Difference between revisions of "Paiute" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Category:Anthropology]]
 
[[Category:Anthropology]]
 
[[Category:Ethnic group]]
 
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[[Image:YosemitePaiutewomenandchildren.jpg|right|thumb|Paiute women and children in [[Yosemite Valley]] 1891.]]'''Paiute''' (sometimes written ''Piute'') refers to two related groups of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] — the ''Northern Paiute'' of [[California]], [[Nevada]] and [[Oregon]], and the ''Southern Paiute'' of [[Arizona]], southeastern California, and Nevada, and [[Utah]], who spoke languages belonging to the [[Numic]] branch of the [[Uto-Aztecan languages|Uto-Aztecan family]] of Native American languages.  The use of the name "Paiute" for these peoples is misleading. The Northern Paiute are more closely related to the [[Shoshone]] than to the Southern Paiute; the Southern Paiute are more closely related to the [[Ute Tribe|Ute]] than to the Northern Paiute.  Usage of the terms ''Paiute'', ''Northern Paiute'' and ''Southern Paiute'' is most correct when referring to groups of people with similar language and culture, and should not be taken to imply a political connection or even an especially close genetic relationship.
 
  
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The origin of the word Paiute is unclear. Some anthropologists have interpreted it as "Water Ute" or "True Ute." The Northern Paiute call themselves '''Numa''' (sometimes written ''Numu''); the Southern Paiute call themselves '''Nuwuvi'''. Both terms mean "the people."  Early [[Spanish people | Spanish]] explorers called the Southern Paiute "Payuchi" (they did not make contact with the Northern Paiute). Early Euro-American settlers often called both groups of Paiute "Diggers" (presumably due to their practice of digging for roots), although that term is now considered derogatory.  The Northern Paiute are sometimes referred to as "Paviotso."
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[[Image:YosemitePaiutewomenandchildren.jpg|right|thumb|200 px|Paiute women and children in [[Yosemite Valley]] 1891.]]'''Paiute''' (sometimes written '''Piute''') refers to two related groups of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] — the '''Northern Paiute''' of [[California]], [[Nevada]] and [[Oregon]], and the '''Southern Paiute''' of [[Arizona]], southeastern California, and Nevada, and [[Utah]]. The Northern and Southern Paiute both spoke languages belonging to the [[Numic]] branch of the [[Uto-Aztecan languages|Uto-Aztecan family]] of Native American languages. 
 +
 
 +
The use of the name "Paiute" for these peoples is somewhat misleading. The Northern Paiute are more closely related to the [[Shoshone]] than to the Southern Paiute, while the Southern Paiute are more closely related to the [[Ute Tribe|Ute]] than to the Northern Paiute. Usage of the terms ''Paiute'', '''Northern Paiute''' and '''Southern Paiute''' is most correct when referring to groups of people with similar language and culture, and should not be taken to imply a political connection or even an especially close genetic relationship. The Northern Paiute speak the [[Northern Paiute language]], while the Southern Paiute speak the [[Ute-Southern Paiute language]]. These languages are not as closely related to each other as they are to other Numic languages.
 +
 
 +
The [[Bannock (tribe) | Bannock]], [[Mono (tribe) | Mono]], [[Panamint]] and [[Kawaiisu]] people, who also speak Numic languages and live in adjacent areas, are sometimes referred to as Paiute.
 +
 
 +
The origin of the word Paiute is unclear. Some anthropologists have interpreted it as "Water Ute" or "True Ute." The Northern Paiute call themselves '''Numa''' (sometimes written '''Numu''') ; the Southern Paiute call themselves '''Nuwuvi'''. Both terms mean "the people."  The Northern Paiute are sometimes referred to as '''Paviotso'''. Early [[Spanish people | Spanish]] explorers called the Southern Paiute "Payuchi" (they did not make contact with the Northern Paiute). Early Euro-American settlers often called both groups of Paiute "Diggers" (presumably due to their practice of digging for roots), although that term is now considered derogatory.   
  
 
[[Image:Captain John.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Captain John, Leader of the [[Yosemite]]-[[Mono Lake]] Paiutes]]
 
[[Image:Captain John.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Captain John, Leader of the [[Yosemite]]-[[Mono Lake]] Paiutes]]
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The [[Bannock (tribe) | Bannock]], [[Mono (tribe) | Mono]], [[Panamint]] and [[Kawaiisu]] people, who also speak Numic languages and live in adjacent areas, are sometimes referred to as Paiute.
 
