While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
Yokuts. The name for "person," or "people," in many of the dialects of the
group. Also called:
Mariposan, a name derived from Mariposa County, and applied to the stock
to which these people were originally assigned by Powell. Noche, a name
used by Games in 1775–76 (1900).
Connections.—The Yokuts were originally considered a distinct linguistic
family but have now been made a part of the large Penutian stock.
Location.—On the entire floor of San Joaquin Valley from the mouth of San
Joaquin River to the foot of Tehachapi, and the adjacent lower slopes or
foothills of the Sierra Nevada, up to an altitude of a few thousand feet,
from Fresno River south.
Subdivisions and Villages
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These were as follows:
Buena Vista Group:
Tulamni (on Buena Vista Lake), including the villages of Tulamniu (on the
west or northwest shore of the lake), and Wogitiu (at McKittrick).
Hometwoli or Humetwadi (on Kern Lake), including the villages of Halau
(near the entrance of Kern River into the channel connecting Kern and
Buena Vista lakes).
Loasau (somewhere on the north side of Kern Lake), and Sihetal Daal or
Pohalin Tinliu (on the south shore).
Tuhohi, Tohohai, or Tuohayi (among the channels and tule-lined sloughs of
lower Kern River, perhaps ranging as far as Grass Lake), including the
village of Tahayu (location unknown).
Poso Creek Group:
Paleuyami, Padeuyami, Peleuyi, or Paluyam (on Poso Creek and neighboring
parts of Kern River), including the villages of Altau (just south of Poso
Creek), Bekiu (in Poso Flat), Shikidapau (in Poso Flat),
Holmiu (in Linn's Valley) and Kumachisi, Komechesi, Kometsicsi, or
Kumachesi (centered about Hoschiu on White River), including the villages
of Hoschiu (on White River), and Kelsiu (just south of White River).
Tule-Kaweah Group:
Yaudanchi, Yaulanchi, or Nutaa (Tule River in the foothills especially the
North and Middle Forks), including the villages of Shawahtau (above
Springville), and Ukun'ui (above Daunt), and perhaps Uchiyingetau (at the
painted rocks).
Bokninuwad, or Bokninwal (on Deer Creek in the foothills), including
K'eyau (near the valley), and perhaps Hoin Tinliu (not far from Deer Creek
Hot Springs, though this may have been Bankalachi), and Uchiyingetau (see
above).
Wuchamni, Wikchamni, or Wikchomni (on Kaweah River and the adjacent
hills).
Yokod or Yokol (west of the latter and south of Kaweah River), their
principal village being on a flat near Kaweah Railroad Station, and on the
south side of Kaweah River, north of Exeter.
Gawia or Kawia (on the north side of Kaweah River), including a settlement
on the north side of Kaweah River and Chidepuish (at Calvin Hill on Big
Dry or Rattlesnake Creek).
Kings River Group:
Choinimni (on Kings River), including the village of Tishechu (on the
south side of Kings River at the mouth of Mill Creek).
Michahai (on Mill Creek), including the village of Hehshinau (on the north
side of the stream on a flat at the foot of the pine covered ridge).
Chukaimina (in Squaw Valley on a small southern affluent of Mill Creek),
in-
cluding the villages of Dochiu (at the north side of the valley), and
Mashtinau
(on the east side of the valley).
Toihicha (below the Choinimni on the north side of Kings River), including
the villages of Tanaiu (at Hughes Creek), and Bochiptau (location
uncertain). Aiticha (farther down Kings River on the south side),
including the village of
K'ipayu (somewhat nearer Centerville than to Tishechu).
Kocheyali (location and even existence uncertain as the name is given as a
synonym for the last).
Gashowu (on Big Dry Creek and Little Dry Creek), including the villages of
Pohoniu (below Letcher on Big Dry Creek), Yokau (on Auberry Valley on
Little Dry Creek), and Ochopou (possibly belonging to the Kechayi).
Northern Group of the Foothill Division:
Toltichi (the Yokuts tribe farthest up the San Joaquin, possibly Mono),
including the village of Tsopotipau (at the electric power site on the
large bend of the river below the entrance of the North Fork).
Kechayi (holding the south bank of the San Joaquin for some miles above
Millerton), including Kochoyu and Kowichkowicho (farther up).
Dumna (on the north side of the San Joaquin about opposite the Kechayi),
including the village of Dinishneu (at Belleville).
