The Tule River Reservation is home to the Yokuts and is located approximately 25 miles outside Porterville, California in Central California. It is at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and on the eastern edge of the San Joaquin Valley. The Reservation under its current status was established in 1873 under an executive order from President Ulysses S. Grant with a size of 91,837 acres. The Tule River is a clear flowing stream that harbors trout and other small fish. The river can become very swift and fast in the spring months as heavy rains and snowmelt can increase the flow significantly. It also flows through the center of the reservation and produces a beautiful setting for tribe members living in the area. The main source of income for the Yokuts is the modern Eagle Mountain Casino located inside the reservation. The casino has 20,000 feet of floor space, 1500 slot machines, 10 gaming tables and a 450-seat Bingo Hall. The casino also has a small snack bar and buffet. The most beautiful spot of the Tule River Reservation is Painted Rock, located immediately adjacent to the river. In 2005 North America Bigfoot Search was given special access to the site through the office of the Tribal Chairman. A Tribal Docent, who kindly gave us her interpretation of the importance of the site and the significance of the pictographs, escorted us to the site. Pictographs are paintings of shapes and figures on rock. According to the tribe, Painted Rock has drawings of coyote, beaver, bear, frog, centipede, eagle, condor, lizard and a male, female and baby Bigfoot. The drawings are all completed in red, black, white and yellow colors. Clewlow (1978) has estimated that the pictographs were sketched in AD. 500 but the possible range in their age could be between AD 1- AD 1200. The pictographs of the purported Bigfoot does look similar to the hominid and the docent explained that Bigfoot plays a critical role in the evolution of the tribe. Their name for the hominid is “Mayak Data Sunsunut”, Bigfoot the Hairy Man. It was the feeling of the tribe that Bigfoot was a welcomed figure when they inhabited Painted Rock. They believed that Bigfoot kept away bad mammals, coyote, Mountain Lions and Grizzly bears. NABS was allowed unlimited photography opportunties of the site and a complete tour of the region. We are attaching our best shots of this beautiful area. NABS respectfully thanks the Yokuts for their gracious access to the site. We do warn you that anyone accessing this area needs special written permission from the Tribal Chairman of the reservation. **Click on the photos below for a narrative about the specific picture.
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