SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) will honor Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, an active Ojai resident and the tribal leader of the Barbareño-Ventureño Band of Mission Indians, as the 37th Assembly District 2017 Woman of the Year today.
“It is a privilege and an honor to recognize Ms. Tumamait-Stenslie as the 37th District Woman of the Year,” said Limón. “As the spokesperson for Ojai’s original inhabitants, Ms. Tumamait-Stenslie educates and advocates for her culture’s sacred sites and disappearing ways. She has served Ventura County and the entire Central Coast well by ensuring Chumash history and traditions are not forgotten.”
Ms. Tumamait-Stenslie’s family is one of only two to have resided continuously in the Ojai Valley since the days of the early 18th century, before Spanish friar Junipero Serra founded the San Buenaventura Mission.
Working as a cultural resources consultant, she has provided guidance for private groups and state, county and city regulatory agencies, including the Ventura and Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s offices and U.S. National Parks Service. A member of the Ojai Land Conservancy, Ojai Valley Museum, Ms. Tumamait-Stenslie advocates for the protection of Native American archeological sites, particularly in the Ojai Valley. She also serves on the state’s Native American Heritage Commission which identifies and catalogues the state’s cultural resources.
During the annual Woman of the Year celebration, a woman from each Assembly District is honored at the State Capitol. Each honoree is introduced on the Assembly Floor and receives a special certificate honoring her accomplishments. The 2017 Woman of the Year Ceremony will take place in the Assembly Chambers of the State Capitol Monday, March 6, 2017. It is held in honor of Women’s History Month and celebrates the contributions and unique accomplishments of women in each of the Assembly’s 80 districts.
— Monique Limón currently serves as an Assembly Assistant Majority Whip. She represents the 37thAssembly District which includes Santa Barbara, Ventura, Goleta, Carpinteria, Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Buellton, Solvang, Summerland, Isla Vista, Montecito, and parts of Oxnard. Visit https://a37.asmdc.org for more information.