  
−
The Northern Paiute speak the [[Northern Paiute language]], while the Southern Paiute speak the [[Ute-Southern Paiute language]].  These languages are not as closely related to each other as they are to other Numic languages.
+
==Northern Paiute==<!-- This section is linked from [[Ontario, Oregon]] —>
 +
The Northern Paiute traditionally lived in the [[Great Basin]] in eastern California, western Nevada, and southeast Oregon. The Northern Paiute's pre-contact lifestyle was well adapted to the harsh desert environment in which they lived. Each tribe or band occupied a specific territory, generally centered on a lake or wetland that supplied fish and water-fowl. [[Rabbit]]s and [[pronghorn]] were taken from surrounding areas in communal drives, which often involved neighboring bands. Individuals and families appear to have moved freely between bands. [[Pinyon pine|Pinyon]] nuts gathered in the mountains in the fall provided critical winter food. Grass seeds and roots were also important parts of their diet. The name of each band came from a characteristic food source. For example, the people at [[Pyramid Lake]] were known as the Cui Ui Ticutta (meaning "[[Cui-ui]] eaters"), the people of the [[Lovelock, Nevada | Lovelock]] area were known as the Koop Ticutta (meaning "ground-squirrel eaters") and the people of the [[Carson Sink]] were known as the Toi Ticutta (meaning "[[tule]] eaters."
 +
 
 +
[[Image:Chief_winnemucca.jpg|thumb|[[Chief Winnemucca]]  – Chief of the [[Paiutes]]. He was also named Poito.]]
 +
 
 +
Relations among the Northern Paiute bands and their [[Shoshone]] neighbors were generally peaceful.  In fact, there is no sharp distinction between the Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone. Relations with the [[Washoe (tribe) | Washoe]] people, who were culturally and linguistically very different, were not so peaceful.
  
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== Northern Paiute ==          <!-- This section is linked from [[Ontario, Oregon]] —>
 
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The Northern Paiute traditionally lived in the [[Great Basin]] in eastern California, western Nevada, and southeast Oregon.  The Northern Paiute's pre-contact lifestyle was well adapted to the harsh desert environment in which they lived.  Each tribe or band occupied a specific territory, generally centered on a lake or wetland that supplied fish and water-fowl.  [[Rabbit]]s and [[pronghorn]] were taken from surrounding areas in communal drives, which often involved neighboring bands.  Individuals and families appear to have moved freely between bands. [[Pinyon pine|Pinyon]] nuts gathered in the mountains in the fall provided critical winter food.  Grass seeds and roots were also important parts of their diet.  The name of each band came from a characteristic food source.  For example, the people at [[Pyramid Lake]] were known as the Cui Ui Ticutta (meaning "[[Cui-ui]] eaters"), the people of the [[Lovelock, Nevada | Lovelock]] area were known as the Koop Ticutta (meaning "ground-squirrel eaters") and the people of the [[Carson Sink]] were known as the Toi Ticutta (meaning "[[tule]] eaters").[[Image:Chief_winnemucca.jpg|thumb|[[Chief Winnemucca]]  – Chief of the [[Paiutes]]. He was also named Poito.]]
 
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Relations among the Northern Paiute bands and their [[Shoshone]] neighbors were generally peaceful.  In fact the distinction between the Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone is not sharp.  Relations with the [[Washoe (tribe) | Washoe]] people, who were culturally and linguistically very different, were not so peaceful. 
 
 
[[Image:Sarah_Winnemucca.jpg|left|thumb|[[Sarah Winnemucca]] - Paiute writer and lecturer]]
 
[[Image:Sarah_Winnemucca.jpg|left|thumb|[[Sarah Winnemucca]] - Paiute writer and lecturer]]
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Sustained contact between the Northern Paiute and Euro-Americans came in the early [[1840]]s, although the first contact may have occurred as early as the [[1820]]s.  Although they had already started using [[horse]]s, their culture was otherwise largely unaffected by European influences at that point.  As Euro-American settlement of the area progressed, several violent incidents occurred, including the [[Pyramid Lake War]] of [[1860]] and the [[Bannock War]] of [[1878]].  These incidents took the general pattern of a settler steals from, rapes or murders a Paiute, a group of Paiutes retaliate, and a group of settlers or the [[United States Army|US Army]] counter-retaliates.  Many more Paiutes died from introduced diseases such as [[Smallpox|small pox]].  [[Sarah Winnemucca]]'s book "Life Among the Piutes"<ref>Hopkins, Sarah Winnemucca (1883).</ref>  gives a first-hand account of this period, although it is not considered to be wholly reliable.
 
