Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

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Tribal Headquarters
Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation P.O. Box 306 Fort Hall, ID 83203-0306 Phone: 208-478-3700 Toll Free: 888-297-1378 Website

Introduction
Divisions: Hohandika, Shobarboobeer, Shohoaigadika, Slohosegadika (Hodge page 557)

Washaki's Band

They were often referred to as the Snakes. Some of the tribes, bands, or groups of Shoshone, with their colonies or reservations, include:


 * Death Valley Shoshone -- see Timbisha Shoshone
 * Duckwater Shoshone -- Duckwater Reservation (Nevada)
 * Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada -- Ely Colony (Nevada)
 * Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes -- Fort McDermitt Reservation (Nevada and Oregon)
 * Mountain Shoshone or Sheepeaters -- Fort Lemhi and Fort Hall Reservation(Idaho and Montana)
 * Northwestern Band of Shoshoni Nation of Utah (Washakie)
 * Paiute-Shoshone Indians -- Bishop Colony (California)
 * Paiute-Shoshone Indians -- Fallon Reservation and Colony (Nevada)
 * Paiute-Shoshone Indians -- Lone Pine Reservation (California)
 * Ruby Valley Shoshone
 * Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation -- Wind River Reservation (Wyoming)
 * Shoshone-Bannock Tribes -- Fort Hall Reservation (Idaho)
 * Shoshone-Paiute Tribes -- Duck Valley Reservation (Idaho and Nevada)
 * Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone


 * Battle Mountain Band -- Battle Mountain Colony (Nevada)
 * Elko Band -- Elko Colony (Nevada)
 * South Fork Band -- South Fork Reservation (Nevada)
 * Wells Band -- Wells Colony (Nevada)


 * Timbisha Shoshone Tribe
 * Weiser (Eagle Eye's) Band
 * Western Shoshone Reservation in Duck Valley on the Nevada-Idaho border.
 * Yomba Western Shoshone Tribe -- Yomba Reservation (Nevada)

History
The ancestral homeland of the Shoshone was in the Mountain West. At an early point in history, the tribe subdivided int the Eastern Shoshone, Northern Shoshone and the Southern Shoshone. The Eastern Shoshone lived near Grand Teton and Wind River Mountains. The Northern Shoshone ranged through southern Idaho, eastern Oregon and northern Nevada. The Southern Shoshone lived in Nevada, Wyoming and Utah.

The tribes' early contact with non-indigenous people included the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Jedediah Smith and fur traders and trappers at the Rocky Mountain rendezvous. The first rendezvous was promoted by Jedediah Smith in 1825. A prominent Shoshone: Sacajawea joined the Lewis and Clark Expedition-1803-06

In 1841 immigrants began moving to the west and northwest by way of the Oregon and California trails. Both of these trails cut through the homeland of the Shoshoni and Bannock tribes. Problems occurred as the resources of the area were drained by many immigrants going west. These trails provided a "highway" for over twenty years serving the forty-niners and silver seekers headed to California, Nevada and the northwest.

A military campaign of 300 soldiers led by Colonel Patrick Conner in January of 1863, killed 224 Native Americans this became known as the Bear river Massacre.

In 1863 four treaties were ratified, with the Eastern Shoshone, Shoshone-Northwestern Bands, Western Shoshoni and the the Shoshoni-Goship.

The Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroad completed their lines and came together at Promontory Point, Utah in 1869.

1860-70 assigned to reservations

Brief Timeline

 * 1782: Smallpox epidemic
 * 1803-06: Lewis and Clark Expedition
 * 1825: Jedediah Smith
 * 1825: First Rocky Mountain rendezvous at Green River in Wyoming
 * 1830: Population 2,000 (Swanton.... pg. 410)
 * 1841-1869: The Oregon and California Trails both go right through the homeland of the Shoshoni and Bannock.
 * 1847: Mormon Pioneers settled in the Great Salt Lake valley
 * 1849: Gold was discovered in California
 * 1855: Treaty
 * 1857: Comstock Lode - Silver in Nevada
 * 1862: Colonel Patrick Conner founded Fort Douglas Salt Lake City
 * 1863: January 29, Bear River Massacre, Campaign lead by Colonel Patrick Conner, 300 soldiers, 224 Natives Americans killed; only 22 soldiers killed
 * 1863: July, Treaty
 * 1868: Treaty
 * 1869: Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroad met at Promontory Point, Utah
 * 1860-1870: all Shoshone bands assigned to reservations
 * 1870s lack of sufficient rations continuing problem at Fort Hall
 * 1878: Bannock War
 * 1878: a band - Sheepeaters, including Bannock and Shoshone, were part of an uprising in the Salmon River Mountains of Idaho.
 * 1880s: Railroad Rights-of-Way
 * 1896: April 21, the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes signed an agreement for the sale of the Owl Creek or Big Horn Hot Spring. (Senate Doc. no. 247. 54th Congress 1st Session, pages 3-6)
 * 1900: Population 1,766 Hodge, Frederick Webb. Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1906 Available online. page 557
 * 1917: population 1,500 (Swanton pg 410)
 * 1938: population 4,500 Northern ans Western Shoshoni (Swanton pg 410)
 * 1982: Western Shoshone federally recognized

Agencies
The following agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs had jurisdiction over the Shoshone for the time periods indicated. BIA agencies were responsible to keep such records as census rolls, allotment (land) records, annuity rolls, school records, correspondence, and other records of individuals under their jurisdiction. For details, see the page for the respective agency.


