What contributions did Shoshone make to society?
The Shoshones ' aid was more than generous, selling horses, carrying cargo, sharing knowledge of the Bitterroot Mountains and the Columbia River 's highest waters, and supplying a guide to take the Corps to and across the Nez Perce trail over the Bitterroots.
What did the Shoshone do for more people?
The basis of the Shoshone religion was a belief in dreams, visions, and a Creator; and fostered individual self-reliance, courage, and the wisdom to meet life’s problems in a difficult environment. Most of the Shoshone ceremonies are dances similar to the Great Basin Round Dances.
What did the Shoshone Indians use for housing?
What kind of homes did the Shoshone live in? Eastern and Northern Shoshone lived in teepees. The teepees were portable and the whole village could be packed up in an hour. The Western Shoshone lived in wickiup houses, which were less portable. Today, the Shoshone live in houses and apartment buildings, and only put up teepees for fun.
What did the Shoshone tribe do for fun?
The Eastern Shoshone were big game hunters. Men worked together to hunt buffalo on the plains, and also hunted deer, mountain sheep, and other animals. The Northern Shoshone occasionally hunted buffalo, but relied more on salmon fishing, deer, and small game, as well as roots gathered by the women.
What are three facts about the Shoshone tribe?
The Shoshone Indians. The Shoshone Indians were sometimes called “Digger Indians.” To other people they were also known as the Snake Nation. They had a population of 9,125. They lived on both the east and the west sides of the Rocky Mountains.
What was the Shoshone tribe lifestyle?
After fishing was over, they moved into western Wyoming to hunt buffalo, elk, deer, moose, and antelope. They sun-dried the meat for winter and used the hides as clothing and shelter. In the spring and summer, the Northwestern Shoshones traveled around southern Idaho and throughout Utah.
What did the Shoshone tribe call themselves?
The origin of the term Snake People is based on the sign, in Indian sign language, that the Shoshone people used for themselves. The hand motion made during the sign represents a snake to most signers, but among the Shoshones it referred to the salmon, a fish unknown to the Great Plains.
What were the Shoshone beliefs?
The basis of the Shoshone religion was a belief in dreams, visions, and a Creator; and fostered individual self-reliance, courage, and the wisdom to meet life's problems in a difficult environment. Most of the Shoshone ceremonies are dances similar to the Great Basin Round Dances.
What language did the Shoshone speak?
Shoshoni, also written as Shoshoni-Gosiute and Shoshone (/ʃoʊˈʃoʊni/; Shoshoni: soni' ta̲i̲kwappe, newe ta̲i̲kwappe or neme ta̲i̲kwappeh) is a Numic language of the Uto-Aztecan family, spoken in the Western United States by the Shoshone people.
Was the Shoshone tribe peaceful?
The Shoshone were a peaceful people, trading with mountain men and fur trappers, but they adopted a war-like attitude following a series of events that happened to them. First, the United States government signed a treaty with Shoshone people for peace, but the United States government did not keep the treaty.
Who is the main god of the Shoshone?
Esa, the Wolf, is the creator god and culture hero of the Shoshone, Bannock, and Northern Paiute tribes. Like other figures from the mythic age, Esa is usually represented as a man in Native American stories, but sometimes takes on the literal form of a wolf.
How do you say hello in Shoshone?
In Shoshone's language, behne is a way to greet people and say hello in a friendly way.
What did the Shoshone tribe do for fun?
Gambling or betting was often involved with many of the games played by the Northwestern Shoshone. Stakes were often large: as buffalo robes, hides, blankets, or even horses. Northwestern Shoshone children also had their games as all children do.
Why were the Shoshone called snake people?
The name may mean “high growing grass.” The Shoshone refer to themselves using several similar words that mean “people.” Other tribes and whites often referred to them as “Snake” people for two reasons: their location near the Snake River, which runs through Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon, and the tribal warriors' wartime ...
Who was famous in the Shoshone tribe?
Chief Washakie (born circa 1804-1810, died 1900) is perhaps the most famous of all Eastern Shoshone headmen and leaders. Known for his prowess as both warrior and statesperson, Washakie played a prominent role in the territorial and statehood development of Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.
What did Shoshone people eat?
The Shoshone ate such diverse plants as thistle stems, sagebrush seeds, the leaves and roots of arrowleaf balsamroot, buffalo berries, limber pine seeds, sego lilies, wild rye seeds, Indian ricegrass, cattails, and much more. Of all the plant foods, pinyon nuts were the most important.
