NORTHERN PAIUTE IN IDAHO

THESE INDIAN'S TOTAL POPULATION IN 1859 WAS ABOUT 6000. KROEBER NOTED THAT IN 1770 THE POPULATION OF THESE PAIUTES WAS 500. THEIR NAME MEANT WATER UTE OR TRUE UTE. THE SETTLERS CALLED THEM DIGGERS. THEY THOUGHT OF IT AS DEROGATORY. THEY SPEAK SOUTHERN NORTHERN PAUITE LANGUAGE. THEY WERE WELL ADAPTED TO HARSH ENVIRONMENTS. RABBITS AND PRONGHORN WERE TAKEN IN DRIVES. GRASS SEEDS AND ROOTS WERE WERE ALSO IMPORTANT PARTS OF THEIR DIET. THEY HAD VARIOUS BANDS WHO WERE KNOWN FOR WHAT THEY ATE. IN 1840'S THE ANGLOS MET THE PAUITE AND THEY STARTED LEARNING TO RIDE HORSES. THERE WERE FOUR WARS BETWEEN THE PAUITE AND THE ANGLOS FROM 1860 TO 1878 AND THE LAST WAR INVOLVED THE U. S. ARMY. MANY DIED FROM DISEASES SUCH AS SMALL POX AS THE INDIANS HAD NO IMMUNITY FOR.

THEIR FIRST 1 ST RESERVATION WAS THE MATHEUR IN OREGON. HOWEVER THIS STRATEGY DIDN'T WORK BECAUSE OF POOR CONDITIONS ON THAT RESERVATION. MANY PAUITES REFUSED TO GO THERE, AND FLED FROM THERE. THEY GOT JOBS ON FARMS AND RANCHES. LATER THEY CREATED LARGER RESERVATION AT PYRAMID LAKE AND DUCK VALLEY. FINALLY IN 1934 THE SMALL BANDS GAINED RECOGNITION AS INDEPENDENT TRIBES. UNDER THE INDIAN REORGANIZATION ACT. THERE WERE ABOUT 20 SMALL TRIBES.

ANGLOS THOUGHT OF THEM AS HAVING EXCELLENT QUALITIES OF CHARACTER. THEY ARE STRONG HEALTHY WORKERS ON FARMS AND HAYMAKING. IN THE LATE 1800'S THEY PREFERRED TO LIVE IN WIKIUPS AND NOT USE PERMANENT HOUSES OR FURNITURE. THEY HAD ABOUT 30 SMALL BANDS.

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