  
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The first reservation established for the Northern Paiute was the [[Malheur Reservation]] in Oregon. The federal government's intention was to concentrate the Northern Paiute there, but its strategy didn't work. Due to the distance of that reservation from the traditional areas of most of the bands, and due to the poor conditions on that reservation, many Northern Paiute refused to go there and those that did soon left. Instead they clung to the traditional lifestyle as long as possible, and when environmental degradation made that impossible, they sought jobs on white farms, ranches or cities and established small [[Indian colony | Indian colonies]], where they were joined by many Shoshone and, in the [[Reno, Nevada | Reno]] area, Washoe people.  Later, large reservations were created at [[Pyramid Lake]] and [[Duck Valley]], but by that time the pattern of small de facto reservations near cities or farm districts often with mixed Northern Paiute and Shoshone populations had been established.  Starting in the early [[1900]]s the federal government began granting land to these colonies, and under the [[Indian Reorganization Act]] of [[1934]] these colonies gained recognition as independent tribes.
+
Sustained contact between the Northern Paiute and Euro-Americans came in the early 1840s, although the first contact may have occurred as early as the 1820s. Although they had already started using [[horse]]s, their culture was otherwise largely unaffected by European influences at that point.  As Euro-American settlement of the area progressed, several violent incidents occurred, including the [[Pyramid Lake War]] of 1860 and the [[Bannock War]] of 1878.  These incidents took the general pattern of a settler steals from, rapes or murders a Paiute, a group of Paiutes retaliate, and a group of settlers or the [[United States Army|US Army]] counter-retaliates.  Many more Paiutes died from introduced diseases such as [[Smallpox|small pox]].  [[Sarah Winnemucca]]'s book "Life Among the Piutes"<ref>Hopkins, Sarah Winnemucca (1883).</ref>  gives a first-hand account of this period, although it is not considered to be wholly reliable.
 +
 
 +
The first reservation established for the Northern Paiute was the [[Malheur Reservation]] in Oregon. The federal government's intention was to concentrate the Northern Paiute there, but its strategy didn't work. Due to the distance of that reservation from the traditional areas of most of the bands, and due to the poor conditions on that reservation, many Northern Paiute refused to go there and those that did soon left. Instead they clung to the traditional lifestyle as long as possible, and when environmental degradation made that impossible, they sought jobs on white farms, ranches or cities and established small [[Indian colony | Indian colonies]], where they were joined by many Shoshone and, in the [[Reno, Nevada | Reno]] area, Washoe people.  Later, large reservations were created at [[Pyramid Lake]] and [[Duck Valley]], but by that time the pattern of small de facto reservations near cities or farm districts often with mixed Northern Paiute and Shoshone populations had been established.  Starting in the early 1900s the federal government began granting land to these colonies, and under the [[Indian Reorganization Act]] of 1934 these colonies gained recognition as independent tribes.
 +
 
 
[[Image:Wovoka_Paiute_Shaman.jpg|thumb|[[Wovoka]] – Paiute spiritual leader and creator of the [[Ghost Dance]]]]
 
[[Image:Wovoka_Paiute_Shaman.jpg|thumb|[[Wovoka]] – Paiute spiritual leader and creator of the [[Ghost Dance]]]]
  
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These are federally recognized tribes with significant Northern Paiute populations:
+
===Tribes===
 +
These are federally-recognized tribes with significant Northern Paiute populations:
  
 
* Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony - [[Bridgeport, California]]
 
* Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony - [[Bridgeport, California]]
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* XL Ranch - [[Alturas, California]]
 
* XL Ranch - [[Alturas, California]]
  
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Famous Northern Paiutes:
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===Famous Northern Paiutes===
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[[Image:Winnemucca 0 1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|''Sarah Winnemucca'' (National Statuary Hall Collection statue)]]
 
* [[Poito]] (Chief Winnemucca)
 
* [[Poito]] (Chief Winnemucca)
 
* [[Sarah Winnemucca]]
 
* [[Sarah Winnemucca]]
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===Population===
 
===Population===
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Estimates for the pre-contact populations of most native groups in California have varied substantially. ''(See [[Population of Native California]].)'' [[Alfred L. Kroeber]] (1925:883) thought that the 1770 population of the Northern Paiute within California was 500. Catherine S. Fowler and Sven Liljeblad (1978:457) put the total Northern Paiute population in 1859 at about 6,000.
 
