The Ventureño Chumash Indians first settled in Satwiwa 13,000 years ago, and lived in the village as recently as 2,000 years ago. The village served as a post for travelers and traders who crossed the Santa Monica Mountains through the Sycamore Canyon in order to get from the Conejo Valley to the Mugu Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. The Chumash traded with the Gabrieleño-Tongva Indians, who mostly lived in areas of Los Angeles County. Numerous Chumash artifacts and petroglyphs have been discovered in the surrounding area, particularly along the Arroyo Conejo on its way to its estuary in the Mugu Lagoon. Satwiwa is situated at the foothills of Boney Mountain, which is a sacred mountain for the Chumash people. Many of the artifacts are for display at the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center and the Chumash exhibit at the Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park, as well as at the Chumash Indian Museum in Thousand Oaks.