▁The ▁Y ok uts , ▁who ▁compr ised ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁bas in , ▁mostly ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁fo oth ill ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁Sierra ▁along ▁streams , ▁with ▁their ▁territory ▁stretch ing ▁south ▁from ▁the ▁Ch ow ch illa ▁River ▁to ▁the ▁K ern ▁River . ▁C ertain ▁areas ▁above ▁the ▁fo oth ills ▁were ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁Ch um ash ▁and ▁visited ▁by ▁P ai ute ▁pe op les ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Bas in ▁for ▁trade . ▁The ▁mar sh y ▁areas ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁were ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁various ▁nom adic ▁groups , ▁and ▁probably ▁had ▁fewer ▁permanent ▁residents ▁although ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁fav ored ▁fish ing ▁and ▁hunting ▁area . ▁In ▁contrast , ▁the ▁Mi w ok ▁occupied ▁land ▁deeper ▁within ▁the ▁Sierra ▁Nev ada ▁stretch ing ▁north ▁from ▁the ▁Mer ced ▁River ▁to ▁the ▁M ok el um ne ▁or ▁the ▁American , ▁a ▁trib ut ary ▁of ▁the ▁Sac r amento , ▁and ▁west ▁to ▁the ▁D elta ▁region . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁Mi w ok ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁waters hed ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁appropri ately ▁named ▁Sierra ▁Mi w ok ▁group . ▁ ▁A ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁along ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁River ▁and ▁its ▁trib ut aries ▁lived ▁in ▁small ▁bands ▁or ▁tribes , ▁which ▁had ▁no ▁distingu ishing ▁names . ▁Vill ages ▁were ▁small ▁and ▁usually ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁cam ps , ▁rarely ▁number ing ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁inhabitants