The Shoshone-Bannock Tribe The Tribes are composed of several Shoshone and Bannock bands that were forced to the Fort Hall Reservation, which eventually became the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. There are approximately 5,681 enrolled tribal members with a majority living on or near the Fort Hall Reservation. Through its self-governing rights afforded under the Fort Bridger Treaty of 1868 and the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, the Tribes manages its own schools, post office, grocery store, waste disposal, agriculture and commercial businesses, rural transits, casinos, and more. OUR HISTORY The traditional lands of the Shoshone and Bannock people were vast and encompassed areas that extended into what are now Canada and Mexico. They were hunters and gathers who moved with the seasons to gather various foods and resources, “de-de-vee-wah” (travelers). Because of the importance of the abundant natural resources needed for hunting, fishing, and gathering, they called themselves by the names of the foods they ate: Agai-deka (salmon eaters), Tuku-deka (sheep eaters), Kuchun-deka (buffalo eaters), Kamu-deka (rabbit eaters), Hukan-deka (seed eaters), Deheya’a-deka (deer eaters), Yamba-deka (root eaters), just to name a few. Each band has similar lifestyles but had some distinct differences in language dialects, traditions and beliefs. The Shoshones of Idaho are the most northerly of the vast Shoshone language group, which extends throughout the northwest and southwestern United States, and well into Canada and Mexico. The Northern Shoshones stayed close to the Snake River, but traveled over vast areas for big game, salmon, camas roots and other important food sources. The Bannock traveled much of Oregon and spread over Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. The bands also made regular expeditions to buffalo country, often following the proverbial Bannock Trail through Yellowstone Park into Canada. Southeastern Idaho was a favorite wintering area for both bands. Today, descendants of the Lemhi, Boise Valley, Bruneau, Weiser and other bands of Shoshone and Bannock reside on the Reservation but all continue to return to their inherent areas to hunt, fish, gather, socialize, and to exercise their traditional and ceremonial practices. LANGUAGE The Shoshones and Bannocks are related linguistically under the Uto-Aztecan speaking group but otherwise call themselves “Newe” which means “the People”. The Comanche, Hopi, and Ute also share our linguistic heritage. Presently, there are more Shoshone speakers living on the reservation than Bannock speakers. Through the Tribal Language & Cultural Preservation Department, we are making efforts to preserve both languages so that future generations may be able to speak them. It is so important to be able to maintain our identity through the retention of our language. FORT HALL In 1832, Nathaniel Wyeth organized an expedition from Boston to Oregon in prospects of setting up a trading post, which was later established in Fort Hall in 1834. It was said that while Wyeth was traveling, he had shot a buffalo and where it fell marked the spot for Fort Hall, which was named after Henry Hall, one of the financial backers of the expedition (ISJ, Idaho’s First 100’s Years). The Fort became a key stop for fur trappers and travelers going westbound on the Oregon and California Trails. The Fort eventually closed in 1856 and a monument was erected in 1920 to commemorate its existence, the ruins of the Fort are visible today. Despite the Fort’s closure, the trail way continued to be heavily used by travelers and their livestock. This heavy traffic through southeastern Idaho decimated wild game populations and vegetation that contributed to skirmishes between local Indians and settlers. The conflicts culminated in the Bear River Massacre, in which the United States Army, under Colonel Patrick Edward Conner, brutally murdered more than 400 Northwestern Band of Shoshones under Chief Bear Hunter near present-day Preston, Idaho, in the winter of 1863. The massacre prompted the government to establish treaty negotiations and a reservation for the area bands for both the protection of settlers as well as the local Indians. INDIAN LANDS The Fort Hall Reservation once consisted of 1.8 million acres but due to government acts and encroachment, it was ceded twice and now consists of 544,000 acres (804,270 sq. mi.), reducing the total original size to less than half. The Indian Allotment Act of 1887 (Dawes Act) authorized the government to divide Indian land into allotments for individual Indian ownership in efforts to assimilate Indians into western society and to provide the government the opportunity to purchase Indian land for non-Indian settlements. The Dawes Act had a negative impact on American Indian land holdings by decreasing millions of acres to a third of its original size, i.e. Fort Hall Indian Reservation. Not only did much of the Indians lose their lands but they were inadequately compensated and inexperienced with American currency. The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of 1934, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, was passed to reverse the Dawes Act and return self-governing powers to the Native American tribes. Today, the Tribes are considered a Federally Recognized Tribe with all the powers and duties granted under the IRA to manage their own assets and economic development for the inhabitants of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. The Tribes have developed a successful land acquisition program to purchase fee lands located within the Reservation, resulting in 97% Tribal and trust holdings with 3% remaining in individual tribal and non-Indian ownership.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 22:02:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015