Estimates for the pre-contact populations of most native groups in California have varied substantially. ''(See [[Population of Native California]].)'' [[Alfred L. Kroeber]] (1925:883) thought that the 1770 population of the Northern Paiute within California was 500. Catherine S. Fowler and Sven Liljeblad (1978:457) put the total Northern Paiute population in 1859 at about 6,000.
  
 
Kroeber estimated the population of the Northern Paiute in California in 1910 as 300.
 
Kroeber estimated the population of the Northern Paiute in California in 1910 as 300.
  
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== Southern Paiute ==
+
==Southern Paiute==
 
[[Image:Southern_Paiutes.jpg|left|thumb|[[Southern Paiutes]]  – [[Moapa]] - [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] [[Paiutes]] wearing traditional Paiute basket hats. Paiute cradleboard and rabbit robe]]
 
[[Image:Southern_Paiutes.jpg|left|thumb|[[Southern Paiutes]]  – [[Moapa]] - [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] [[Paiutes]] wearing traditional Paiute basket hats. Paiute cradleboard and rabbit robe]]
  
 
The Southern Paiute traditionally lived in the [[Colorado River]] basin and [[Mojave Desert]] in northern [[Arizona]], southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southern [[Utah]]. The Utah Paiutes were terminated in 1954 and regained federal recognition in 1980. A band of Southern Paiutes at Willow Springs and [[Navajo Mountain]], south of the Grand Canyon, reside inside the Navajo Indian Reservation. These "San Juan" Paiutes were recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1980.  
 
The Southern Paiute traditionally lived in the [[Colorado River]] basin and [[Mojave Desert]] in northern [[Arizona]], southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southern [[Utah]]. The Utah Paiutes were terminated in 1954 and regained federal recognition in 1980. A band of Southern Paiutes at Willow Springs and [[Navajo Mountain]], south of the Grand Canyon, reside inside the Navajo Indian Reservation. These "San Juan" Paiutes were recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1980.  
  
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First European contact with the Southern Paiutes occurred in 1776 when Fathers [[Silvestre Vélez de Escalante]] and [[Francisco Atanasio Domínguez]] chanced upon them during their failed attempt to find an overland route to the missions of California. Even before this date, the Southern Paiute suffered from slave raids by the [[Navajo]] and the [[Ute]]s, but the introduction of Spanish and later Euroamerican explorers into their territory exacerbated the practice.  In 1851, [[Mormon]] settlers strategically occupied Paiute water sources, which created a dependency relationship. However, the Mormon presence soon ended the slave raids, and relations between the Paiutes and the Mormons were basically peaceful.  This was in large part due to the diplomacy efforts of Mormon missionary [[Jacob Hamblin]].  But there is no doubt that the introduction of European settlers and agricultural practices (most especially large herds of [[cattle]]) made it difficult for the Southern Paiutes to continue their traditional lifestyle.
+
First European contact with the Southern Paiutes occurred in 1776 when Fathers [[Silvestre Vélez de Escalante]] and [[Francisco Atanasio Domínguez]] chanced upon them during their failed attempt to find an overland route to the missions of California. Even before this date, the Southern Paiute suffered from slave raids by the [[Navajo people|Navajo]] and the [[Ute]]s, but the introduction of Spanish and later Euroamerican explorers into their territory exacerbated the practice.  In 1851, [[Mormon]] settlers strategically occupied Paiute water sources, which created a dependency relationship. However, the Mormon presence soon ended the slave raids, and relations between the Paiutes and the Mormons were basically peaceful.  This was in large part due to the diplomacy efforts of Mormon missionary [[Jacob Hamblin]].  But there is no doubt that the introduction of European settlers and agricultural practices (most especially large herds of [[cattle]]) made it difficult for the Southern Paiutes to continue their traditional lifestyle.
  
