The Shoshone and Northern Paiute

The Shoshone and Northern Paiute. Echoes of an Ancient Homeland. The landscape before you is part of the homeland of the Shoshone, Bannock, and Northern Paiute Indians. They occupied these lands for countless generations before the arrival of Euro-Americans. Living in small bands of several families, their lives followed seasonal rhythms as they migrated in search of edible plants, deer and bison, and the plentiful salmon that spawned in the Boise River. , , The river valley below was an oasis, trading hub and crossroads for native peoples. Regional bands gathered here to fish, hunt, and trade. Explorers, fur trappers, and emigrants encountered Indian camps along the Boise River. , , The Indians often exchanged food and services with the early Euro-American travelers. Yet by the 1850s, Oregon Trail wagon trains and accompanying livestock overgrazed the grasses and depleted resources. Tensions and hostilities increased greatly after 1856, when Hudson’s Bay Company abandoned their southern Idaho fur trade posts. , , In 1864 and 1866, the Idaho Territorial Governor negotiated two treaties with local bands of the Shoshone, Bannock, and Paiute. Neither treaty, however, was ratified by the United States Government. The Indians were retained in temporary camps until forced onto the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in 1869, Duck Valley Indian Reservation in 1877, and other reservations in Oregon and Nevada. Today, these Indians are self-governing nations. They are working to protect the natural resources that continue to inspire and sustain their lives and culture. , , , ”We traveled about eighteen miles, which brought us Bois river, a stream of forty or fifty yards in width, and abounding with salmon. We traveled about eleven miles. The road is sometimes on bottom, at others on bluff. The Indians are very numerous along this stream; they have a large number of horses; clothing is in much demand; for articles of clothing costing in the States ten or twelve dollars, a very good horse can be obtained.” , –- Joel Palmer, Oregon Trail Emigrant, 1845