Shoshone Indians ( Snake Indians )

The Shoshone Indians or Snake Indians numbered around 8000 at their height. Where did the Shoshone live? They occupied territories in California, Nevada, Utah, as well as Wyoming.

The Shoshone homes where called Tipis and where created out of buffalo hide. These cone shaped houses had to be easy to take down and put back up to fit with their traveling lifestyle. A whole Indian village had to be ready to move in an hour.

Shoshone clothing consisted of a simple breechcloth which was held onto their bodies by a belt. They would also wear pants and jackets made of rabbit fur. Their diet consisted of berries, roots, and pine nuts as well as meat from animals they hunted such as antelope, buffalo, and rabbit.

The Shoshone tribe normally did not trade with other peoples until the 1700s when they traded for horses. After that time those who owned a horse where considered to be a higher class in the tribe.

Lewis and Clark meet this tribe during their adventure into the frontier. Lewis would be the one to name the Indians by their other famous name, the Snake Indians.

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