the Sanctuary Wavemaker Award at this year's June 4th Capitol Hill Ocean Week Ocean Awards Gala.

The Sanctuary Wavemaker Award honors ambassadors for protecting water boundaries due to their activism and continued work to promote and benefit marine ecosystems both nationally and globally.

Both Walker and Collins' efforts to bring a new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary to the Central Coast Region will be recognized at this year's event.

“My father, Chief Fred Collins, always said that we can and must do better, for Mother Earth, for the animals, and for each other. His dream of the Chumash Sanctuary is an important opportunity to do that. The Chumash Sanctuary is my father’s legacy and is a vital step in working towards his dream of a thriving future for all. It is an honor to receive the Wavemaker Award together and to carry his legacy of the Chumash Sanctuary forward.”

Chair Violet Sage Walker, Chair Woman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council

Collins' efforts to protect the Central Coast's cultural and ecological background did not go unnoticed as in 2015 he originally pitched the idea of a Chumash Sanctuary with the support of regional partners.

Six years later, Collins' posthumous goal was achieved as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the designation of the Chumash Heritage Sanctuary.

Walker is continuing her father's work in the field of environmental justice, targeting the Marine Sanctuary's opening in just a few months.

“It is an honor to recognize the outstanding contributions of Chairwoman Violet Sage Walker and Chief Fred Collins, Chair Brenda Mallory, and National Geographic Pristine Seas as champions of conservation, advocacy, and policy change on behalf of our ocean and all people whose livelihoods and heritage depend on it. Each is an inspiring leader in our ocean community, much deserving of these awards.”

Joel R. Johnson, President and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

For more information on the Chumash Sanctuary, Northern Chumash Tribal Council and National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, visit their respective websites in the links provided.