Who Are the Shoshone?
The Shoshone (Newe, "The People") are a Native American nation numbering approximately 12,000 enrolled members across multiple tribes in Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and California. They speak Shoshone, a Central Numic language of the Uto-Aztecan family, related to Comanche. The Shoshone traditionally inhabited the Great Basin—one of North America's harshest environments—and the Rocky Mountains. Sacagawea, who guided Lewis and Clark, was Lemhi Shoshone. Different Shoshone groups developed distinct adaptations: Western Shoshone in the desert, Northern Shoshone as buffalo hunters, and Eastern Shoshone on the Plains.
Great Basin Adaptation
The Great Basin—deserts of Nevada and Utah—required remarkable adaptation. Western Shoshone survived by broad spectrum foraging: pine nuts, seeds, small game, insects. They moved seasonally between resource zones; material culture was minimal and portable. Northern and Eastern Shoshone acquired horses, developing cultures more similar to Plains peoples—hunting buffalo, living in tipis, organizing warrior societies. The Eastern Shoshone at Wind River (Wyoming) became buffalo hunters; Comanche split from Shoshone to dominate the Southern Plains. This diversity—from desert foragers to horse warriors—demonstrates Shoshone adaptability.
American Expansion
Lewis and Clark's expedition (1804-1806) relied on Sacagawea's guidance through Shoshone territory. Initially relations were peaceful; the Oregon and California trails crossed Shoshone lands. Conflicts increased with settlement: the Bear River Massacre (1863) killed 250-400 Northwestern Shoshone—one of the largest massacres in western history, largely forgotten. Treaties established reservations; the Western Shoshone Treaty of Ruby Valley (1863) guaranteed vast territory never actually ceded. The Eastern Shoshone under Chief Washakie allied with Americans, serving as scouts. This alliance, like the Crow's, preserved their Wind River homeland.
Nuclear and Land Issues
Western Shoshone territory became America's nuclear testing ground—the Nevada Test Site conducted 928 nuclear tests on land the Shoshone claim was never legally ceded. The Western Shoshone, led by sisters Mary and Carrie Dann, refused government payment and pursued international legal challenges, winning UN Human Rights Committee support (2006). Nuclear contamination, ongoing land disputes, and federal seizure of traditional territories continue. The Shoshone-Bannock at Fort Hall (Idaho) and Eastern Shoshone at Wind River manage distinct reservations with different challenges.
Contemporary Shoshone
Modern Shoshone nations face diverse challenges across their scattered reservations. Language revitalization programs address severe decline. The Wind River Reservation's shared governance with Northern Arapaho creates complications. Duck Valley Reservation spans Nevada-Idaho border. Western Shoshone bands continue land rights struggles. Economic development varies—some tribes have gaming; others remain isolated and impoverished. The Shoshone-Paiute at Duck Valley, Shoshone-Bannock at Fort Hall, and Eastern Shoshone at Wind River each pursue distinct paths. How these scattered Shoshone communities maintain cultural connections while addressing local challenges shapes the Newe people's future.
References
- Crum, S. J. (1994). The Road on Which We Came: A History of the Western Shoshone
- Stamm, H. E. (1999). People of the Wind River: The Eastern Shoshones, 1825-1900
- Madsen, B. D. (1985). The Shoshoni Frontier and the Bear River Massacre