Who Are the Washoe?
The Washoe (Wašiw in their own language) are an indigenous people of the Great Basin region, traditionally inhabiting the area around Lake Tahoe and the Carson, Truckee, and Walker River drainages in present-day California and Nevada. They speak Washoe, a language isolate with no demonstrated relationship to other language families, though some linguists propose connections to the Hokan languages of California. Before contact, the Washoe numbered perhaps 1,500-3,000 people organized into regional bands. Today, the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California has approximately 1,600 enrolled members and controls several parcels of land across their traditional territory.
Da ow aga (Big Water)
Lake Tahoe—called Da ow aga ("edge of the lake" or "big water") in Washoe—was the spiritual and economic center of Washoe life. The lake and its surrounding mountains provided crucial resources: fish (Lahontan cutthroat trout were abundant until overfishing depleted them), pine nuts from the lower elevations, deer from the forests, and various plants for food and medicine. The Washoe followed a seasonal round: winters in the valleys, spring fishing camps, summer gathering in the mountains, and fall pine nut harvests. Cave Rock (De ek Wadapush) on the lake's eastern shore is particularly sacred, a site of spiritual significance that the Washoe have sought to protect from recreational development.
Basket Weaving Legacy
Washoe basket weaving achieved international recognition through the work of Dat-So-La-Lee (Louisa Keyser, c. 1829-1925), whose degikup (coiled baskets) became among the most valued works of indigenous art. Working primarily in willow, bracken fern, and redbud, Washoe weavers created baskets of exceptional technical and artistic quality. Dat-So-La-Lee's baskets were collected by museums and wealthy patrons; some now sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her work, while commercialized through relationships with dealers, preserved and elevated traditional techniques. Contemporary Washoe weavers continue the tradition, though master weavers are now rare and the art is considered endangered.
Contemporary Washoe
Modern Washoe communities occupy several small colonies and parcels in the Tahoe-Reno region. Economic development includes the Meeks Bay Resort operated under contract with the U.S. Forest Service, bringing Washoe presence back to ancestral lakeshores. Cultural revitalization focuses on language preservation—Washoe is critically endangered with perhaps 20 elderly speakers—and the continuation of basket weaving, traditional knowledge, and ceremonial practices. The Washoe have been active in environmental advocacy, working to protect Lake Tahoe from development and seeking recognition of sacred sites. The transformation of their homeland into one of America's premier recreational destinations presents ongoing challenges for cultural access and environmental protection.
References
- d'Azevedo, W. L. (1986). Washoe. In Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 11
- Nevers, J. L. (1976). Wa She Shu: A Washo Tribal History
- Cohodas, M. (1992). Louisa Keyser and the Cohns: Mythmaking and Basket Making in the American West