Separated from his mother at the age of 4 years old, Yellowtail was culturally assimilated into a reservation boarding school. When he was 13 years old, he went to the Sherman Institute, in Riverside, California, graduating in 1907. He then attended the Extension Law School in Los Angeles, transferring to the University of Chicago Law School, where he gained his Juris Doctor degree.
At age 4, Yellowtail was separated from his mother and integrated into a reservation boarding school. At 13 years old, he attended the Sherman Institute in Riverside, California, graduating in 1907. He then pursued legal education at the Extension Law School in Los Angeles and transferred to the University of Chicago Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree.