SHOSHONI IN UTAH

THIS GROUP IS ABOUT 8,000 FOLKS WHO LIVE IN NORTHWESTERN NEVADA AND UTAH. THE EASTERN SHOSHONI AND ABOUT 6 OTHER TRIBES WERE IN THE GREAT BASIN ALONG THE PRESENT UTAH - NEVADA BORDER. THERE WERE AT ONE TIME ELEVEN TRIBES WHO LIVED IN THIS VICINITY. TODAY THEY LIVE ON THE DUCK VALLEY RESERVATION. THE MORMON PIONEERS SETTLED IN IN NORTHERN UTAH. CHIEF LITTLE WAS LEADER OF THE WEBER UTE GROUP OF 400. CHIEF POCATELLO COMMANDED A SIMILAR NUMBER OF SHOSHONI ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF GREAT SALT LAKE CHIEF BEAR HUNTER RESIDED IN CHACHE VALLEY AND ALONG THE BEAR RIVER. BY 1840'S THE NORTHWESTERN SHOSHONI HAD ADOPTED MOST OF THE PLAINS CULTURE, THEY USED THE HORSE FOR HUNTING. POCATELLO GAINED NOTORIETY AS A RECKLESS LEADER IN OREGON AND CALIFORNIA - HE LED HIS TRIBE IN HUNTING BUFFALO. THE SHOSHONI COLLECTED GRASS SEEDS AND ROOTS IN THE VALLEY. THE SHOSHONI HAD BEEN AMONG THE MOST ECOLOGICALLY EFFICIENT AND WELL ADAPTED INDIANS.

THE MORMONS TOOK OVER THEIR LAND AND BY 1862 THE TRAFFIC HERE DUE TO THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN MONTANA LED TO INDIAN AGGRESSION IN 1863. COLONEL CONNOR AND 200 SOLDIERS ASSAULTED A WINTER CAMP OF BEAR HUNTER'S GROUP. THIS RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF 250 SHOSHONI AND 23 SOLDIERS! IT IS KNOWN AS BEAR RIVER MASSACRE. FINALLY THEY SIGNED A TREATY IN BRINGHAM CITY, IN 1863. AFTER THIS THE GOVERNMENT WANTED THE SHOSHONI TO MOVE TO FORT HALL RESERVATION. IT TOOK SEVERAL YEARS FOR THEM TO AGREE TO MOVE TO MOVE TO FORT HALL. THE NORTHWEST SHOSHONI HAVE BEEN LOST TO UTAH HISTORY.

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