Miwok legends tell of the creation of people here, and of events that took place long before the coming of non-Indians. By the late 18th century, it appears that most of Yosemite was populated by Southern Miwok people, with Central Miwok people utilizing the northern quarter of the park.

The ancestral inhabitants of Yosemite Valley are the Ahwahneechee people, a mixed tribe primarily composed of Southern Sierra Miwuk and Mono Lake Paiute. The name "Ahwahneechee" translates to "people of the gaping mouth," referring to the valley itself, which they called Ahwahnee. For over 5,500 years, they managed the valley's ecosystem, utilizing acorns as a dietary staple and conducting controlled burns to maintain the meadows. Today, the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation remains the most prominent tribe associated with the park, actively working with the National Park Service to preserve their cultural heritage. Visitors to Yosemite in 2026 can visit the Yosemite Museum and the reconstructed Indian Village of Ahwahnee to see traditional cedar-bark houses (umachas) and learn about the tribe's resilience and history through interpretive displays and cultural demonstrations.