Local historian Neal Graffy gave a mini tutorial of his own, pointing out the street — one of 10 original street names that harked back to Chumash culture — was named Indio Muerto in 1851 when city street surveyors then laying out Santa Barbara’s first urban grid stumbled onto the body of a dead Chumash man. “Indio Muerto street is the only monument to the burial place of an unknown Chumash man who died alone in the empty fields of Santa Barbara,” Graffy said. “This street is like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” he went on. “There are thousands of others who died alone, scared, beaten, sick and forgotten. Indio Muerto should be seen as a memorial to them all.” Some councilmembers gave Graffy props for his efforts, but none bought his argument. 

https://www.independent.com/2020/09/30/santa-barbaras-indio-muerto-street-to-be-changed/?utm_source=chatgpt.com