The Yokuts lived in tribes with their own villages and regions. Between 40 to 60 tribal groups are classified together under the term Yokuts. Their homeland was the San Joaquin Valley and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. They lived along rivers and streams, hunting and gathering food and supplies, and many of their baskets were created for those utilitarian purposes.

Yokuts basketry was made primarily with tule using twine and coil techniques. Other materials used throughout the Yokuts tribes include bracken fern, sedge, redbud, and grass foundations.