For thousands of years, American Indians made their homes in Yosemite Valley, drawing on abundant natural resources to shape villages in the shadows of the cliffs. Wahhoga Village, the last American-Indian settlement in the Valley, was removed in 1969.

This grant supported the continued construction of a roundhouse just west of Camp 4, where the Wahhoga Village was once located, using traditional materials and techniques. Once the structure is complete, American Indians will be able to use the roundhouse for cultural and spiritual ceremonies. The roundhouse will provide cultural continuity for members of the tribal communities that lived in the area long before John Muir set foot in the Valley.

Your gift helped honor thousands of years of Yosemite history by furthering efforts to create a traditional space for tribal communities.

Completed in partnership with Yosemite National Park, American Indian Council of Mariposa County, Jackson Rancheria and Wahhoga Committee.

Scott Carpenter

Cultural Resources Program Manager, Yosemite National Park

Project Notes

The completion of the roundhouse will preserve the cultural continuity of the historic site at Wahhoga and allow for ongoing spiritual and traditional practices unique to Yosemite National Park.