In pre-Columbian times, the Sierra Nevada region was home to a mosaic of indigenous tribes. Most of these tribes migrated seasonally, moving from villages in the Sierra Nevada foothills and river valleys, where they spent the harsh winters, to the meadows of the mountains’ high country, where they established summer hunting and gathering camps. Besides deer, rabbits, and other small game, these tribes depended on the plants they could gather or trade for.
For many tribes, the most important food source was acorns and pi
