Southern Paiute people facts for kids

A Southern Paiute woman and girl wearing traditional hats. A baby is in a cradleboard.

The Southern Paiute people are a group of Native Americans. They have lived for a very long time in the Colorado River basin. This area includes parts of southern Nevada, northern Arizona, and southern Utah. Today, different groups of Southern Paiute live in various places across this land. Many of these groups are officially recognized by the government and have their own reservations.

The first time Europeans met the Southern Paiute was in 1776. Two fathers, Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Francisco Atanasio Domínguez, met them. They were trying to find a land route to the missions in California. Before this, the Southern Paiute faced slave raids from the Navajo and Ute tribes. When Spanish and later American explorers arrived, these slave raids by other tribes increased.

In 1851, Mormon settlers moved into the Paiute lands. They took control of water sources, which made the Paiute people depend on them. However, the Mormons also helped stop the slave raids. Relations between the Paiutes and Mormons were mostly peaceful. A Mormon missionary named Jacob Hamblin worked to keep peace. The arrival of European settlers and their farming methods, especially large herds of cattle, made it hard for the Southern Paiute to live their traditional way. The cattle scared away game animals and reduced the natural foods they could hunt and gather.

Today, Southern Paiute communities are in places like Las Vegas, Pahrump, and Moapa in Nevada. In Utah, they live near Cedar City, Kanosh, Koosharem, Shivwits, and Indian Peaks. In Arizona, they are found at Kaibab and Willow Springs.

History and Relations

Early Interactions

Before the 1850s, the Paiute people generally lived peacefully with other Native American groups. These groups included the Navajo, Ute, and Hopi tribes. Sometimes there were small fights, but the Paiutes mostly lived in peace. This was partly because they had a loose social structure. Most Paiutes lived in small family groups. They only gathered in larger numbers for trading.

Before the 1850s, their biggest problems came from raiders from other tribes. The Navajos, Utes, and Hopis would sometimes raid their lands. Navajos were especially known for taking over Paiute grazing land. They also raided to capture Paiute women and children for the slave trade.

Before the 1860s, there wasn't much long-term settlement on their land. Most non-native people they met were travelers or traders. The Paiutes fought hard to protect their ancestral lands. At first, they were good at driving settlers away. In the second half of the 1800s, two main groups came to Paiute lands. These were members and missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and silver miners.

In 1869, a rich investor named François Louis Alfred Pioche invested in a silver mine in Pioche, Nevada. This mine first used cheap Paiute workers. The bad conditions in the mines caused a big drop in the Paiute population. Paiute children were also made to go to American schools. These schools tried to make them live like Americans. By the early 1900s, there were only about 800 Paiute people left.

Modern Recognition

In the 1950s, the government had "Indian termination policies." These policies took away health, education, and farming help from the Paiutes. This left them in a very weak state. The first step to fix this happened in 1980. The Restoration Act officially recognized the Paiutes as a tribe again. It brought five main groups together: the Cedars, Indian Peaks, Kanosh, Koosharem, and Shivwits. This law also brought back federal aid and support for these groups.

Culture and Lifestyle

Basket Weaving

One very important skill for Paiute women was basket weaving. They often used red-stemmed willows to make their baskets. These skills were used in almost every part of their lives. People believe this skill has been passed down from mothers to daughters for at least 9,000 years.

When they went to gather food, they carried large cone-shaped baskets on their backs. They also made special tools for weaving. Some tools helped strip fruit from bushes. Others were used for winnowing (separating grain from chaff). Some tools helped them dig up roots better. They also wove big baskets very tightly with clay and resin. These became cooking pots and water jugs. Smaller tools were sometimes left behind, but bigger items like cooking pots traveled with families.

The way they used weaving changed depending on where families lived. For example, those near marshes learned to make duck decoys, nets, and rafts. This helped them hunt water birds better. They also used weaving to build their homes. They wove long, thin grasses and cattails together. This created long, board-like sections of grass. They would set these up around willow branches stuck in the ground to form houses.

