Pardon Our Dust… 

July 7, 2025 – Yosemite National Park officials report the ceremonial roundhouse in Yosemite's Indian Village is undergoing a well-deserved renovation. This structure hasn’t seen significant updates since 1992, when the current roundhouse replaced the one built in 1973.

Roundhouses are central to Tribal activities, and this particular one is frequently used by members of Yosemite's seven Traditionally Associated Tribes: Bishop Paiute Tribe, Bridgeport Indian Colony, Mono Lake Kootzaduka’a Tribe of California and Nevada, North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California, Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, during ceremonies throughout the year.

Santa Rosa Scout Troop 135 put in some serious elbow grease removing incense cedar bark from the roundhouse's roof so that the rafters can be replaced. They also stripped the bark from lodgepole pine, which will be used for support beams inside the roundhouse.

This project continues a longstanding partnership between the troop and the park, and we are deeply grateful for their hard work, which ensures the ongoing ceremonial and interpretive use of the roundhouse. The maintenance of the Indian Village in Yosemite is a continuous collaboration involving the Yosemite Ancestral Stewards Crew, volunteers like Scout Troop 135, Historic Preservationists, and the NPS Indian Cultural Program.

Source & photos: NPS