BANNOCK UTAH INDIANS

THE BANNOCK TRIBE LIVED IN COLORADO, UTAH, MONTANA, AND OREGON IN THE 1880'S. THEY WERE A SHOSHONEAN TRIBE . THE HOME OF THE CHIEF DIVISION WAS IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO. IN 1869 600 BANNOCK AND A LARGE NUMBER OF SHOSHONE CONSENTED TO BE ON THE FORT HALL RESERVATION. MOST OF THEM WANDERED AWAY. HOWEVER, BY 1871 ANOTHER DECISION WAS MADE TO HAVE THEM MOVED TO ANOTHER RESERVATION. THE BANNOCK WERE UNITED INTO SOUTHEAST IDAHO AND THEIR NEIGHBORS WERE THE SHOSHONE, BUT THERE LANGUAGES WERE DIFFERENT. THE BANNOCK ROAMED WIDELY AND WERE CLOSEST TO THE UTE AS KROEBER REPORTED.

THEY HAD AN OUTBREAK IN 1878 DUE TO THE LOSS OF HUNTING LAND AND FEWER BUFFALO, AND THE FAILURE OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. DURING THE NEZ PERCE WAR THEY WERE FORCED TO STAY ON THEIR RESERVATION. IN 1878 THEY LEFT THE RESERVATION AND WENT TO CAMAS PRAIRIE WHERE THEY KILLED SEVERAL SETTLERS. A CAMPAIGN UNDER GENERAL HOWARD RESULTED IN 1000 OF THE BANNOCK BEING KILLED IN AUGUST. A FIGHT ON SEPTEMBER 5TH AT CLARK'S FORD OCCUR ED WHERE 20 LODGES WERE ATTACKED AND ALL WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE KILLED.


BRIDGER STATES THAT WHEN HE FIRST KNEW THEM IN 1829 THEY HAD 1200 LODGES INCLUDING ABOUT 8000 PEOPLE. BY 1869 THEY HAD BEEN REDUCED TO ABOUT 350. THEY NOW LIVE AT FORT HALL RESERVATION IN IDAHO. LITTLE IS KNOWN OF THEIR FORMER ORGANIZATION.


ONE BANNOCK LEGEND IS THE WOLF, THE FOX, BOBCAT AND COUGAR. BEFORE THE LAVA FIELD THE BANNOCK USED TO LIVE IN HARMONY. THERE WAS A LOT OF WATER AND FOOD, AND THEY WERE HAPPY. BUT THERE WAS A WARRIOR GROUP. THEY WERE VICIOUS LITTLE PEOPLE WHO DROVE THEM AWAY FROM THE FORESTS. THEY HAD BOWS AND ARROWS. THE BANNOCKS HELD A COUNCIL AND WANDERED WHAT TO DO WITH THESE PEOPLE.


THEY ELECTED A MEDICINE MAN TO JOURNEY OUT, SAY A PRAYER AND DO A VISION QUEST. HE FOLLOWED A BRIGHT STAR INTO AN OPENING. THE WOLF, BOBCAT, FOX, AND COUGAR WERE THERE. THE COUGAR HAD THE HEAD OF AN INDIAN AND HIS PAWS WERE HANDS THIS MADE THE MEDICINE SCARED. THE COUGAR TALKED TO HIM IN SHOSHONE AND SAID DO NOT BE SCARED. DON'T BE SCARED OF THE ANIMALS BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITS. WE'LL HELP YOU.


THE MEDICINE MAN TOLD THEM THAT THE LITTLE PEOPLE GOT INTO THEIR TERRITORY AND RAN THEM OFF. THEY WERE WONDERING HOW TO GET RID OF THEM. THE SPIRITS SAID THEY'D HELP THEM UNDER ONE CONDITION: THAT NONE OF YOUR PEOPLE WILL HUNT THE COUGAR, BOBCAT, FOX, OR WOLF. IF YOU AGREE WE WILL HELP YOU DRIVE YOUR LITTLE PEOPLE OUT. COUGAR TOLD HIM TO HOLD A COUNCIL WITH HIS PEOPLE. THE MEDICINE MAN FOLLOWED THAT STAR THAT LED HIM BACK HOME. HE TOLD HIS TRIBE WHAT THE SPIRITS TOLD HIM. SOME WARRIORS TOOK IT AS NOT REAL, BUT HE ARGUED THAT IT WAS TRUE AND TO JOURNEY WITH HIM BACK TO THE SPIRITS. SO THEY ALL MADE A BIG MIGRATION AND FOLLOWED THE STAR. ONCE AT THE CLEARING THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE SCARED BECAUSE THEY SAW THE SPIRITS. COUGAR SAID WE'LL HELP YOU. THE SPIRITS SAID THEY'RE PRAYERS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE MEDICINE STARTED RISING INTO THE AIR. AS HE ROSE THE SPIRITS SHOT DOWN LIGHTENING. THEN THE FOREST TURNED INTO FIRE. IT SURROUNDED THE LITTLE LITTLE BEINGS AND THEY BURNED. THE FIRE WENT DOWN AGAIN. AND THE MEDICINE MAN CAME DOWN. THE SPIRITS SAID YOU ARE OK. NOW. TO THE BANNOCK NEVER HUNT WOLF, FOX, COUGAR, OR BOBCAT AS THEY ARE HOLDING THAT PROMISE.

NATIVE-LANGUAGES.ORG

IDAHOPTV.ORG