Satwiwa, in Newbury Park at the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains, began as a Chumash village and has been inhabited by Native peoples for more than 10,000 years, possibly as many as 13,000. Set on an important route through Sycamore Canyon, it served travelers and traders moving between the Conejo Valley, Mugu Lagoon, and the Pacific. Though absorbed into the Spanish ranch and mission system, it remained culturally important. Today, the Native American Indian Culture Center, developed after National Park Service acquisition in 1980, supports Native programs, ceremonies, and traditions while also providing access to a vast protected mountain and coastal landscape.

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