Annika Harmsen

Idaho Native Americans - Shoshone Tribe

● What is your understanding of the individual differences of the tribe you researched?

○ Shoshone tribes live a pretty traditional life when it comes to gender roles. The

women are in charge of the home, but in history she would build their family’s

tepee which is a little unique. Today, they live in modern homes but can put up a

tepee to connect with their heritage. Shoshone men are responsible for defending

their family and putting food on the table.

● What is your tribe's culture i.e. traditions, language, ideology, etc.?

○ Storytelling is important for those in the Shoshone Indian culture. Some common

mythological figures that are used in their narratives include Issa/Wolf which

represents a man, Coyote represents the Wolf’s younger brother and a trickster.

Nimerigar are a violent race of magical little people who were said to kill and eat

people, and a Water Baby is a mysterious and dangerous water spirit who lead

humans to a watery grave.

○ They also value spirituality, and their religion practices two main beliefs. The first

belief was focused on personal success through supernatural power from the

world of spirits, and the second is focused on the welfare of the community and

nature and strives to ward off prophesied disasters.

○ They perform ceremonies as supplications to beneficent beings like Our Father.

These ceremonies include the Father Dance, Shuffling Dance (Ghost Dance), and

the Sun Dance.

● Tribal sovereignty is the concept that individual tribes, rather than the state or

federal government, possess the authority to make decisions regarding anything

related to the tribe as a whole or its members. What decisions have been made

relating to the tribe you researched as a whole?

○ There is a website regarding the Rocky Mountain Tribal Institutional Review

Board (IRB) and their role to protect the rights and welfare of the Shoshone tribe.

It requires community involvement and officially documented support from

elected Tribal Leaders as the primary sovereign authority for their respective

reservations. They eliminate exploitative research practices that benefit only

external entities and not the Tribal Populations.

● Describe your tribe's community life.

○ The Shoshone tribe mostly interacted and traded regularly with their neighboring

tribes such as the Crow, Nez Perce, and Paiute. They often intermarried with the

Paiutes tribe. The men in their culture mostly did the hunting and fishing in the

past while the women managed the home. Children played a role in doing chores

around the house as well, so they are raised as hard workers and helpful

community members.

● Based on what you know about your tribe, how would you accommodate a Native

American student in your class from this tribe?

○ I would accommodate this student by accepting their culture of expression

through storytelling and dancing. The websites also mentioned that this tribe is

pretty private about their ceremonies, so I would have to accommodate this

student’s private behavior if that is the case too.