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Southern Paiute communities are located at Las Vegas, Pahrump, and Moapa, in Nevada; Cedar City, Kanosh, Koosharem, Shivwits, and Indian Peaks, in Utah; at Kaibab and Willow Springs, in Arizona; and at Death Valley and Chemehuevi on the Colorado River in California. Some would include the 29 Palms Reservation in Riverside County, California.
+
Southern Paiute communities are located at [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], [[Pahrump, Nevada|Pahrump]], and [[Moapa Town, Nevada|Moapa]], in [[Nevada]]; [[Cedar City, Utah|Cedar City]], [[Kanosh, Utah|Kanosh]], [[Koosharem, Utah|Koosharem]], Shivwits, and Indian Peaks, in [[Utah]]; at [[Kaibab, Arizona|Kaibab]] and Willow Springs, in [[Arizona]]; [[Death Valley]] and at the [[Chemehuevi Indian Reservation]] and on the [[Colorado River Indian Reservation]] in [[California]]. Some would include the [[Twentynine Palms, California|29 Palms]] Reservation in [[Riverside County, California|Riverside County]], California.
  
 
==Pah Ute War==
 
==Pah Ute War==
 
[[Image:Numaga.jpg|thumb|[[Numaga]], chief of the Paiutes during the [[Pyramid Lake]] Paiute War. He was named the “Peace Chief”.]]
 
[[Image:Numaga.jpg|thumb|[[Numaga]], chief of the Paiutes during the [[Pyramid Lake]] Paiute War. He was named the “Peace Chief”.]]
 
{{see|Paiute War}}
 
{{see|Paiute War}}
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The Pah Ute War, also known as the Paiute War, was a minor series of raids and ambushes initiated by the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribe, the Paiute, that had an effect on the development of the [[Pony Express]]. It took place from May through June of 1860, though sporadic violence continued.
 
  
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==See also==
+
The Pah Ute War, also known as the Paiute War, was a minor series of raids and ambushes initiated by the Paiute, and which had an effect on the development of the [[Pony Express]]. It took place from May through June of 1860, though sporadic violence continued for a period afterwards.
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*[[Northern Paiute traditional narratives]]
+
 
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*[[Mountain Meadows Massacre]]
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==Notes==
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*[[History of the Yosemite area]]
+
<references />
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*[[Hetch Hetchy Valley]]
 
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*[[Mono Lake]]
 
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*[[Pyramid Lake]]
 
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*[[Pipe Spring National Monument]]
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 +
* Fowler, Catherine S., and Sven Liljeblad. 1978. "Northern Paiute." In ''Great Basin'', edited by Warren L. d'Azevedo, pp. 435-465. Handbook of North American Indians, William C. Sturtevant, general editor, vol. 11. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
 +
* Kroeber, A. L. 1925. ''Handbook of the Indians of California''. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin No. 78. Washington, D.C.
 +
  
−
* Fowler, Catherine S., and Sven Liljeblad. 1978. "Northern Paiute". In ''Great Basin'', edited by Warren L. d'Azevedo, pp. 435-465. Handbook of North American Indians, William C. Sturtevant, general editor, vol. 11. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
 
−
* Kroeber, A. L. 1925. ''Handbook of the Indians of California''. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin No. 78. Washington, D.C.
 
  
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==Notes==
 
−
<references />
 
−
[http://www.yosemite.ca.us/history/life_among_the_piutes/ ''Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims'']. Full text online.
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 
*[http://www.burnspaiute-nsn.gov/ Burns Paiute Tribe]
 
*[http://www.burnspaiute-nsn.gov/ Burns Paiute Tribe]
 
*[http://www.fpst.org/ Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe]
 
*[http://www.fpst.org/ Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe]
 +
*[http://www.yosemite.ca.us/history/life_among_the_piutes/ ''Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims'']. Full text online.
 +
 +
  
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{{credits|Paiute|141689039}}
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{{Credits|Paiute|168293202|}}

Revision as of 15:52, 31 October 2007


Paiute women and children in Yosemite Valley 1891.

Paiute (sometimes written Piute) refers to two related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Nevada and Oregon, and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California, and Nevada, and Utah. The Northern and Southern Paiute both spoke languages belonging to the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan family of Native American languages.

