He claimed Chumash ancestry and raised millions. But experts say he's not Chumash
LOS ANGELES - On a recent afternoon, Mati Waiya wore a bear bone in his nose and a medicine bag dangled from a strap around his neck. In his hand were two California condor feathers, sacred to the Chumash people who once flourished on the Southern and Central California coasts.
For more than a quarter of a century, Waiya has served as one of the most prominent voices for the Chumash, invoking his ancestors' ties to the land along the Santa Clara River. His nonprofit Wishtoyo Foundation, which runs an education center in Malibu, has raised more than $12 million since 2015, IRS records show. The foundation also has waged legal battles to protect historically Chumash areas and waterways from pollution and major construction projects.
But leaders of the local Chumash band and academic experts on the tribe's history and genealogy challenge Waiya's claims to Chumash roots. Several also have asked whether it is appropriate for him and his family to make money through the foundation and allege he performs ceremonies that mislead the public about Chumash culture and usurps the role of the tribal leadership in Ventura County.
A Los Angeles Times review of census, birth, marriage, death and Roman Catholic Church records dating to the 18th century shows that Waiya's
