The Eastern Shoshone
migrated to the Rocky Mountain region around the 1600’s from
the Great Basin Area (Nevada & Utah). By the early 1800’s,
the Eastern Band of Shoshone ranged along the eastern slope of
the Rocky Mountains from Southwestern Wyoming to Southwestern Montana.
A nomadic tribe, they moved from place to place in search of food;
avoiding harsh winters and hostile tribes. In 1860, a place called “Warm
Valley”, now known as the Wind River Indian Reservation was
a place the Eastern Band of Shoshone called home. The area was
filled with large amounts of wild game as well as water. The elevation
ranged from 5,000 to 14,000 feet in the Rockies, with magnificent
views of mountain peaks, valleys, and the rolling plains. During
the winter months, the tribe would move camp to the Fort Bridger
area, where it was a lot easier to locate food for the people.
In the 1700’s, the tribe acquired “the horse” from
the Comanche. From collecting roots, seeds, and berries as well as
hunting small game to hunting large game such as deer, elk, and buffalo,
the horse made everyday life a lot easier for the Eastern Shoshone
people. Another change in life included, living in brush shelters
to living in tepees, which the horse made moving a lot easier and
faster, traveling a greater distance.
The Eastern Shoshone are linguistically and culturally related to
other tribes of the Great Basin Area, including the Western Shoshone;
Bannock Shoshone; Ute; and Paiute. They are also related to the Comanche
Tribe of the southern plains region. Shoshone is a numic language
and a part of the larger Uto-Aztecan language family, which once
encompassed Native American cultures extending from the Great Basin
to Central Mexico.
The Eastern Shoshone were friendly towards American immigrants since
their early contact with Lewis & Clark in 1805. Sacajawea, a
well known Shoshone woman was enlisted as an interpreter for the
Lewis & Clark Expedition. Carrying an infant child, she full-filled
her duties, leading the expedition through the Northwest to the Pacific
Coast.
In 1840, a young man named Washakie became the principal chief for
the Eastern Band of Shoshone Indians, a role he would fulfill until
his death. Throughout his reign as chief, he along with his sub-chiefs
maintained friendly relations with the U.S. Government and immigrants,
who were traveling west in search of a better place to live. Chief
Washakie always placed the peace and welfare of his people above
all other concerns. In 1900, Chief Washakie passed away, leaving
a mark as one of the most respected leaders in American Indian history.
Washakie received a full military burial, honoring his leadership
in the U.S. Army and for his people.
The Fort Bridger Treaty of 1863 also known as “The Five State
Treaty” set the rough boundaries for the Shoshone Reservation.
The treaty allowed the Eastern Shoshone a territory of 44,672,000
acres, covering parts of Utah; Idaho; Montana; Colorado; and Wyoming.
Several years later, the U.S. Government asked the Eastern Shoshone
and Bannock to sign another treaty which was to be held on the same
date and place as the 1863 treaty. The Fort Bridger Treaty of 1868
was signed by Chief Washakie and Chief Tyghee, a chief for the Bannock
Indians with the help and decision of their sub-chiefs, fixing the
exacted boundaries to a much smaller area of 2,774,400 acres in central
Wyoming now known as the Wind River Indian Reservation. The Bannocks
decided to have their reservation in Eastern Idaho now known as the
Fort Hall Indian Reservation since they refused to share a reservation
with the Eastern Shoshone. The Eastern Band of Shoshone was also
involved with several more treaties following the Fort Bridger Treaty
of 1868. These treaties included the Brunot Cession of 1872, McLaughlin
Agreement of 1897 & 1904, and Restored Reservation of 1939.
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© Wyoming’s
Wind River Country
The rich history of the
Native American Indian can be found on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
 © Wyoming’s
Wind River Country
The colorful dress and exciting culture of the Wind River Indian Reservation.
© 2003 Red Desert Design
A Shoshone dancer performs
in Lander, Wyoming.
© Eastern Shoshone Tribe
The Shoshone Episcopal Mission
in Fort Washakie.
Fort Washakie was known as Camp Brown, built in 1869 as a sub post
to Fort Bridger. It was built as a typical 19th century frontier
post on the newly created, Shoshone Indian Reservation (Fort Bridger
Treaty of 1868). In 1878, the name of Camp Brown was changed to Fort
Washakie, honoring the chief of the Eastern Shoshone people. This
was the first and only fort to be named after an American Indian
chief.
Fort Washakie served as a military post from 1869 to 1909, and then
was changed to an Indian Agency in 1913 to present. Fort Washakie
is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Fort Washakie, Wyoming is located on the beautiful Wind River Indian
Reservation. The town lies in the foothills of the majestic Wind
River Mountain Range, which stretches 110 miles to the world-renown,
Yellowstone National Park. Fort Washakie welcomes tourists from around
the world to the Wind River Indian Reservation
Fort Washakie serves as the headquarters for tribal government, where
tribal employees conduct day to day business for the Eastern Shoshone
Tribe. Fort Washakie is also known as the final resting place for
Washakie, the last chief for the Eastern Band of Shoshone Indians
as well as Sacajawea, the Shoshone woman who guided the Lewis & Clark
Expedition.
Today, Fort Washakie is a small community within the Wind River Indian
Reservation. Many historic buildings, built in the late 1800’s
still remain standing in Fort Washakie. Descendants of Chief Washakie
and Sacajawea reside on the Wind River Indians Reservation. About
3,500 members of the Eastern Shoshone
Tribe share the Wind River Indian Reservation with 7,000 members
of the Northern Arapaho Tribe.
For more information, please feel free to write the Shoshone
Tribal Cultural Center at P.O. Box 1008 Fort Washakie, Wyoming
82514 or call (307) 332-9106.
Eastern Shoshone
Home
Eastern Shoshone web site
Chief Washakie
Sacajawea
Crowheart
Butte Battle of 1866
The Old Block House
Chief Washakie
Plunge
(Hot Springs)
Education on Wind River Indian Reservation |