Traditional Diet

A Paiute woman grinding acorns for flour.

A main food for the Southern Paiutes was the bitterroot plant. They also ate wild carrot, wild onion, and chokecherries. Chokecherries were useful in many ways. Their stems were used to make a sweet drink. Their berries were crushed and dried to save for later.

When Aphids swarmed cane plants, they left small drops of nectar. Southern Paiute women would beat the cane rods to loosen these dried drops. They then tossed these drops in a winnowing dish to separate them from the cane pieces. These small particles were often their main source of sweetness. Another seed they gathered was waada seeds. These tiny black seeds were ground into flour.

Some Paiutes lived in areas with enough water. They would set up farms with ditch irrigation. Their biggest crops were maize (corn), squash, and wheat. The men were the main hunters. They hunted waterfowl, rabbits, bighorn sheep, and other animals in the areas they traveled through.

Paiute Archery

The Paiute people were skilled at making bows and arrows.

Bows

One bow, collected in 1872, is made from a hard wood like Mesquite or mountain mahogany. It is about 38 inches long. The bow is round and has a string made of two-ply sinew (animal tendon). It also has sinew on the back, stained reddish-brown. This bow was made for practical use in the harsh desert.

Arrows

A set of Paiute arrows was collected in 1874. Only one arrow still has its point. The arrowhead was attached with pine pitch glue. Sinew was wrapped behind the point to stop the shaft from splitting when it hit something. The feathers on the arrows came from hawks and buzzards.

Quivers and Bowcases

A Paiute arrow quiver was collected in 1872. It is made of deerskin with thick hair, showing the deer was hunted in winter. It was sewn with two-ply sinew, just like the bowstring. The quiver is plain, without decorations, which was common for people living in the desert.

Social Organization

Gathering food was often a social activity. Families would come together to forage and play games. Then they would go their separate ways. The Southern Paiutes were not really split into large tribes. Their groups were usually small family units. These units would sometimes meet with others to socialize.

A group might have about 10 to 50 people, and everyone in the group was related. Family ties were very important. They often decided where people would go and who would help each other. So, marriages were very important to the Southern Paiutes.

The leader of a group was called a Headman. He would be old enough to know a lot about the land but young enough to still join in group activities. He usually had many family connections within the group. His job was to wake up early and use his knowledge to suggest what the group should do that day. If people thought his ideas were good, they would follow him. If not, they wouldn't. His suggestions were based on the weather, the season, and how much food was available. If people stopped following his ideas and started following someone else, that person would become the new Headman. The Headman also helped settle any arguments.

Sometimes, settlers from Europe would name different Southern Paiute groups based on what they ate. So, there were groups who ate waada seeds, those who ate trout, or those who ate cattails. While the Southern Paiute people are seen as one large group, there were smaller groups within them. These groups were different based on their location and how they spoke.

Southern Paiute Subgroups

The Southern Paiute people include several subgroups. Each one is unique in its language, location, ways of life, and traditions. Here are three Southern Paiute subgroups: the Owens Valley Paiute, Kaibab Paiute, and Chemehuevi Paiute.

Owens Valley Paiute

The Owens Valley Paiute lived in Owens Valley, California. They were skilled at using water and irrigation. Even though they are called one group, there were many different Paiute districts in this region. Each district had its own political system and housing. They also had their own hunting and seed gathering rights. Historical records suggest that the Owens Valley Paiute subgroup had about 1,000 members.

Diet and Fishing

Owens Valley Paiute people ate seasonal fish and hunted animals. They also gathered native plants and early farm crops, seeds, and nuts. They had complex ways of cooking and storing food to make their harvests and hunted meat last longer.

Fishing rules in the Owens Valley Paiute region depended on agreements within each district. Owens Valley Paiute people had an early form of water and property rights. Districts would claim ownership of certain parts of a river. They would not let outsiders fish there unless they had permission. Fishing trips could be done alone or with the whole community. Some districts shared fish catches equally. Others let individuals keep what they caught.

