Yokuts

The Yokuts (previously known as Mariposas) are an ethnic group of Native Americans native to central California. Before European contact, the Yokuts consisted of up to 60 tribes speaking several related languages. Yokuts is both plural and singular; Yokut, while common, is erroneous. Yokut should only be used when referring specifically to the Tachi Yokut Tribe of Lemoore. Some of their descendants prefer to refer to themselves by their respective tribal names; they reject the term Yokuts,' saying that it is an exonym invented by English-speaking settlers and historians. Conventional subgroupings include the Foothill Yokuts, Northern Valley Yokuts, and Southern Valley Yokuts.

Another name used to refer to the Yokuts was Mariposans. The endonym "Yokuts" itself means "people." Many stories are told, depending on the tribe, on how the Yokuts and their land came to be, but most follow a similar form.

Their creation story is such: Once the world was completely covered in water. Then came an eagle and a crow. As they were flying, they came upon a duck and asked the duck to bring up mud from the water so there can be land again. The duck did as he was asked, and this mud became the land of the Yokuts, more specifically the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Mountains. To this day, the crow and the eagle continue to be symbolic figures in Yokuts religious ceremonies.

Yokuts life was rather peaceful. The more than 60 tribes had an estimated 400-600 or more people in each tribe at the time of contact with the Spaniards in 1770. In Yokuts culture, men and women had different responsibilities. Men usually did the hunting, fishing, and building, while the women gathered, maintained the home, and cared for the children. Divorce was not difficult to achieve and could be done for a number of reasons, including affairs, laziness, and infertility.

Artistic expression among the Yokuts included music, singing, and painting. Basketmaking was also a way for the Yokuts to show their artistic skills by weaving designs and images into the baskets. Other forms of expression were done on the bodies of the Yokuts, such as tattoos and piercings.

The Yokuts partook in two important religious ceremonies, the annual mourning rite and the first fruit rite. Shamans were important to the Yokuts as they were believed to have supernatural powers, helped conduct ceremonies, and were able to treat the sick. However, shamans were able to use their power for good or evil, and depending on how they used their power they could be executed.

The first time the Yokuts encountered Europeans was in 1772, when Spanish troops were in the area searching for soldiers. In the 19th century, missions were introduced by the Spaniards and as they expanded they forced the Yokuts to work the land for farming. The harsh working conditions along with disease and abuse led to the death of many Yokuts. With their work force dwindling the missions moved further inland forcing those they encountered to convert and work.

In 1833, malaria was brought by British fur traders, spreading through the native population through their use of the sweat houses. This decrease in population left the Yokuts weak in numbers when gold was discovered, bringing with it more foreigners.