7 TRADITIONALLY ASSOCIATED TRIBES

Seven traditionally associated American Indian tribes and groups have ancestral connections to Yosemite National Park and continue to live and work within the surrounding communities and elsewhere. Members of these tribes remember Yosemite and sacred places from growing up in the Wahhoga village and hearing stories told and retold through generations. The seven associated tribes are the American Indian Council of Mariposa County, Inc. (aka Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation), Bishop Paiute Tribe, Bridgeport Indian Colony, Mono Lake Kutzadika'a, North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California, Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians, and the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians.

When experiencing Yosemite’s incomparable, awe-inspiring natural beauty, we sometimes forget that the land itself tells stories of the people who cared for this place for generations. Our tribal partners often remind us that Yosemite National Park has been home to native people since time immemorial.

All people can learn from the original stewards of this special place. For Yosemite’s traditionally associated American Indians, the park embodies a living connection to the past and a vital place of cultural significance for the present. The NPS has a monumental task to preserve not only these remarkable public lands, but also the associate stories and values - stories and values that will continue to inspire current and future generations

How to learn more

Federal Recognition

Federal recognition is important to Indian tribes for several reasons. First, when they are extended federal recognition, they can establish tribal governments that possess a measure of sovereignty. Non-recognized tribes can form tribal organizations but lack sovereign powers. Second, federally recognized tribes can have their reservation lands placed in trust. This means that their land is protected by the federal government from being purchased or taken by non-Indians. If a tribe is not federally recognized, it can own land as a corporate entity, but the federal government will not put these lands into trust for the tribe. Thus, federally recognized tribes also have what is a called a trust relationship with the government. This means that the federal authorities will protect their sovereign status, their lands and tribal property, and their rights as members of domestic dependent nations.

Only five of Yosemite’s affiliated tribes have federal recognition, leaving the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation and Mono Lake Kutzadika’a Paiute Tribe non-federally recognized. These groups have been seeking federal recognition, but have been repeatedly denied for decades. As people who live on stolen land, it’s important to advocate for the recognition of these groups, speak up about these issues, and vote with these injustices in mind.

Importance of Oral History

Taken from the November ‘22 DEIA Newsletter

On October 13th, I had the opportunity to attend the California Truth and Healing Council's first in-person listening session in Yosemite Valley. At this meeting, the community was invited to hear from members of Yosemite's affiliated tribes and other California tribes who shared stories of their family's experience in the park and their relationship with government agencies. Their stories taught me a lot about the history of Yosemite's natural landscape and the importance of Native American knowledge and conservation efforts in the park. I also learned a lot about the history of Native Americans in the park, including uplifting stories of community and resilience, and honest stories of displacement and oppression. I feel extremely fortunate to have learned about this history directly from members of the affiliated tribes, and I hope that the recorded narratives will effectively inform the Council.

This listening session emphasized the importance of oral history, a topic that I have now explored quite deeply. Native Americans have worked to preserve, record, and pass down their history, culture, and beliefs through oral literature. Throughout time, Western leaders have worked to discredit oral history, claiming that information should be documented and written in order to be accurate and reliable. This discrediting ensured that white history remained the dominant narrative in Western culture. However, because of the strategic exclusion of non-white narratives, written and documented history has been relatively single-sided and inaccurate. A large portion of Western written history is littered with derogatory language, unnecessary religious undertones, and an unintentional influence of the social conditions present at the time. The rigidity of written history, which is the primary argument for its validity, is ironically its main downfall. Because written history cannot adapt over time, it often irrelevant to evolved societal conditions. Written history continuously excluded the stories of underrepresented people and cultures, and still maintains countless gaps today.

Oral history helps us to fill these gaps to create a more holistic understanding of history that includes everyone’s story. Oral history can grow and adjust over time to remain relevant, useful, and accurate. It can combine with the history of other groups, incorporate current experiences and information, and enhance the information within written history. Most importantly, the recognition and acknowledgement of oral history facilitates the inclusion of omitted histories into the master narrative.

The California Truth and Healing Council works to utilize oral history and narratives to inform policy decisions. In 2025, the Council will submit a final report that will recount a holistic understanding of the relationship between California Native Americans and the state, and may also include recommendations for reparation, restoration, and prevention of future harm.

To learn more about the Council and future listening sessions, visit https://tribalaffairs.ca.gov/cthc/.