Owens Valley Paiute people used many ways to catch fish. Traditional methods included using wooden arrows to spear fish. They also used baskets and nets to trap and collect fish. They built early fishing poles from natural materials. They made hooks from bone, often from deer or wildcats. They used grasshoppers or worms as bait. Natives also made two-pronged spears from obsidian or wood to catch fish. These tools were often used at night. Fires were lit along rivers to attract fish to the shores, making them easy to catch.

Another technique was "stranding." This involved removing water from a separated part of the river. This allowed them to collect fish that could not escape. They also used a method called "stupefying." This meant adding slim solomon plants to the water. This would confuse the fish, making them easy to collect.

Irrigation

The Owens Valley Paiute people knew some farming methods, but they used early forms of irrigation a lot. They built dams and ditches to control natural river water. They directed this water to wild seed plots. This helped their natural crops grow much bigger. They chose these seed plots based on how well the soil drained and how much food they had produced in the past. Dams were built using natural materials like sticks, stone, mud, and other debris.

Irrigation was most developed in the pitana patü district within the Owens Valley Paiute region. Other districts built similar structures, but smaller. A district would choose one person to be in charge of irrigation. This person was called a tuvaijü, meaning "to irrigate." Being chosen for this job was a great honor. After the tuvaijü was elected, they led the building of dams. Other tribal members helped with the hard work. Once a dam or ditch was finished, the tuvaijü controlled all the water flow in their district.

Kaibab Paiute

The Kaibab Paiute were a group that moved around some but also stayed in certain places. They lived in what is now northern Arizona and southern Utah. Their diet came from the many plants and animals in their area. These included cacti, berries, trees, fruits, roots, rodents, big cats, reptiles, insects, and other plant-eating animals.

The Kaibab Paiute used their permanent water sources to water their gardens. They grew maize (corn), beans, and squash. They used water from the Kanab Creek, a major stream, and springs along the Vermillion Cliffs. In the 1960s, Mormon settlers took over all the Kaibab Paiute's permanent water sources for their own development. This led to a big drop in the Kaibab Paiute population. After the Mormons arrived, about 82% of Kaibab Paiutes died, mostly from hunger. In 1909, the Kaibab Indian Reservation was created. Today, 76 Kaibab Paiute people live there.

Chemehuevi

The Chemehuevi are a tribal group who feel a strong spiritual connection to the land, plants, animals, and water in California, the Great Basin, and the Southwest. They believe that the Earth and all its living things were created by Hutsipamamauu, which means "Ocean Woman." Chemehuevi elders believe water once covered the whole Earth. Then, a small worm fell from the sky and turned into Hutsipamamauu. She created land using her skin, dirt from her body, mud from the ocean floor, and natural oils. Hutsipamamauu made the land bigger by lying down and stretching her body. The Chemehuevi believe she created all the mountains, rivers, and water sources we see today.

Songs are very important in Chemehuevi society. They cover many different topics. Individuals owned songs, and because of this, they owned the subjects and land mentioned in those songs. Whoever owned a song about a certain area of land also owned all the plants, animals, and water sources in that area. Songs were the Chemehuevi's way of making agreements about land ownership. These songs were passed down through generations.

The Chemehuevi built permanent villages near water sources and springs. Village leaders sang about the water sources in their region. By doing this, they claimed ownership of the land and its features. Even though water sources were owned by village leaders, other people could drink from them. However, they could not use the water permanently in the same way the leader could. Springs provided many plants like yucca, willow, cottonwood, and mesquite. Songs not only declared land and water ownership, but they also served as directions to water sources, especially in desert areas. The Chemehuevi invented canteens. These were baskets or animal stomachs coated in tar to make them waterproof. This helped them store water and survive in harsh conditions.

They also used irrigation from the Colorado River to create some farm plots. A colonial outsider named George Armstrong reported that a half-mile irrigation ditch was built from the Colorado River. This ditch brought water to Chemehuevi land. This water source supported both native and non-native crops. These included maize (corn), wheat, watermelon, potatoes, carrots, and beets.

