Project overview: Enhance Yosemite’s guest demonstrator program — with refined recruitment efforts and financial compensation — by bringing Tribal representatives to the Yosemite Museum and Indian Village to interpret cultural stories and Tribal histories. 

How your support helps: Visitor interest in the stories of the seven associated Tribes of Yosemite has grown in recent years. The Yosemite Indian Cultural Program (ICP) is an initiative within the park focused on preserving and sharing the cultural heritage of the Tribes that were in the area — and are still here — long before the establishment of the national park. As visitor demand increases, the ICP hopes to continue broadening how Tribal stories are shared, but their small staff of three is beyond capacity.  

To support visitor experiences and Tribal participation, the ICP plans to develop a guest demonstrator program — matching successful guest demonstrator programs like those in Grand Canyon and Glacier national parks — by refining recruitment efforts and improving financial compensation. Thanks to these efforts and donor support, the guest demonstrator pilot program in 2024 hosted representatives from affiliated and non-affiliated Tribes at Yosemite.  

This year: In 2025, the Yosemite Indian Cultural Program plans to bring six cultural demonstrators from local California Tribes to interpret their own stories at the Yosemite Museum and Indian Village. Each demonstrator will be provided with lodging and an honorarium for their skills. The team also hopes to bring in a year-round intern to expand recruitment and support for demonstrators. These are the first steps in building a successful guest demonstrator program that shares the stories of associated Tribes and better supports Tribal participation. 

Project partners: Seven Affiliated Tribes of Yosemite and Yosemite National Park