The story of our people is not one story, but many—passed down through spoken word from generation to generation over thousands of years. These oral traditions begin in mythical time, when Coyote, Hawk, and Turtle created the earth and the first Patwin village. Our language and stories carry within them everything sacred to us: our values, our teachings, and our deep connection to the land.
Patwin stories are rooted in place. They unfold across our ancestral landscape, filled with the animals, plants, and natural features characteristic of our region. Between the lines, they offer a glimpse into how our ancestors lived, revealing a way of life in harmony with the natural world.
Our Patwin ancestors lived in villages across a vast territory that stretched from Sonoma Valley in the west to the Sacramento River in the east and from south of Clear Lake in the north to San Pablo Bay in the south. They traveled between villages for ceremonies, trade, and connection. These ancient footpaths eventually formed the basis for modern routes, such as California State Route 16, which is now the main road along Cache Creek.
Our land was once rich with wildlife and native plants: tule elk and antelope grazed in the valleys, salmon ran in the rivers, and oak groves spread across the grasslands. Our ancestors lived sustainably—hunting, fishing, and gathering acorns, clover, wild oats, manzanita berries, and other native foods.
We cared for the land through traditional ecological practices, such as controlled burns, which rejuvenated the grasses for grazing animals and increased the yield of native seeds and wildflowers.
This is our story. It is a story of place, of survival, and of deep knowledge passed through time. It lives on in our language, our people, and our land.
Near extinction to self determination
Foreign invasion of our lands brought our people and language to near extinction. Our ancestors were enslaved by Spanish missionaries and murdered by Americans prospecting for gold. Our grandparents and great-grandparents were forced to leave their families to attend boarding schools, where they were punished for speaking our language and practicing our customs.
By the early 20th century, our population had dwindled from thousands to about twenty adult citizens living in six dilapidated homes on the bank of Cache Creek in a small town called Rumsey. Life was very hard: there was no running water, very little heating wood, and not enough arable land to make a living. Yet, when the federal government gave us the option of terminating our tribal status for a paltry payout, we rejected that plan and embarked on the journey that has resulted in our current status as a sovereign nation empowered to govern its own people and land.
Translated literally, Yochadihisel means home (dihi) by the spring water (Yocha), or spring home. But to say Pele is (“We are”) Yochadihisel is saying more than this is our home, it is saying that we belong to this place. We belong here and it is our job, part of our life’s work, to protect this place and to ensure it is a place where our taichu (younger relatives) will also belong. This is how we have always lived here, how we survived near extinction, and how our children live here now and in the future.
Commitment to preserving and protecting our language and culture
For the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, success means more than a thriving community and strong enterprises—it also means revitalizing our language and traditions and protecting our cultural and sacred sites from disturbance and desecration.
The mission of our Cultural Resources Department is to identify, preserve, and protect the Patwin language, culture, and sacred places, ensuring they endure for future generations.
Sovereign Enterprises
Settled on federal land in the early 1900s without basic resources, including water, Yocha Dehe’s people tried to farm what they could, living in grinding poverty for many decades. As longtime stewards of the land, today, much of the Capay Valley is planted with vineyards, olive trees, almond trees and a bounty of carefully nurtured crops. Yocha Dehe is a growing agricultural presence.
Philanthropy & Community Investment
Rooted in a strong tradition of giving, Yocha Dehe is committed to sharing the benefits of its economic success. We invest in communities across our ancestral territory, support both tribal and non-tribal governments, and provide assistance to people in need—strengthening the well-being of our neighbors and future generations.