Holy Land Traditions

The Southern Paiute people believe in Puaxant Tuvip, or "power land." This is their holy land. It connects to many important places in Southern Paiute history and stories. For example, Nuvagantu, also known as Mt. Charleston in Nevada, is a holy place. The Southern Paiute people believe they were created there. These holy lands were places where different families or groups would come to trade, socialize, and perform religious ceremonies.

Another big landmark important to the Southern Paiutes is the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. Today, the Southern Paiutes believe they have a special right to know what happens on their holy lands. They want to understand the effects of any projects that take place there.

Modern-Day Flag

The Paiutes have a flag that was officially recognized in 1997. It has several symbols for the tribe. The white color means purity. The red and black colors stand for strength and power. The yellow color represents healing and life.

Flag of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah

The biggest symbol on the flag is the eagle, which represents their deity (god). There are also images related to traditional songs and games the Southern Paiutes played. The flag also shows arrowheads, which they were known for making. Overall, the flag looks like a warrior's shield. The five eagle feathers hanging at the bottom represent the five modern-day tribes of the Southern Paiutes.

Traditional Southern Paiute Bands

The Southern Paiute traditionally had between 16 and 31 smaller groups, bands, or tribes.

Ankakkani'kacimi (Un-ka-ka'-ni-guts, Unka-kanig-its, Oaw'tuhus'eng), "Yellow Mouth of Canyon People" in present Long Valley
Antarianunts (Ute name with ending unts); Paiute name Yantarii, a mixed Southern Paiute-Ute band from Escalante River east to Colorado River and southeast to Henry Mountains, Utah
Beaver band (K^wi?umpacíii, Kwiumpus, Quiumputs), "Frasera speciosa people", lived in Beaver Valley along Beaver River near today's Beaver, Utah. Some married into the Pahvant Ute band to the north.
Cedar band (Ankappanukkicicimi), Unkapanukuints, "Red-stream people", or Suh’dutsing, "Cedar people" from near Cedar City, Utah
Chemehuevi (Nüwüwü, Tantáwats) Southernmost band of Southern Paiute People.
Gunlock band (Matooshats, Matissatï was the name given them by the southwards living St. George band/Uainuints, they instead bestowed the term to Southern Paiute bands northeast of them), lived near Gunlock in southwest Utah
Kaibab (Kai'vi'vits, Kaipapicicimi, Kaivavwits, Kaibabits, Kaipa'pici, Kaivavituvingui, "Mountain Lying Down People". The Kaibab Plateau and Kaibab National Forest in northern Arizona are named after them.
Indian Peak Band (Kwee’choovunt), "Peak People"
Kaiparowits, "mountain home of the people", lived along the Escalante River and hunted on the Kaiparowits Plateau in Utah. Also known as Escalante band.
Las Vegas band (Nipakanticimi, Nuvagantucimi), "People of Charleston Peak"
Moapa (Muapaa, Moapats), "Muddy Creek Paiute"
Pahranagat (Pata?nikici), "Person who sticks his feet in the water", named for the Pahranagat Valley, Nevada
Panaca (Tsouwaraits, Matisabits), named for Panaca, Nevada
Panguitch (Pakiucimi), "fish people", named for Panguitch, Utah
San Juan band (Kwaiantikowkets), "People being over on the opposite side", from the San Juan River in northern Arizona
Shivwits (Sipicimi, Shebits, Sübüts), "People who live in the East" or See’veetseng, "Whitish Earth People"
Uinkaret (Yipinkatiticimi), "People of Mount Trumbull"
Uainuints (Uenuwunts, also known as Tonaquints), hunted and farmed from Hebron (Shoal Creek Fort), Enterprise and Pinto southward along the Santa Clara River (also called Tonaquint River) to its mouth into the Virgin River south of today's Saint George, Utah. Therefore called St. George Band.

Federally Recognized Southern Paiute Tribes Today

These are the Southern Paiute tribes that are officially recognized by the United States government:

Notable Southern Paiutes

Tony Tillohash, a linguist (someone who studies languages) and politician.

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Southern Paiute people Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.