shoshone+culture



The shoshone name means "The Valley People," but they also called themselves Kammitakka which means "jackrabbit eaters."

Chief Pocatello led his people to hunt buffalo,antelope, moose and elk, and they became a very skilled people at this. For other foods they dried meat in the sun to store for winter, and used hides for shelter and clothing. They also ate berries, roots, seeds and pine nuts.Since the Shoshone hunted buffalo they lived in teepees and were a nomadic people. Since they were nomadic they traveled with little unnecessary items, unlike some of the other tribes that weren't nomadic. They didn't begin to trade until they obtained horses in the eary 1700's. Clothing worn depended on the season. In the warmer seasons simple or only necessary clothing was worn, where as in the winter fur pants and coats were made from the animals they hunted. The shoshone were injured in neighboring raids and to help them they had a medicine man. The shoshone thought of the medicine man as a prophet with magical powers. The shoshone also had stories to explain life. Here is one story about how death came into the land.

"Coyote resented Wolf because he was respected by the Shoshone. Being a devious Trickster, Coyote decided it was time to teach Wolf a lesson. He would make the Shoshone people dislike Wolf, and he had the perfect plan. Or so he thought. One day, Wolf and Coyote were discussing the people of the land. Wolf claimed that if somebody were to die, he could bring them back to life by shooting an arrow under them. Coyote had heard this boast before and decided to put his plan into action. Wearing his most innocent smile he told Wolf that if he brought everyone back to life, there would soon be no room left on Earth. Once people die, said Coyote, they should remain dead. If Wolf takes my advice, thought Coyote, then the Shoshone people would hate Wolf, once and for all. Wolf was getting tired of Coyote constantly questioning his wisdom and knew he was up to no good, but he didn't say anything. He just nodded wisely and decided it was time to teach Coyote a lesson. A few days after their conversation, Coyote came running to Wolf. Coyote's fur was ruffled and his eyes were wide with panic. Wolf already knew what was wrong: Coyote's son had been bitten by Rattlesnake and no animal can survive the snake's powerful venom. Coyote pleaded with Wolf to bring his son back to life by shooting an arrow under him, as he claimed he could do. Wolf reminded Coyote of his own remark that people should remain dead. He was no longer going to bring people back to life, as Coyote had suggested. The Shoshone people say that was the day Death came to the land and that, as a punishment for his mischievous ways, Coyote's son was the first to die. No one else was ever raised from the dead by Wolf again, and the people came to know sadness when someone dies. Despite Coyote's efforts, however, the Shoshone didn't hate Wolf. Instead, they admired his strength, wisdom and power, and they still do today."