What does Yosemite and Ahwahnee mean?
Yosemite means “those who kill.” The term was used originally by the surrounding Miwok tribes to refer to the Indians that occupied Yosemite Valley. The occupiers were a band of renegade Indians who were much feared by neighboring tribes. Yosemite Valley was named in 1851 by Mr. Bunnell. Mr. Bunnell was part of the Mariposa Battalion, which was sent in capture the Yosemite Indians. The Valley was named in honor of the soon-to-be-captives. The Yosemite Indians referred to themselves as Ah-wah-ne-chee or “dwellers of Ahwahnee.” Ahwahnee (or Awooni or Owwo) was the original name for Yosemite Valley. It means (gaping) “mouth,” which referred to the deep opening of Yosemite Valley in the Sierra Nevada. For more details on the origin and meaning of Yosemite see http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/origin_of_word_yosemite.