The use of the name "Paiute" for these peoples is somewhat misleading. The Northern Paiute are more closely related to the Shoshone than to the Southern Paiute, while the Southern Paiute are more closely related to the Ute than to the Northern Paiute. Usage of the terms Paiute, Northern Paiute and Southern Paiute is most correct when referring to groups of people with similar language and culture, and should not be taken to imply a political connection or even an especially close genetic relationship. The Northern Paiute speak the Northern Paiute language, while the Southern Paiute speak the Ute-Southern Paiute language. These languages are not as closely related to each other as they are to other Numic languages.

The Bannock, Mono, Panamint and Kawaiisu people, who also speak Numic languages and live in adjacent areas, are sometimes referred to as Paiute.

The origin of the word Paiute is unclear. Some anthropologists have interpreted it as "Water Ute" or "True Ute." The Northern Paiute call themselves Numa (sometimes written Numu) ; the Southern Paiute call themselves Nuwuvi. Both terms mean "the people." The Northern Paiute are sometimes referred to as Paviotso. Early Spanish explorers called the Southern Paiute "Payuchi" (they did not make contact with the Northern Paiute). Early Euro-American settlers often called both groups of Paiute "Diggers" (presumably due to their practice of digging for roots), although that term is now considered derogatory.

Captain John, Leader of the Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiutes

Northern Paiute

The Northern Paiute traditionally lived in the Great Basin in eastern California, western Nevada, and southeast Oregon. The Northern Paiute's pre-contact lifestyle was well adapted to the harsh desert environment in which they lived. Each tribe or band occupied a specific territory, generally centered on a lake or wetland that supplied fish and water-fowl. Rabbits and pronghorn were taken from surrounding areas in communal drives, which often involved neighboring bands. Individuals and families appear to have moved freely between bands. Pinyon nuts gathered in the mountains in the fall provided critical winter food. Grass seeds and roots were also important parts of their diet. The name of each band came from a characteristic food source. For example, the people at Pyramid Lake were known as the Cui Ui Ticutta (meaning "Cui-ui eaters"), the people of the Lovelock area were known as the Koop Ticutta (meaning "ground-squirrel eaters") and the people of the Carson Sink were known as the Toi Ticutta (meaning "tule eaters."

Chief Winnemucca – Chief of the Paiutes. He was also named Poito.

Relations among the Northern Paiute bands and their Shoshone neighbors were generally peaceful. In fact, there is no sharp distinction between the Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone. Relations with the Washoe people, who were culturally and linguistically very different, were not so peaceful.

Sarah Winnemucca - Paiute writer and lecturer

Sustained contact between the Northern Paiute and Euro-Americans came in the early 1840s, although the first contact may have occurred as early as the 1820s. Although they had already started using horses, their culture was otherwise largely unaffected by European influences at that point. As Euro-American settlement of the area progressed, several violent incidents occurred, including the Pyramid Lake War of 1860 and the Bannock War of 1878. These incidents took the general pattern of a settler steals from, rapes or murders a Paiute, a group of Paiutes retaliate, and a group of settlers or the US Army counter-retaliates. Many more Paiutes died from introduced diseases such as small pox. Sarah Winnemucca's book "Life Among the Piutes"[1] gives a first-hand account of this period, although it is not considered to be wholly reliable.

The first reservation established for the Northern Paiute was the Malheur Reservation in Oregon. The federal government's intention was to concentrate the Northern Paiute there, but its strategy didn't work. Due to the distance of that reservation from the traditional areas of most of the bands, and due to the poor conditions on that reservation, many Northern Paiute refused to go there and those that did soon left. Instead they clung to the traditional lifestyle as long as possible, and when environmental degradation made that impossible, they sought jobs on white farms, ranches or cities and established small Indian colonies, where they were joined by many Shoshone and, in the Reno area, Washoe people. Later, large reservations were created at Pyramid Lake and Duck Valley, but by that time the pattern of small de facto reservations near cities or farm districts often with mixed Northern Paiute and Shoshone populations had been established. Starting in the early 1900s the federal government began granting land to these colonies, and under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 these colonies gained recognition as independent tribes.

