of the Western Gate

The coastline of southern California between San Diego and Los Angeles lies generally in a north/south direction, but as it proceeds northward, it slowly curves toward the west until at Santa Barbara, the coastline lies in an east/west direction. At the extremity of this westward curve lies Point Conception. The Chumash call it Humqaq, ”The Raven Comes”, and regard it as one of the most sacred sites not only in Chumash territory, but in all of North America, the ”western gate” of the continent.
— Read on www.angelfire.com/sk/syukhtun/westgate.html