Mission Santa Inés

A critical examination on the site and how it presents its history

By Aileen Aparicio

Introduction

Mission Santa Inés was founded on September 17, 1804 by Father Estévan Tapís of the Franciscan order. Established as the 19th mission along El Camino Real and near the modern-day Danish town of Solvang, it stands as a historical landmark with a religious significance, having served to convert and house the local Chumash, a California tribal nation. The peaceful scenery surrounding the mission and its emphasis on Catholic decor and traditions overshadows another narrative that offers insight on how Mission Santa Inés was able to establish such power and influence. Beyond the mission's white adobe walls and terracotta-tiled exterior lies a deeper story - one shaped by Spanish colonialism, life under the mission system, indigenous resistance, denied rights, and selective remembrance. And through a critical and indigenous lens, these elements reveal a darker legacy.

Citations

Santa Inés Mission; Mission Santa Ynez; Mission Santa Ines. 1804-1817. Photo. Society of Architectural Historians Architecture Resources Archive (SAHARA). Artstor, JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.14912259.

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