What did the Shoshone tribe do for fun?
Gambling or betting was often involved with many of the games played by the Northwestern Shoshone. Stakes were often large: as buffalo robes, hides, blankets, or even horses. Northwestern Shoshone children also had their games as all children do.
What jobs did the Shoshone tribe have?
The Northwestern Shoshone Indians were traditionally nomadic hunters, gatherers, and fishermen. History: The Northwestern Shoshones in the 1800s moved with the seasons in four groups of 300 or 400 people from the Bear Lake Valley to the eastern shores of the Great Salt Lake.
Where did the Shoshone people live?
Shoshone, also spelled Shoshoni; also called Snake, North American Indian group that occupied the territory from what is now southeastern California across central and eastern Nevada and northwestern Utah into southern Idaho and western Wyoming.
What did the Shoshone tribe use for clothing?
"Traditional" Shoshone clothing changed with the seasons, ranging from a simple a breechcloth held on by a belt fastened around the waist for the men and aprons for the women to rabbit fur pants and jackets, and larger animal hides used as capes and coverings.
What did the Western Shoshone do?
The Western Shoshone were organized into loosely affiliatedfamily bands that subsisted on wild plants, small mammals, fish, and insects. Each family was independently nomadic during most of the year and joined other families only briefly for activities such as rabbit drives, antelope hunts, or dancing; like other Great Basin Indians, they were sometimes referred to by the derogatoryname Diggers, taken from their practice of digging tubers and roots for food. A few Western Shoshone obtained horses after the colonial settlement of Nevada and Utah.
What is the Shoshone language?
The Shoshone language is a Central Numic language of the Uto-Aztecan family. Shoshone dialects were so similar that speakers from the extreme ends of Shoshone territory were mutually intelligible. Heebe-tee-tse, Shoshone Indian, photograph by Rose & Hopkins, c. 1899.
Why were the Comanche bands feared by the Spaniards of the Southwest?
Comanche bands were feared by the Spaniards of the Southwest because they subsisted as much by plunder as by buffalo hunting. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now. Early 21st-century population estimates indicated some 41,000 descendants of the four Shoshone groups.
Why were the Comanche feared by the Spaniards?
Comanche bands were feared by the Spaniards of the Southwest because they subsisted as much by plunder as by buffalo hunting.
What is the Shoshone tribe?
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Shoshone, also spelled Shoshoni; also called Snake, North American Indian group that occupied the territory from what is now southeastern ...
When did the Shoshone get horses?
The Wind River Shoshone and Northern Shoshone probably acquired horses as early as 1680, before Spanish occupation of their lands.
Where do Shoshone tribes live?
Tribes such as the Shoshone, Paiute, Washo, and Ute live in the Great Basin area, which reaches from the Colorado River Basin north to the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada, and from the Rocky Mountains west to the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range. Musicians from this region emphasize…
What happened to the Shoshoni tribe?
As a result of the four-hour carnage that ensued, twenty-three soldiers lost their lives and at least 250 Shoshoni were slaughtered by the troops, including ninety women and children in what is now called the Bear River Massacre. Bear Hunter was killed, and the remnants of his tribe under Sagwitch and the chiefs of nine other Northwestern bands signed the Treaty of Box Elder at Brigham City, Utah, on 30 July 1863, bringing peace to this Shoshoni region.
What did the Shoshoni tribe do in the 1840s?
Pocatello also gained notoriety as a reckless and fearless marauder along the Oregon and California trails. The Wasatch Mountains provided small game for the Northwestern bands, but of even greater importance were the grass seeds and plant roots which grew in abundance in the valleys and along the hillsides of northern Utah before the cattle and sheep of the white man denuded these rich areas and left many of the Shoshoni tribes in a starving condition and to suffer under the ignominy of being called “Digger Indians.” Before white penetration, the Great Basin and Snake River Shoshoni had been among the most ecologically efficient and well-adapted Indians of the American West.
How many Shoshoni were there?
The four remaining groups of Shoshoni are usually listed under the general name of the “Northern Shoshoni.”. One of these groups, the Fort Hall Shoshoni of about 1,000 people, lived together with a band of about 800 Northern Paiute known in history as the Bannock at the confluence of the Portneuf and Snake rivers.
How many soldiers died in the Bear River massacre?
As a result of the four-hour carnage that ensued, twenty-three soldiers lost their lives and at least 250 Shoshoni were slaughtered by the troops, including ninety women and children in what is now called the Bear River Massacre.
How many Shoshoni groups were there in the 1840s?