Wovoka – Paiute spiritual leader and creator of the Ghost Dance

Tribes

These are federally-recognized tribes with significant Northern Paiute populations:

  • Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony - Bridgeport, California
  • Burns Paiute Tribe - Burns, Oregon
  • Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe - Fallon, Nevada - (The Fallon Indian Reservation is also known as Stillwater)
  • Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe - Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation (Nevada and Oregon)
  • Fort Hall Indian Reservation, 544,000 acres (2,201 km²) in South Eastern Idaho. Lemhi and Northern Shoshone tribes with the Paiute tribe, the Bannock Indians
  • Lovelock Paiute Tribe - Lovelock, Nevada
  • Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe - Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation (Nevada)
  • Reno-Sparks Indian Colony - Reno, Nevada
  • Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation - Duck Valley Indian Reservation (Nevada and Idaho)
  • Summit Lake Paiute Tribe - Summit Lake Indian Reservation (Nevada)
  • Walker River Paiute Tribe - Walker River Indian Reservation (Nevada)
  • Winnemucca Colony - Winnemucca, Nevada
  • Yerington Paiute Tribe - Yerington, Nevada
  • Fort Bidwell - Fort Bidwell Indian Reservation (California)
  • XL Ranch - Alturas, California

Famous Northern Paiutes

Sarah Winnemucca (National Statuary Hall Collection statue)
  • Poito (Chief Winnemucca)
  • Sarah Winnemucca
  • Wovoka (Jack Wilson)
  • Chief Tenaya Leader of the Ahwahnees
  • Numaga
  • Ochio
  • Truckee
  • Captain John - Shibana or Poko Tucket
  • Joaquin

Population

Estimates for the pre-contact populations of most native groups in California have varied substantially. (See Population of Native California.) Alfred L. Kroeber (1925:883) thought that the 1770 population of the Northern Paiute within California was 500. Catherine S. Fowler and Sven Liljeblad (1978:457) put the total Northern Paiute population in 1859 at about 6,000.

Kroeber estimated the population of the Northern Paiute in California in 1910 as 300.

Southern Paiute

Southern Paiutes – Moapa - Las Vegas Paiutes wearing traditional Paiute basket hats. Paiute cradleboard and rabbit robe

The Southern Paiute traditionally lived in the Colorado River basin and Mojave Desert in northern Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southern Utah. The Utah Paiutes were terminated in 1954 and regained federal recognition in 1980. A band of Southern Paiutes at Willow Springs and Navajo Mountain, south of the Grand Canyon, reside inside the Navajo Indian Reservation. These "San Juan" Paiutes were recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1980.

First European contact with the Southern Paiutes occurred in 1776 when Fathers Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Francisco Atanasio Domínguez chanced upon them during their failed attempt to find an overland route to the missions of California. Even before this date, the Southern Paiute suffered from slave raids by the Navajo and the Utes, but the introduction of Spanish and later Euroamerican explorers into their territory exacerbated the practice. In 1851, Mormon settlers strategically occupied Paiute water sources, which created a dependency relationship. However, the Mormon presence soon ended the slave raids, and relations between the Paiutes and the Mormons were basically peaceful. This was in large part due to the diplomacy efforts of Mormon missionary Jacob Hamblin. But there is no doubt that the introduction of European settlers and agricultural practices (most especially large herds of cattle) made it difficult for the Southern Paiutes to continue their traditional lifestyle.

Southern Paiute communities are located at Las Vegas, Pahrump, and Moapa, in Nevada; Cedar City, Kanosh, Koosharem, Shivwits, and Indian Peaks, in Utah; at Kaibab and Willow Springs, in Arizona; Death Valley and at the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation and on the Colorado River Indian Reservation in California. Some would include the 29 Palms Reservation in Riverside County, California.

Pah Ute War

Numaga, chief of the Paiutes during the Pyramid Lake Paiute War. He was named the “Peace Chief”.


The Pah Ute War, also known as the Paiute War, was a minor series of raids and ambushes initiated by the Paiute, and which had an effect on the development of the Pony Express. It took place from May through June of 1860, though sporadic violence continued for a period afterwards.

Notes

  1. ↑ Hopkins, Sarah Winnemucca (1883).

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Fowler, Catherine S., and Sven Liljeblad. 1978. "Northern Paiute." In Great Basin, edited by Warren L. d'Azevedo, pp. 435-465. Handbook of North American Indians, William C. Sturtevant, general editor, vol. 11. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
  • Kroeber, A. L. 1925. Handbook of the Indians of California. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin No. 78. Washington, D.C.


External links


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