Yokuts << YOH kuhts >> are a group of Native American tribes who once lived in south-central California, in the San Joachin Valley and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Traditionally, the Yokuts lived in tribes of about 350 people. Each tribe had its own name, dialect, and territory. The tribes were divided into clans, each of which had a bird or other animal as a totem (emblem). Each clan inherited certain tribal offices, with the highest-ranking chief being the head of the Eagle clan.
The main foods of the Yokuts were fish, waterfowl, shellfish, roots, and seeds. In addition, many Yokuts ate salmon, acorns, and deer. The valley Yokuts used a tough-stemmed plant called tule for food and to make baskets, houses, boats, mats, and clothing.
Spanish explorers first encountered the Yokuts in 1772. At that time, there were between 18,000 and 50,000 Yokuts. In 1833, a malaria epidemic killed about 75 per cent of the Yokuts. The gold rush of 1849 brought many white settlers into Yokuts territory, forcing the tribes off their traditional lands. In 1873, the Tule River Reservation was established for them.
Today, about 4,000 Yokuts live in the United States. Many of them work in logging or farming. They maintain some of their traditional culture by continuing such activities as acorn gathering, basket making, and community celebrations.
