The Washoe Tribe, who lived in the Great Basin, were semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers. They used woven baskets and pine nuts for food. European contact in the late 1700s led to destruction of their hunting grounds, and they merged with other tribes for survival. Today, they are organized in several localities.
The Washoe Tribe is a group of Native Americans who traditionally lived in the Great Basin, an area of land characterized by watershed rivers, mountains, and an arid climate. It was located primarily in present-day California and Nevada. Today, the Washoe Tribe is divided into three different bands: the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony of Reno, the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California in Lake Tahoe, and the Susanville Indian Rancheria in California.
According to archaeological evidence, the Washoe people arrived in the Great Basin region by at least 4000 BC. They lived semi-nomadic lives as hunters and gatherers, mainly due to the fact that farming was very difficult due to the arid climate. During the winter, however, they appear to have founded villages. It is believed that the Washoe tribe may have been the first Native Americans in the region due to the fact that they did not speak a Numic derivative like others in the region such as Shoshone and Comanche.
The Washoes lived in the rugged lands. They hunted bison, deer and rabbits, sometimes having to follow the herds on the Great Plains. People were also supported heavily by pine nuts, which could be harvested in the earth under the trees. The tribe did not use pottery due to their nomadic lifestyle. Instead, the tribe used thick woven baskets that were capable of holding water and food.
In the larger structure of society, the Washoe tribe was divided into nuclear families. Small groups would support each other rather than work as one large collective unit. As such, this has opened them up to much of the destruction that has befallen other tribes, but on a much more rapid scale.
The first contact with Europeans was made by Spanish explorers in the late 1700s. It wasn’t until the California Gold Rush of 1848, however, that a threat to the Washoe tribe’s way of life became clear to the people. In 1857, the Potato War between European-Americans and Native Americans resulted in heavy losses for the Washoe. Farms have moved into the area, destroying the tribe’s hunting grounds. This led many of the Washoe survivors to seek work on ranches.
Out of sheer necessity for survival, the Washoe tribe merged with other Native American tribes of the Great Basin region in the early 20th century. The Indian Reorganization Act, instituted in 2000, provided federal assistance and recognition and helped build colonies for the surviving Washoe and other tribes. Today, the Washoe tribe is organized in several localities, living with the Paiute, Shoshone, Maidu, Atsugewi, and others.
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