New shutdown order pushes Hutash Street renaming ceremony to virtual

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — California’s latest shutdown order is moving Santa Barbara back to remote life seen during the spring. As a result city leaders decided to move the Hutash Street renaming ceremony to a virtual event. 

On Dec. 14, Indio Muerto Street on Santa Barbara’s Eastside will be renamed Hutash Street. For one year the street will have both names. Then after a year, it will only be Hutash Street.

Hutash is Chumash for Mother Earth. The Chumash Tribe said, Indio Muerto Street, or in English, Dead Indian, was hugely offensive.

The street stretches five blocks across Santa Barbara's Eastside, from Salinas Street in the east to beyond the 101 Freeway ending at South Milpas Street. 

City and Chumash leaders will film the ceremony Monday afternoon.