Regarding your article on the history of the King Gillette Ranch, it was quoted that “maliwu,” a Chumash word, meant “It makes a loud noise all the time over there.” I am a docent-in-training at the Adamson House and we were taught that “Humaliwo” was the name of a Chumash village in the Malibu Creek area. Humaliwo, which means, “The surf sounds loudly,” seems to be the origin of the name Malibu.
Humaliwo was the southernmost Chumash village within their territory, which extended north to San Luis Obispo, inland to encompass Santa Ynez Valley, and seaward to include the Channel Islands. In this season of giving and taking, it feels important to me, as a longtime Malibu resident, to find the truth about the land we love.
Jane Mandy Harfouche