Washakie
Washakie was a prominent leader of the Eastern Shoshone tribe, born in the southern Bitterroot Valley of Montana to a Flathead father and a Shoshone mother. He rose to prominence through his leadership in the face of Blackfoot aggression, eventually becoming a respected figure among both his people and white settlers. Known for his kindness towards immigrants on the Oregon Trail during the 1840s, Washakie aided wagon trains and recovered stolen property, fostering positive relationships with settlers, including Mormons. His leadership was marked by a commitment to peace, as he refused to go to war against white settlers despite the challenges they posed to game availability.
In the late 1860s, Washakie secured control over the Wind River Valley following a decisive battle with the Crow tribe and formalized this claim through a treaty with the U.S. government. Throughout his life, he navigated complex tribal dynamics, maintaining his chief status even as some sought a new leader. His military prowess was demonstrated in various campaigns alongside the U.S. Cavalry against the Arapaho and Sioux, leading to recognition by President Ulysses S. Grant. In his later years, Washakie encouraged his people to adapt to the changing landscape brought by settlers and the reservation system. He passed away respected and honored, receiving military burial at Fort Washakie, Wyoming.
Subject Terms
Washakie
- Born: c. 1804
- Birthplace: Bitterroot Valley (now in Montana)
- Died: February 10, 1900
- Place of death: Bitterroot Valley, Montana
Tribal affiliation: Shoshone
Significance: Washakie led the Eastern Shoshone in numerous battles against tribal enemies but remained friendly to whites, offering assistance to settlers and allying with the U.S. Army against hostile tribes
Washakie was born in the southern Bitterroot Valley of Montana to a Flathead father and a Shoshone mother. Following his father’s death in a Blackfoot raid, young Washakie roamed with his family among the Lemhi and Bannock Shoshones. Through Washakie’s powerful leadership skills against Blackfoot hostility, he soon rose to tribal prominence.
Washakie then joined the Eastern Shoshones, who quickly accepted him as their leader; he soon gained renown for his kind and helpful treatment of white settlers. As Oregon Trail migration escalated during the 1840’s, he consistently aided the immigrants, even to the point of recovering stolen property and assisting wagon trains at the Green River crossing. While acknowledging that whites depleted the available game, Washakie vowed never to war against them. For example, Washakie developed extensive relations with the Mormons, who helped achieve peace between him and Walkara, a Ute chief. Such was Washakie’s friendship with the Mormons that when the U.S. Army sought his aid to defeat the “treasonous” sect in 1857, Washakie refused. While earning praise for this type of honest loyalty toward whites, he simultaneously became a feared warrior among his Indian enemies.
Washakie’s band dominated the Upper Green and Sweetwater rivers in southwestern Wyoming and later laid claim to the Wind River country. Tribal disputes soon arose over this game-rich area. In 1866, the Crow came against Washakie’s band in a bloody five-day battle; Chief Washakie emerged from the fight with the Crow chief’s heart on the end of his lance and thus gained control of the Wind River Valley.
Two years later, Washakie formalized his claim to the valley by signing a treaty with the U.S. government. In reaction to the treaty and Washakie’s friendship with the whites, some tribal warriors began agitating for a new chief. The seventy-year-old Washakie responded by mysteriously leaving his tribe. Two months later he returned with seven enemy scalps and challenged any warrior to better his feat. None accepted the challenge, and Washakie remained chief.
In 1874, Washakie successfully joined with the U.S. Cavalry against the marauding Arapaho; in 1876, he fought with the cavalry against the Sioux. In these campaigns, Washakie’s leadership and fighting skills proved invaluable. For his valor, Washakie received high praise and a silver-mounted saddle from President Ulysses S. Grant.
Washakie spent his remaining life encouraging his people to accept the advancing white settlers and to take advantage of government assistance through the reservation system. Prior to his death, Washakie was baptized by John Roberts, an Episcopal missionary who later presided over Washakie’s funeral. The highly respected chief was buried with full military honors at Fort Washakie, Wyoming.