Create a series of five to six visitor events throughout the...
Project overview: The continued development of the Wahhoga Indian Cultural site includes construction drawings for the restroom/caretaker’s building and traditional structures, interior and exterior rehabilitation of the Wilson Cabin, and collaborative planning with all seven tribes for cultural education and events.
*This project is being funded through Yosemite Conservancy’s Centennial Campaign.
How your support helps: Wahhoga, or the Indian Cultural Center, has been designated by the seven affiliated Tribes of Yosemite to be a contemporary place for Tribal education and annual ceremony and, eventually, public education.
The goal to create an Indian Cultural Center in Yosemite Valley was included in Yosemite’s 1980 management plan, and for decades, Tribal members have worked to realize the vision. Years later, construction finally began on a roundhouse at the Wahhoga site west of Camp 4, where the last village in the Valley was intentionally destroyed in 1969 and its inhabitants were forcibly removed. Tribal community members are building the roundhouse using traditional materials and techniques.
Conservancy donors have supported the Wahhoga project through multiple grants, including funds for site planning and roundhouse construction. Ultimately, the Wahhoga site will include multiple structures and will serve as a cultural, spiritual, and gathering space for Yosemite’s Tribes, as well as an educational center for park visitors.
This year: In 2024, your support will help complete Wahhoga, including funding construction drawings for the restroom/caretaker’s building and traditional structures, interior and exterior rehabilitation of the Wilson Cabin, and collaborative planning with all seven Tribes for cultural education and events — including a celebration of the roundhouse completion.
Project partners: Yosemite National Park and the Wahhoga Committee