Pocatello in Bannock County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)
American Indian Heritage
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024
1. American Indian Heritage Marker
Small bands of Ice Age hunters lived in the Snake River Basin as early as 12,000 years ago. They gathered wild foods and hunted mammoths and other animals. As the climate warmed, vegetation patterns changed and many larger animal species became extinct.
The lifeway of the people evolved to suit the new conditions. Local Indians lived on the abundant bison, antelope, deer, bighorn sheep, fish, waterfowl, and roots and berries found in this part of the basin. These hunters developed some of the most beautiful and sophisticated stone tools in North America, including obsidian spear points and knife blades. Survival did not depend on tiny grass seeds and small desert animals as it did for their neighbors in more arid regions of the West. They had less need to weave baskets and blankets since they had abundant animal hides for clothing, containers and shelter.
Horses, a Euro-American influence, were introduced in the early 1700s through trade with other Indians. Increased contact with other tribes and easier access to resources resulted in dramatic culture changes. Direct contact with Euro-Americans began with the Wilson Price
this page online
Erected 1989 by Leadership Pocatello, Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Pocatello.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1811.
Location. 42° 51.66′ N, 112° 27.091′ W. Marker is in Pocatello, Idaho, in Bannock County. It can be reached from the intersection of South Arthur Avenue and Center Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is located near the fountain in Simplot Square. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 155 South Arthur Avenue, Pocatello ID 83204, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Idaho’s Bear River Country. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024
2. American Indian Heritage Marker
The marker is inscribed atop the concrete pedestal.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Railroad History (here, next to this marker); Pocatello History (here, next to this marker); Simplot (a few steps from this marker); The Bannock Hotel (a few steps from this marker); Nearby Historic Buildings (a few steps from this marker); Volcanic Activity Near Pocatello (a few steps from this marker); The Great Bonneville Flood (a few steps from this marker); Pocatello Area Geology (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pocatello.
Also see . . .
1. Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.
Excerpt: The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall are comprised of the eastern and western bands of the Northern Shoshone and the Bannock, or Northern Paiute, bands. Ancestral lands of both tribes occupied vast regions of land encompassing present-day Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and into Canada. The tribes are culturally related, and though both descend from the Numic family of the Uto-Aztecan linguistic phylum, their languages are dialectically separate. When the Northern Paiutes(Submitted on March 11, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)left the Nevada and Utah regions for southern Idaho in the 1600s, they began to travel with the Shoshones in pursuit of buffalo. They became known as the Bannocks.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 20243. American Indian Heritage MarkerLooking south through Simplot Square. The marker is behind the fountain, on the left.
2. Fort Hall Indian Reservation (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: Founded under an 1868 treaty, the reservation is named for Fort Hall, a trading post in the Portneuf Valley that was established by European Americans. It was an important stop along the Oregon and California Trails in the middle 19th century. The Shoshone and Bannock had long occupied the territory of Idaho and nearby areas. They were not disrupted by settlers until the late 1840s and 1850s, when emigrant wagon trains increasingly crossed their territory which put strain on food and water resources, disrupting the way of life for the Shoshone and Bannock. The federal government ordered the U.S. Army into the Utah Territory in 1858, resulting in full-scale conflict between the U.S. and the Shoshone. There had been escalating conflicts, with the Shoshone and Bannock tribes pitted against the increasing tide of European-American settlers. In what is known as the Bear River massacre (1863), his US Army forces killed more than 400 Shoshone, including women and children, in present-day southeastern Idaho. Seeing the power of US forces, Chief Pocatello agreed to relocate his people in 1868 to a newly established reservation along the Snake River. Four bands of Shoshone and the Bannock band of the Northern Paiute relocated to the reservation, then consisting of 1.8 million acres of land.(Submitted on March 11, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 9, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 170 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 11, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