Dalinchi (on Fine Gold Creek), including the villages of Moloneu (on this
creek), and Dalinau (over the divide in the Coarse Gold Creek drainage).
Chukchansi, Shukshansi, or Shukshanchi (on Coarse Gold Creek and the head
of Cottonwood Creek), including the villages of Hapasau (near Fresno
Flats), Chukchanau or Suksanau (well up on Fresno River), Tsuloniu (near
the headwaters of Coarse Gold Creek), Kowoniu or Kohoniu _(on Picayune
Creek), Kataniu (the present Picayune rancheria), and Ch'eyau (on
Cotton-wood Creek near Bates).
Southern Group of the Valley Division:
Yauelmani (a strip of territory between Tejon Ranch on Paso Creek and Poso
Creek), including the villages of Tinliu (below the Tejon Ranch House),
Woilo (at Bakersfield), K'ono-ilkin (on Kern River), Shoko (on Kern
River), but Shoko and K'ono-ilkin were shared, however, with the
Paleuyami, so that it is not known which claimed ownership.
Tsineuhiu (a short distance above Bakersfield on Kern River), and Kuyo (on
a channel draining toward Kern Lake), and the people of this subdivision
also lived at times at Hoschiu on White River and at Chididiknawasi (in
the Deer Creek country).
Koyeti (on lower Tule River from Porterville down), including the village
of Chokowisho (Porterville).
Choinok (probably on Deep and Outside Channels of Kaweah River), including
the village of Ch'iuta (somewhere south of Tulare).
Wo'lasi or Wo'ladji (at and below Farmersville, perhaps on Cameron
channel). Telamni (at Visalia and Goshen), including the village of
Waitatshulul (about 7 miles north of Tulare City).
Wechihit (about Sanger on lower Kings River), including the village of
Musahau (in the low bottoms opposite Sanger), and perhaps Wewayo (on
Wahtoke Creek) although this latter was rather a kind of no-man's-land.
Nutunutu (south of lower Kings River), including the villages of Chiau (a
little south of Kingston), and Hibek'ia (location uncertain).
Wimilchi (on the north side of lower Kings River), including the town of
Ugona (southwest of Kingston).
Wowol (on the southeastern shores of Tulare Lake), including the village
of Sukuwutnu or Dulau (on an island off the eastern shore of the lake).
Chunut (the Tulare Lake shore in the Kaweah Delta region), including the
villages of Miketsiu and Chuntau which cannot be definitely located.
Tachi (the tract from northern Tulare Lake and its inlet or outlet Fish
Slough west to the Mount Diablo chain of the Coast Range), including the
villages of Udjiu (downstream from Coalinga), Walna (where the western
hills approach the lake), Colon (Huron), Chi (west of Heinlen), and Waiu
(on Mussel Slough).
Apiachi (north of Kings River and east of its outlet slough), including
the village of Wohui (beyond Telweyit or Summit Lake, in the direction of
Elkhorn).
Northern Group of the Valley Division:
Pitkachi or Pitkati (on the south side of the San Joaquin), including the
villages of Kohuou (near Herndon or Sycamore), Weshiu (on a slough), and
Gawachiu (still farther downstream).
Wakichi (on the south side of San Joaquin River above the last), including
the village of Holowichniu (near Millerton).
Hoyima (on the north side of the San Joaquin opposite the Pitkachi),
including the villages of K'eliutanau (on a creek entering the San Joaquin
from the north), and Moyoliu (above the mouth of Little Dry Creek).
Heuchi (on Fresno River at least on its north side), including the village
of Ch'ekayu (on Fresno River 4 miles below Madera).
Chauchila or Chaushila, or Toholo (on the several channels of Chauchilla
River), including a village at Shehamniu (on Chowchilla River apparently
at the edge of the plains some miles below Buchanan), and perhaps Halau
(near Berenda), although this may have been Heuchi.
Nupchinche or Noptinte (not located).
Tawalimnu (probably on Tuolumne River).
Lakisamni (perhaps about Takin rancheria at Dents of Knights Ferry on the
Stanislaus River).
Siakumne (location uncertain).
Hannesuk (location uncertain).
Coconoon (on Merced River).
Chulamni (about Stockton, their territory extending at least some miles
down the San Joaquin and up the Calaveras, and possibly as far west as
Mount Diablo), including the villages of Yachik and Wana (both near
Stockton).
Population.—Kroeber (1932) estimates 18,000 Yokuts in 1770 and 600 in
1910, based on the census report of 533. The census of 1930 returned
1,145.
