Yokuts

The river we know today as the San Joaquin has had many names over the years.

The tree that gives the town its name has been a landmark and meeting place for over 250 years.

The recharged Tulare Lake has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to farms and communities in the region. But the return of the lake is a celebration for the Native American tribes that used to depend on the water as a way of life.

An archeologist with the Tejon Tribe has been working closely with the City of Bakersfield and the two Kern County water districts behind the project to make sure the “significant” Native American sites on the ranch are protected.