Washoe
The Washoe, also referred to as "Washo" or "Wašiw," are a Native American tribe originating from the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada. They traditionally inhabited a vast region of approximately 10,000 square miles, characterized by diverse ecosystems that provided ample resources for their subsistence, which included both plant and animal life. The northern Washoe primarily relied on acorns, while the southern group favored pine nuts, allowing for peaceful interactions with neighboring tribes through trade and intermarriage.
The arrival of European Americans in the 19th century marked a significant turning point for the Washoe. Initial encounters began with trappers in 1825, escalating with the California Gold Rush in 1848, leading to conflicts such as the "Potato War" of 1857. Despite these challenges, the Washoe were recognized as a legal tribe under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and have since worked to revitalize their culture, including the establishment of a language immersion school in 2003.
Today, the Washoe Nation is engaged in various economic initiatives, including a casino and an aquaculture company, while also addressing the legacy of cultural erasure and striving to pass traditional knowledge to future generations. Recent census data indicates a membership of over 2,000 individuals, reflecting a resilient community committed to preserving their heritage.
Washoe
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Great Basin and California
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Hokan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: West central Nevada
- POPULATION SIZE: 1,550 (2024 Palisades Tahoe)
Archaeological evidence and oral tradition suggest that the homogeneous Washoe culture had origins along the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada slope. Members of the Washoe people often prefer “Washo” or “Wašišiw” The Washoe met their annual subsistence needs by exploiting plant and animal resources in specialized vegetation zones within a 10,000-square-mile region. This terrain consisted of lowland valleys with abundant game, vegetation, and water sources. Also included were high mountain meadows that provided berries, tubers, and seeds. The northern Washoe was largely dependent on acorns, while the southern Washoe relied on pine nuts. Because they used different resources, the Washoe enjoyed peaceful relations with neighboring groups, intermarrying and trading freely.
Persistent contact with European Americans began in 1825 with trappers and explorers; in the 1840s, immigrant parties began to arrive in Washoe territory, especially once the California gold rush began in 1848. Conflict with settlers climaxed in the 1857 “Potato War.” Hostilities continued as newly arrived settlers confiscated traditional Washoe resource areas. Under the General Allotment Act of 1887, small parcels of barren and nearly waterless land were allotted. In 1917 the government provided funds for purchasing additional small tracts of land near Carson City. Later, a White rancher near Gardnerville donated 40 acres, and an additional 20 acres near Reno became the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony.
Some Washoe in the early 1920s practiced a religion characterized by the use of peyote, such as in the Native American Church in the early 1920s. By 1938, factionalism had developed, caused in part by disagreements over church rituals. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 recognized the Washoe as a legally constituted tribe, and they were authorized 795 acres on the Carson River.
Efforts at farming and raising livestock were hindered in the 1950s by poor management, factionalism, and poor relations with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Ongoing litigation with the government over the loss of 9,872 square miles of indigenous lands resulted in the 1970 Indian Claims Commission award of approximately $5 million.
A Washoe tribal council headquarters and Indian crafts enterprise is located near Gardnerville, where there is a park with camping facilities on the Carson River, and in Dresslerville, the Washoe operate a Health Center and Senior Citizens’ Center. In 2003, the Washoe revived a language immersion school that was originally started in 1993. The Washoe also support an aquaculture and construction company, and opened a casino north of Granville in May 2016.
Current Washoe Nation Issues
As with many Indigenous American groups, the Washoe nation contends with previous efforts, many government-sponsored, to eradicate their culture and language. To a large extent, these efforts have proven successful with Indigenous language fluency contained in only small numbers of, oftentimes, older members. Members of the Washoe nation nonetheless seek to pass knowledge to succeeding generations. These include narratives of how the Washoe were traditionally hunter-gatherers and traveled through the eastern Sierra mountains through changes in seasons. This was changed as outsiders, such as miners, began to arrive and prospect for precious minerals while ranchers and farmers took ownership of valleys. Government-sponsored schools were also important conduits for forced assimilation, where Indigenous languages were forbidden from being spoken. In the twenty-first century, members of the Washoe continue to take part in environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, education, and land management.
Bibliography
Boger, Paul. "In Nevada, Sundown Town History Has Cultural Impacts For Washoe Tribal Members." KUNC, 13 Sept. 2021, www.kunc.org/2021-09-13/in-nevada-sundown-town-history-has-cultural-impacts-for-washoe-tribal-members. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
“Get to Know the Washoe Tribe.” Palisades Tahoe, www.palisadestahoe.com/washoe-tribe. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
McArthur, Claire. “Tending Ancestral Lands: Modern Methods Merge with Traditional Ways in Washoe Tribe’s Stewardship of Meeks Bay.” Sierra Sun, 5 July 2024, www.sierrasun.com/news/tending-ancestral-lands-modern-methods-merge-with-traditional-ways-in-washoe-tribes-stewardship-of-meeks-bay. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Sleeper-Smith, Susan, editor. Why You Can't Teach United States History Without American Indians. University of North Carolina Press, 2015.
Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. Wa She Shu: “The Washoe People” Past and Present. Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, 2009.
"Wa She Shu Casino Now Open!!" Waši Šiw: News of the Washoe Tribe, May/June 2016, p. 1.
Weiser, Kathy. “Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.” Legends of America, Oct. 2020, www.legendsofamerica.com/na-washoe. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Wharton, Claudene. "Washoe Tribe Scientists Discuss Using Traditional Knowledge to Mitigate Wildfire Risk and Restore Tahoe’s Meeks Meadow." Nevada Today, 29 Sept. 2021. www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2021/lwf-meeks-meadow-podcast. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.