Eastern Shoshone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Eastern Shoshone

Washakie, (translated as:Shoots the Buffalo Running), Eastern Shoshone chief
Regions with significant populations
United States ( Wyoming,  Utah)
Languages
Shoshone, English
Religion
Native American Church, Sun Dance, traditional tribal religion, Christianity, Ghost Dance
Related ethnic groups
other Shoshone people, Comanche

Map of the traditional lands of the Eastern Shoshone people.

The Eastern Shoshone are a group of Shoshone people. They mostly live in Wyoming. Their traditional lands also include parts of Utah and Idaho. They are part of the Great Basin Indigenous People.

When the Lewis and Clark Expedition happened in 1805, the Eastern Shoshone lived in the Rocky Mountains. They learned to use horses, like the Plains Indians. This was different from the Western Shoshone, who kept their traditional Great Basin way of life.

Most Eastern Shoshone settled on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. This happened after their leader, Washakie, signed the Fort Bridger Treaty in 1868.

History of the Eastern Shoshone

The Eastern Shoshone started using horses much earlier than their neighbors, the Blackfoot Confederacy. Horses gave them a big advantage in battles. They could move faster and expand their territory.

Early Expansion and Conflicts

With horses, the Eastern Shoshone grew their lands. They took over parts of what is now southern Alberta and most of Montana. They also controlled parts of Wyoming. They often raided the Blackfoot people.

Meanwhile, their relatives, the Comanche, moved south. They settled in what is now western Texas.

Things changed when the Blackfoot got horses and guns. They got guns from the Hudson's Bay Company through the Cree and Assiniboine tribes. By 1787, explorer David Thompson reported that the Blackfoot had taken over most Shoshone land. They often captured Shoshone women and children. These captives were then made part of Blackfoot society. This made the Blackfoot even stronger.

Life in the 1800s

In the early 1800s, the Eastern Shoshone and the Crow tribe fought. They both wanted the Wind River Basin. This area was great for hunting bison. A famous event happened at Crow Heart Butte. Washakie challenged a Crow warrior there. Washakie won, and the Shoshone kept the Wind River Valley.

The Eastern Shoshone were very involved in the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade. They also traded bison hides from the 1820s to the 1840s. Trading posts were set up in areas the Shoshone had used for trade fairs.

By the 1850s, Washakie became a key leader. He was known for his skills in war and for talking with white settlers. He spoke English well and was friends with Jim Bridger. Washakie worked hard to create the Wind River Indian Reservation. He did this through treaties in 1863 and 1868 at Fort Bridger.

Life on the Reservation

After the reservation was created, the Northern Arapaho tribe arrived. They came to the Wind River Indian Reservation in 1878. Later, the reservation's size was reduced. This led to settlements within the Wind River Reclamation Project.

In 1938, the Eastern Shoshone won a major court case. It was called United States vs. Shoshone Tribe of Indians. This case gave them rights to timber and mineral resources on their reservation. These rights were promised in the Fort Bridger Treaties. The lawsuit argued that the Shoshone should be paid for the Northern Arapaho moving onto their land.

In the 1970s, Eastern Shoshone tribal members found a problem. Oil workers on the reservation were stealing oil without paying the tribe. This discovery led to important changes and reforms.

Language

The Eastern Shoshone speak the Shoshone language. This language is part of the Central Numic language group. It belongs to the larger Uto-Aztecan language family. People still speak Shoshone on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

Eastern Shoshone Bands

Shoshone groups were often named after their homelands. They were also named for the main foods they ate.

• Kuccuntikka or Kuchun-deka (Buffalo Eaters): These people lived on the eastern edge of the Great Basin. This was near the upper Green River Valley and Wind River in western Wyoming. They had the largest horse herds among all Shoshone groups. They were also called Plains Shoshone. Later, they became known as the Washakie Shoshone or Wind River Shoshone.

• Haivodika or Haiwodekanee (Dove Eaters): Their Kuccuntikka relatives gave them this name. They were said to be timid during buffalo hunts. Around 1825, they separated from the main Kuccuntikka group. They lived closer to white settlements and trading posts. They often stayed near the Green River in western Wyoming. They helped trade between the Eastern and Northern Shoshone and other tribes like the Utes, Flathead, Nez Perce, and sometimes the Crow. They also traded with white settlers at Fort Bridger. They bought skins from Plains Indians and sold them at the Fort. They also shared goods from white traders with the Ute and Navajo. They even traded skins for food and clothes with the Mormons at Great Salt Lake. When the fur trade ended, the Haivodika lost their special role. They either lived with mixed-blood relatives in white towns or joined their Kuccuntikka kin on the Wind River Reservation.

• Tukkutikka (Sheep Eaters or Mountain Sheep Eaters): These groups lived in the Wind River Range in western Wyoming. They also lived near the Salmon River and upper Yellowstone River in Idaho and Montana. They were also called Doyahinee (Mountain People). Many of them married Bannock people. Only the Tukkutikka from the Yellowstone River area settled on the Wind River Reservation. Most joined the Northern Shoshone as part of the Lemhi Shoshone.

• Boho'inee (Sage Grass People): This was a mixed Shoshone-Bannock group. They lived in southeastern Idaho on the Snake River Plain. They also claimed the Camas Prairie as their home. They often spent winters near the trading post of Fort Hall. Later, they were called Fort Hall Shoshone or "Sho-Bans."

Contemporary Tribes and Communities

• Northwestern Band of Shoshoni Nation of Utah (Washakie)
• Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming
  • Fort Washakie, Wyoming
  • Wind River, Wyoming
  • Crowheart, Wyoming

Notable Eastern Shoshone

• Washakie (c. 1798–1900), a famous war leader and diplomat