Who Are the Paiute?
The Paiute (Numu, "The People") are Native American peoples of the Great Basin and adjacent regions, comprising two distinct groups. The Northern Paiute (approximately 6,000) inhabit Nevada, Oregon, California, and Idaho; the Southern Paiute (approximately 2,500) inhabit Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. They speak related but distinct Numic languages. Often conflated by outsiders, Northern and Southern Paiute have different origins and histories. The Paiute developed remarkable adaptations to survive in North America's most challenging desert environment, becoming symbols of resilience. The Ghost Dance originated among Northern Paiute, spreading to reshape Native American spirituality.
Desert Adaptation
The Great Basin's harsh environment—hot deserts, limited water, sparse resources—required sophisticated adaptation. Paiute survived through intimate knowledge of their environment: seasonal rounds following ripening plants, pine nut harvests, rabbit drives, fishing where available (especially Pyramid Lake). Material culture was minimal and portable. Small family bands rather than large tribes characterized social organization; population density was among the lowest in North America. Yet Paiute thrived in an environment that challenged all comers, developing technologies (rabbit-skin blankets, seed-gathering baskets) perfectly adapted to desert survival.
Ghost Dance Movement
The Ghost Dance, one of the most significant Native American religious movements, originated with Northern Paiute prophet Wovoka (Jack Wilson) in 1889. He prophesied that if Indians danced the Ghost Dance, the dead would return, buffalo would revive, and whites would disappear. The movement spread rapidly across the West, particularly among desperate Plains peoples. The Lakota adaptation, which included ghost shirts believed to stop bullets, led to the Wounded Knee Massacre (1890). The Ghost Dance represented desperate hope amid destruction—spiritual resistance when military resistance had failed. Wovoka lived quietly until 1932.
Dispossession and Survival
American expansion disrupted Paiute life: mining camps polluted waters, cattle ate seed-bearing plants, violence was common. Sarah Winnemucca, Northern Paiute leader and author, advocated for her people in lectures and her book Life Among the Piutes (1883)—the first book by a Native American woman. Despite her efforts, Paiute were confined to scattered, often tiny reservations or "colonies"—some only a few acres in Nevada towns. The Southern Paiute lost most of their homeland without formal treaties. Both groups faced extreme poverty and marginalization through the 20th century.
Contemporary Paiute
Modern Paiute are organized into numerous small tribes and bands across the Great Basin. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe operates the largest Northern Paiute reservation, home to Pyramid Lake—sacred site and fishery. Walker River Paiute, Burns Paiute, Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone, and others maintain separate governments. Southern Paiute include the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Kaibab Paiute, and San Juan Southern Paiute. Many tiny colonies exist in Nevada towns. Language revitalization addresses severe decline. Water rights remain critical—desert peoples depend on scarce water increasingly contested. How Paiute maintain culture and secure resources in the American desert shapes these survivors' future.
References
- Knack, M. C. (2001). Boundaries Between: The Southern Paiutes, 1775-1995
- Hittman, M. (1997). Wovoka and the Ghost Dance
- Winnemucca Hopkins, S. (1883). Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims