About Us

The Indians of the San Joaquin Valley were known as Yokuts. The word "Yokuts" mean people. The Yokuts were unique among the California natives in that they were divided into true tribes. Each had a name, a language, and a territory. The Yokuts were a friendly and peaceful loving people. They were tall, strong and well built. The Yokuts lived a simple life, depending on the land for food, clothing, and shelter.

We believe the tribe along with others belonged to the first groups that settled in California. They are called the seed-gatherers because they did no farming at all in the days before Columbus. Their main food was acorns. The Yokuts also ate wild plants, roots, and berries. They hunted deer, rabbits, prairie dogs, and other small mammals and birds. They made simple clothing out of bark and grass. Their jewelry and headbands were made of seeds and feathers. The Yokuts found life in the California valleys to be pleasant and peaceful for many centuries.

Tachi Yokut Culture

The Santa Rosa Rancheria Cultural and Historical Preservation Department have been given a great responsibility to educate people about our Cultural Ways and Values. Ignorance of our culture still exists today as in the time of our Ancestors and we do the best we can to carry the words and knowledge to educate those who we will be working with. We believe that we have inherited from our Ancestors a special relationship to our land that we need to honor and protect for our future generations. Our Ancestors that have gone before us and the sacred places where they were buried, are sacred to us. We believe that we owe our lives to those who have gone before us.