At the time of major white penetration of the Great Basin and the Snake River areas in the 1840s, there were seven distinct Shoshoni groups. The Eastern Shoshoni, numbering about 2,000 under their famous Chief Washakie, occupied the region from the Wind River Mountains to Fort Bridger and astride the Oregon Trail.
What tribes were in the Shoshoni?
It is time for Utah historians to make the Shoshoni a prominent part of the state’s history along with the Navajo, Paiute, and Ute tribes. See: Brigham D. Madsen, The Northern Shoshoni (1980), The Shoshoni Frontier and the Bear River Massacre (1985), and Chief Pocatello: The White Plume (1986).
Where did the Northwestern Shoshoni live?
Finally, the fourth and final division of 1,500 people, the Northwestern Shoshoni, resided in the valleys of northern Utah–especially Weber Valley and Cache Valley–and along the eastern and northern shores of Great Salt Lake. There were three major bands of Northwestern Shoshoni at the time the first Mormon pioneers began settling northern Utah.
Why did the Shoshone population drop?
Their population plummeted due to starvation, epidemics of measles and tuberculosis, and other problems . (Tuberculosis, often called TB, is an extremely contagious bacterial disease that usually attacks the lungs.)
What were the Shoshone resistances?
They were reacting to the disappearance of buffalo herds from overhunting and to the influx of huge numbers of whites. To protect American settlers from Native American raids, California sent an army to establish Fort Douglas near Salt Lake City. In January 1863 three hundred army troops went on a punishing raid against Chief Bear Hunter (died 1863) of the Northern Shoshone at Bear Hunter’s village, 140 miles (225 kilometers) away from Fort Douglas.
What tribes dominated the Great Basin?
Around the time of their move from the Southwest into the Great Basin, the Shoshone tribes separated and settled in different areas. They dominated the Great Basin until the arrival of other tribes such as the Blackfeet and Sioux (see entries) from the East. The Shoshone adapted well to their new surroundings.
How many Shoshone tribes were there in 1845?
In 1845 there were an estimated 4,500 Northern and Western Shoshone. (Earlier estimates are not reliable because they often included members of other tribes.) In the 1990 U.S. Census, 9,506 people identified themselves as Shoshone. The largest numbers lived in Wyoming (1,752), Idaho (676), Nevada (2,637), and California (1,595). In 2000 the total Shoshone population had dropped 8,340. Wyoming still contained the largest number of tribal members (2,385). Nevada had 1,713; California had 1,101; Utah had 645; and Idaho had 312.
What tribes speak the same language?
Many bands make up the Shoshone tribe. Members of the bands speak the same language, but they developed different lifestyles based on the areas where they lived and how they supported themselves. Historians call the groups Northern, Western, and Eastern Shoshone, but most Shoshone do not refer to themselves that way.
Why do people use peyote?
For a people like the Shoshone, who always believed in strong links to the supernatural and the powers of spirits, peyote is a tool to communicate better with spirits and to discover supernatural powers. The Shoshone also welcomed the messages of the Ghost Dance religions of 1870 and 1889.
How many people were killed in the Shoshone massacre?
The soldiers flooded the village with gunfire on the morning of January 29. In four hours they killed 250 Shoshone, ruined 70 homes, and captured 175 horses while suffering only 14 deaths and 49 injuries.
What is the Shoshone tribe?
The Shoshone – Continuing the Traditions of Their Ancestors. The Shoshone tribe often referred to as the Shoshoni or Snake Indians, consists of several distinct groups, of which there are different bands. Originally living in a wide area of the Great Basin and Great Plains and sharing similar Shoshone languages, ...
Where did the Shoshone hunt?
By this time, the Northern Shoshone and Bannock hunted in the Snake River Valley, the Camus Prairie, and the Portneuf and Sawtooth Mountains, while a Shoshone group called the Sheepeaters lived primarily in the Yellowstone country. The Eastern Shoshone, led by Chief Washakie spent most of their time in the Wind River and Bighorn Mountains.
What is the Shoshone religion?
The basis of the Shoshone religion was a belief in dreams, visions, and a Creator; and fostered individual self-reliance, courage, and the wisdom to meet life’s problems in a difficult environment. Most of the Shoshone ceremonies are dances ...
How many groups of Shoshone were there?
By the time the Europeans began to move into the Great Basin and Snake River areas in the 1840s, there were seven distinct groups of Shoshone, with very few seen east of the Continental Divide. By that time the tribe limited their excursions east only to hunt buffalo, limiting their stays to short periods. When the white settlers pushed westward the Shoshone tribe also succumbed to epidemics of small-pox and other diseases previously unknown to them, which decimated the tribe and diminished its power.