 * Carson Agency
 * Fort Hall Agency


 * Shoshoni Agency


 * Walker River Agency
 * Western Shoshone Agency
 * Wind River Agency

Records
The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:


 * Allotment records
 * Annuity rolls
 * Census records
 * Correspondence
 * Health records
 * Reports
 * School census and records
 * Vital records

Census
1894 Census of the Bannock and Shoshone Indians of Fort Hall, Idaho. by Thomas Benton Teter.

1885, 1890-1893, 1895-1899 Shoshoni Agency, Wyoming. Shoshoni and Arapaho Indians. FS Library film 581873 (M595 roll 498)

1900-1911 Shoshoni Agency, Wyoming. Shoshoni and Arapaho Indians. FS Library film 581874 (M595 roll 499)

1912-1918 Shoshoni Agency, Wyoming. Shoshoni and Arapaho Indians. FS Library film 581875 (M595 roll 500)

1919-1925 Shoshoni Agency, Wyoming. Shoshoni and Arapaho Indians. FS Library film 581876 (M595 roll 501)

1926-1929 Shoshoni Agency, Wyoming. Shoshoni and Arapaho Indians. FS Library film 581877 (M595 roll 502

1930-1932 Shoshoni Agency, Wyoming. Shoshoni and Arapaho, Wind River Reservation. Births and Deaths - 1922, 1924-1931. FS Library film 581878 (M595 roll 503)

1933-1937 Shoshoni Agency, Wyoming. Shoshoni and Arapaho Indians. FS Library film 581879 (M595 roll 504)

1930-1931 Walker River Agency, Carson Nevada. Paiute, Monache, Shoshoni, and Washo Indians. FS Library film 583090 (M595 roll 631)

1931-1932 Carson Agency, Nevada. Paiute, Shoshone. Death roll, 1925-1931 and Birth roll, 1925-1931. FS Library film 573865 (M595 roll 19)

1933-1936 Carson Agency, Nevada. Paiute, Shoshone, Washo, Carson School. FS Library film 573866 (M595 roll 20)

1937-1939 Carson Agency, Nevada. Piaute, Shoshone, Washo Indians, Carson School. FS Library film 573867 (M595 roll 21)

1885-1887;1890-1891;1894-1901 Fort Hall, Idaho. Shoshoni and Bannock Indians. FS Library film 576493 (M595 roll 138)

1902-1909 Fort Hall, Idaho. Shoshoni and Bannock. FS Library film 576494 (M595 roll 139)

1910-1914 Fort Hall, Idaho. Shoshoni and Bannock. FS Library film 576495 (M595 roll 140)

1919-1926 Fort Hall, Idaho. Shoshoni and Bannock. FS Library film 576496 (M595 roll 141)

1927-1931 Fort Hall, Idaho. Shoshoni and Bannock. FS Library film 576497 (M595 roll 142)

1932-1934 Fort Hall, Idaho. Shoshoni and Bannock, Indians as Washakie, sub-agency, Utah - 1932. page 195 Live Births 1 July 1924- 31 Mar 1932, page 221 Death Rolls July 1924-April 1932,page 405-587 Washakie Sub-Agency rolls, 1934-1935

1917-1923 Goshute AgencyGoshute, Shoshoni, Paiute, Kanosh and Pahvant FS Library film 576856 (M595 roll 167)

1885,1887-1906 '''Lemhi Agency, Idaho. Shoshoni, Bannock and Sheepeater FS Library film 576937 (M595 roll 248) '''

1938-1939 Wind River Agency, Wyoming. Shoshoni and Arapaho Indians. Births and deaths 1938-1939. (For earlier rolls see Shoshone Winnebago Agency, Nebraska Omaha and Winnebago Indians - E. Kay Kirkham)

Treaties
During the latter part of the 18th Century and most of the 19th Century, treaties were negotiated between the federal government and individual Indian tribes. The treaties provide helpful information about the history of the tribe, but usually only include the names of those persons who signed the treaty. For more information about treaties, click here.

Treaties to which the Shoshone were a part are:


 * 1855 June 9, referred to in Wallawalla Treaty
 * 1863 July 2, at Fort Bridger, with Eastern Shoshone
 * 1863 July 30, at Box Elder Shoshone-Northwestern Bands
 * 1863 October 1, at Ruby Valley with Western Shoshoni
 * 1863 October 12, at Tuilla Valley with Shoshoni-Goship
 * 1868:at Fort Bridger Eastern Band Shoshoni and Bannock

Vital Records
Prior to the Indian Reorganization Act, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, through their agencies, may have recorded some vital events. Some were recorded on health forms, such as the "Sanitary Record of Sick, Injured, Births, Deaths, etc." Others were recorded as supplements to the "Indian Census Rolls." Some were included in the unindexed reports and other correspondence of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Some vital records for the Shoshone include:


 * Wind River Agency, M595,

Births and deaths 1938-39, FS Library Film: 583122 Births and deaths 1924-1932, FS Library Film: 581878


 * Fort Hall Agency, M595,

Birth and deaths, FS Library Film: 576497 Births and deaths 1924-1934, FS Library Film: 576498 and 576499

Important Websites

 * Constitution and By-Laws for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation Idaho. Approved April 30, 1936.
 * Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Official Website
 * Bannock Tribe Wikipedia

Shoshone

 * Carlson, Paul H. The Plains Indians. College Station, Texas: Texas A M University Press, c1998.


 * Trenholm, Virginia Cole - The Shoshonis; Sentinels of the Rockies. Norman University of Oklahoma Press, 1964. 367 pg. FS Library book 970.3n Sh82t