🐎 Bannock

Who Are the Bannock?

The Bannock (Bana'kwut, meaning "Water People") are part of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho, with approximately 6,000 enrolled members (combined with Eastern Shoshone). They speak Bannock, a Northern Paiute language distinct from their Shoshone neighbors—demonstrating how political alliances don't always follow linguistic lines. The Bannock were horse-mounted buffalo hunters who ranged from Idaho to Montana, combining Great Basin traditions with Plains culture. Their alliance with the Eastern Shoshone created a powerful force in the Snake River region until confinement to Fort Hall in 1868.

Buffalo Economy

Unlike their Great Basin relatives who relied on gathering and small game, the Bannock adopted buffalo hunting after acquiring horses in the 18th century. They crossed the Rocky Mountains annually to hunt buffalo on the Montana plains, coming into conflict with Blackfeet and Crow nations. This adaptation gave the Bannock a mixed identity—Great Basin language with Plains economy. They traded extensively at rendezvous sites, including the famous Rocky Mountain fur trade gatherings. This flexibility—combining diverse subsistence strategies—demonstrated indigenous adaptability to changing circumstances.

Bannock War of 1878

The Bannock War (1878) erupted when settlers' pigs destroyed camas root beds—a crucial food source promised in treaties. Combined with inadequate reservation rations, this triggered armed resistance. Chief Buffalo Horn led Bannock and Paiute warriors before being killed; the uprising spread across Idaho and Oregon. The military campaign ended Bannock independence; survivors were confined to Fort Hall under strict supervision. The war demonstrated how treaty violations and settler encroachment pushed peoples to desperate resistance—and the futility of armed resistance against overwhelming military force.

Contemporary Shoshone-Bannock

Modern Shoshone-Bannock operate as a unified tribe despite distinct linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The Fort Hall Reservation hosts gaming, agriculture, and other enterprises. The annual Shoshone-Bannock Festival celebrates both cultures. Language preservation efforts focus on both Shoshone and Bannock; Bannock has fewer speakers than Shoshone, making preservation urgent. Treaty rights to fish and hunt off-reservation remain important. How the Bannock maintain distinct identity within a combined tribal structure while preserving their Northern Paiute language shapes this buffalo-hunting people's future.

References

• Madsen, B. D. (1958). The Bannock of Idaho
• Madsen, B. D. (1985). The Shoshoni Frontier and the Bear River Massacre
• Murphy, R. F., & Murphy, Y. (1986). "Northern Shoshone and Bannock" (Handbook of North American Indians)