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Studying, sharing and learning from Yosemite’s long human history.

People have lived in and traveled through the area now known as Yosemite National Park for millennia. Human stories are woven deeply into the park’s past and present, including in knowledge and experiences passed down through generations or still waiting to be told. Your support can fund efforts to study, share, honor and learn from those cultural and historic legacies.

Current Projects

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Yosemite’s Horses and Mules
Ensure the continued success of Yosemite’s long-running mounted patrol program by bringing in four to six new horses and mules, allowing older animals to retire.
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Tribal Internships in Resource Careers
Recruit and train a Tribal intern to work alongside subject-matter experts and affiliated Tribes to address hazardous fuels mitigation and invasive species control.
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Traditional Plant Gathering
Establish the groundwork and site maps to memorialize tribal members’ rights to gather plants and collect materials for continuing cultural practices.
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Culture Connections Event Series
Enhance visitor connections to Yosemite traditions and art through an annual series of park programs and events, including the Parsons Memorial Lodge Summer Series and the annual Chiura Obata art event.
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Connecting to Traditions: Cultural Demonstrator Program
Enhance Yosemite’s cultural demonstrator program — with refined recruitment efforts and financial compensation — to bring Tribal representatives to the Yosemite Museum and Indian Village to interpret cultural stories and Tribal histories.
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A Century of Heritage
 Support the Yosemite Museum’s centennial programming with the development of in-person and online exhibits to connect all visitors to Yosemite’s past, present, and future, featuring treasures from the park service’s oldest museum collection.
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Restoring Fire in Black Oak Groves
Restore black oak groves in Yosemite Valley with prescribed cultural burning, providing opportunities for Tribal stewardship and maintenance of the groves.
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Our cultural and historic preservation projects have helped the park digitize thousands of vintage images, host special museum exhibits, restore buildings and expand educational resources, work with traditionally affiliated tribes to build a roundhouse at the Wahhoga Village site, and much more.

Want to know more? Take a quick journey back in time to see our past projects!

Areas of Focus

Thanks to supporters, we’ve provided over $152 million to Yosemite for more than 800 completed projects. Donor gifts help improve trails, restore habitat, protect wildlife, inspire the next generation of nature-lovers and more. Explore our funding areas to see current and past projects.