How many men and women were in the Cache Valley?
Encamped at the confluence of Bear River and Bear Creek in the Cache Valley were about 450 men, women, and children. The troops approached in the early morning darkness around 6:00 a.m.
When did the Shoshone tribes reserve their land?
During the period between 1863 and 1939, the Eastern Shoshone and Shoshone-Bannock tribes saw their reserved lands, which once covered five states, reduced to parcels making up an area one-twentieth the size of the original reserves.
Where is the Sun Dance held?
Well over a century later, the Eastern Shoshone and the Shoshone-Bannock have preserved much of their traditional lands and retain their traditional ceremonies, holding the annual Sun Dance on the Fort Hall and Wind River Reservations. Tribal members also host annual powwows and continue to engage in sweat ceremonies to pray for individuals, ...
History
- Before the whites arrived
Many bands make up the Shoshone tribe. Members of the bands speak the same language, but they developed different lifestyles based on the areas where they lived and how they supported themselves. Historians call the groups Northern, Western, and Eastern Shoshone, but most Sho…
Important Dates
- c. 1700:The Northern and Eastern Shoshone acquire horses and become buffalo hunters. 1782:The Eastern Shoshone are devastated by smallpox and attacks by the Blackfoot. 1805:The Shoshone meet Lewis and Clark. January 1863:The Bear River Massacre takes place. 1863:The first Treaty of Fort Bridger is negotiated, setting aside reservation land for Shoshone groups. 186…
Religion
- The many Shoshone peoples have a wide range of religious beliefs and practices. Some believe the Sun created the Heavens and the Earth, while others believe that either Coyote or Wolf or a kindly spirit called “Our Father” was the Creator. The aid of these and other spirits is often sought, but first the seeker has to undergo purification in a sweat lodge, a building in which steam is pro…
Language
- All Shoshone groups speak dialects (varieties) of the same language. Though the dialects differ slightly among the divisions, they are, for the most part, understandable by all Shoshone. All together in the early twenty-first century there are more than one thousand speakers of the language, and the tribe is teaching it to their children.
Government
- The small, wandering bands of Western Shoshone sometimes had headmen, leaders who had little real authority. Shoshone groups who hunted buffalo were more likely to have chiefs with a greater degree of authority. This type of organization was necessary for the group to be effective against enemies intruding on their buffalo-hunting territory. These chiefs made decisions after co…
Shoshone Population: 2000 Census
- In the 2000 U.S. Census, 8,340 people identified themselves as Shoshone. Paiute Shoshone and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation were not included in this number. Their populations are included below. The census did not include many of the smaller communities such as Ely (five hundred people in 2006 according to tribal statistics) The groups included in th…
Economy
- The Shoshone were hunter-gatherers, but the food they ate differed according to where they lived. For example, those who lived near water could fish. No groups owned land; it was shared by all, as were the fruits of their labors. The Shoshone also engaged in extensive trade. They received metal arrow points from the Crow Indians in exchange for horses. Later they traded furs with whi…
Daily Life
- Buildings
Some Northern Shoshone lived in tepees made from buffalo hides or interwoven rushes (marsh plants with hollow stems used for weaving) and willows. Others built conical dwellings of brush and grass. All Northern groups built and maintained sweat lodges and huts where women retrea… - Clothing and adornment
Most Shoshone wore few clothes, especially during the summer months. Women and girls usually wore only skirts and hats, while young boys went naked. During times of extreme cold they sewed small animal furs and hides into dresses, shirts, and robes, and the best hunters and their kin w…
Arts
- Painting and crafts
All Shoshone groups have long and unique artistic traditions. The Eastern Shoshone at Wind River Reservation preserve hundreds of ancient pictographs depicting Water Ghost Beings, Rock Ghost Beings, and other fearful creatures. Once they began using horses to travel greater distan… - Literature
The Shoshone have a longstanding commitment to the written word. Sacajawea’s brother is credited with producing the first written Shoshone story. Shoshone authors have written tribal histories, and newspapers are produced at the Wind River and Fort Hall reservations.
Coyote Wants to Be Chief
- The Shoshone have many tales of Coyote, the trickster and alleged creator of people. Coyote is a prominent figure in many tales from the western tribes of North America. Steward, Tom. Shoshone Tales.Edited by Anne M. Smith. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1993.