Yokut Indians

1. Yokut Indians By: Charlotte A. Potes

2. House/Location • The Yokut Indians lived in the San Joaquin Valley and the eastern foohills. • Houses had dome shaped houses with wooden poles covered in tule mats. About 300 people lived in the tribe or small groups of tribes.

3. Clothing • Women wore skirts made of tule and wore woven baskets strapped to their heads. • Men wore deer skin around their waist or on hot days wore nothing. • On cold days they wore robes made out of hen or rabbit skins

4. Food • The Yokuts fished salmon, trout, and many other types of fish. • They also hunted pigeons, quail, rabbits squirrels, and dogs. • The Yokut were the only tribe to eat dogs. • They ground seeds, roots, and acorns into flour and made into a mush.

5. Tools/Trade • Indians made tule reeds into baskets, mats, and cradles. • They traded for obsidian to make arrowheads and knives. • They used bows and arrows for hunting. • Some parts of the bow had sinew. • Sinew was animals tendons.

6. Tools/Trade Continued • Most arrows had bird feathers on them. • They made canoes bundles of tule tied together. • The Native Americans traded to get seashells, they strung into necklaces and called Keha. • Keha was money.

7. Fun Facts • Each Native American inherited an animal connection. • They always respected that animal and never harmed it. • The headman’s was usually an eagle and the messenger’s was a dove.