The Shoshone or Snake Indians

The Shoshonees, Or Snake Indians. The Shoshokoes, Or Root. Diggers.
Extent Of Country Occupied By The Snakes. The Camanches: Their Horsemanship,
Mode Of Life, Dwellings, Etc. The Pawnee Picts. The Nabajos And Moques.

Under various names, and presenting a great variety in habits and appearance, according to the nature of the country they inhabit, the great race of Shoshonees is found scattered over the boundless wilderness, from Texas to the Columbia. Their territory is bounded on the north and west by that of their hereditary enemies, the Blackfeet and Crows, the tribes allied to the great Dacotah or Sioux family, and the Indians removed westward from the United States.

Those who dwell amid the rugged and inhospitable regions of the great Rocky Mountain chain, known as Shoshokoes or Root-Diggers, are the most destitute and miser able portion of all the North American tribes. They have no horses, and nothing but the rudest native implements for securing game. They are harmless, and exceedingly timid and shy, choosing for their dwellings the most re mote and unexplored retreats of the mountains, whither they fly in terror at the approach of strangers, whether whites or Indians. " These forlorn beings," says Irving, " forming a mere link between human nature and the brute, have been looked down upon with pity and con tempt by the Creole trappers, who have given them the appellation of 'les dignes de pitie,' or 'the objects of pity.' They appear more worthy to be called the wild men of the mountains."

Although living in a climate where they experience great severity of cold, these miserable people are very insufficiently protected either by clothing or comfortable huts. Of a party seen by Bonneville upon the plain be low Powder River, that traveler remarks: "They live without any further protection from the inclemency of the season, than a sort of break-weather, about three feet high, composed of sage, (or wormwood,) and erected around them in the shape of a half-moon." This material also furnishes them with fuel. Many were seen carrying about with them a slow match, made of twisted bark. "When ever they wished to warm themselves, they would gather together a little wormwood, apply the match, and in an instant produce a cheering blaze."

They live principally, as their name implies, upon roots and a preparation of certain wild seeds; but by the aid of their dogs a lean and miserable breed they catch rabbits and other small animals. They occasionally take ante lopes by the following singular contrivance: An enclosure of several acres in extent is formed by piling up a row of wormwood brush, only about three feet in height. Into this the game is decoyed or driven and the entrance closed. The men then pursue the animals on foot, round and round the confined space, (fresh recruits entering upon the duty as the first become weary), until they are completely tired down, and can be killed with clubs. The antelopes never attempt to leap over the frail barrier.

Those Shoshokoes, who live in the vicinity of streams, add to their supplies by fishing, and some of them are sufficiently skilful and provident to cure stores of fish for winter; but in general the season of scarcity finds them wretchedly unprovided. "They were destitute," says Bonneville, of a party encountered by him, "of the necessary covering to protect them from the weather; and seemed to be in unsophisticated ignorance of any other propriety or advantage in the use of clothing. One old dame had absolutely nothing on her person but a thread round her neck, from which was pendent a solitary bead."

The Shoshonees, as distinct from the Root-Diggers, although their condition varies greatly with their locality, are a free, bold, and wandering race of hunters. In the buffalo plains their life is much like that of the Sioux, Blackfeet, Crows, &c.; while in the less favored districts, among the mountains and deserts, they approach more nearly to their kindred Shoshokoes. The country inhabited by them is of such vast extent, and has been so imperfectly explored, that material for accurate classification of the Snake tribes is entirely wanting. Very interesting descriptions and anecdotes of these Indians are to be found in Colonel Fremont s notes of travel and explorations; in Mr. Schoolcraft s valuable compend of Indian historical and statistical information; and in the entertaining adventures of Captain Bonneville.

The whole region tenanted by the roving tribes who are included under the general title of Snakes, is thus laid down in Schoolcraft s above-mentioned publication: exclusive of those residing upon the Snake river, "they embrace all the territory of the Great South Pass, between the Mississippi valley and the waters of the Columbia, by which the land or caravan communication with Oregon and California is now, or is destined hereafter, to be maintained. Under the name of Yampatick-ara, or Root-Eaters, and Bonacks, they occupy, with the Utahs, the vast elevated basin of the Great Salt Lake, extending south and west to the borders of New Mexico and California. Information recently received denotes that the language is spoken by bands in the gold-mine region of the Sacramento."

The most noted branch of the whole family is that of the Camanches, "who have descended eastwardly into the Texan plains at unknown periods of their history." Analogy in language is all that attests the former unity of this nation with the Shoshonees.

The Camanches inhabit a country where bisons and wild horses abound, and their general habits and mode of life are consequently very similar to those of the western Sioux and other races of the prairies. As bold and skilful riders, they are said to have no equals, at least in North America; some of their feats of horsemanship appear almost supernatural to a stranger. One of the most singular of these is that of throwing the whole body upon one side of the horse, so as to be entirely shielded from the missile of an enemy, with the exception of the heel, by which they still maintain their hold, and are enabled to regain their seat in an instant. The manner in which this seemingly impossible position is retained, was ascertained by Mr. Catlin to be as follows: "I found," says he, "on examination, that a short hair halter was passed around under the neck of the horse, and both ends tightly braided into the mane, on the withers, leaving a loop to hang under the neck, and against the breast, which, being caught up in the hand, makes a sling into which the elbow falls, taking the weight of the body on the middle of the upper arm. Into this loop the rider drops suddenly and fearlessly, leaving his heel to hang over the back of the horse, to steady him, and also to restore him when he wishes to regain his upright position on the horse s back."

The Indian rider, as he sweeps, at full speed, past his enemy, in this unnatural attitude, is said to manage his long lance, and his bow and arrow, with nearly the same facility as if fairly mounted. He will discharge his arrow over the back of the horse, or even his neck! The Camanches, from constant horseback exercise, have lost that agility and grace which characterize the North American Indian in his natural state. They are awkward and ungainly in their movements when on foot, but when mounted upon the animals that have become almost a part of them selves, nothing can exceed the lightness and freedom of their posture and movements. The wild horses are taken, as usual, by the lasso, and are at first disabled by being "choked down," as it is termed. When the hunter has thus conquered and enfeebled his prize, he proceeds to tie his fore feet together, and, loosening the noose about his neck, takes a turn with it about the lower jaw, and completes the subjection of the animal by closing his eyes with his hand and breathing in his nostrils. After this, little difficulty is experienced; the horse submits to be mounted, and is soon entirely under the control of his tormentor. The Indians are severe and cruel riders, and the ease of supplying the loss of a horse prevents that regard for his safety and care for his welfare elsewhere furnished by self-interest.

The Camanches are essentially a warlike race, and the whole history of the settlement and occupation of Texas is replete with tales of their courage and prowess. There seems to be reason to fear that difficulties will still continue to arise between them and the white settlers of the country until the whole tribe, like so many in the older states, shall be driven from their territory or exterminated. Almost the only man who has ever been able to command their enduring admiration and respect, and to exercise a parental control over these wild rovers of the west, is the redoubted champion of Texan independence, General Houston. Numberless tales are told of the influence of his presence, or even his name, in quieting border troubles between whites and Indians. No one knows the Camanches better than Houston, and he gives abundant testimony to many excellent traits in their character. According to his representations, the generality of disturbances which have arisen upon their borders are attributable rather to injustice and violence, on the part of the white settlers, than to the native ferocity or treachery of the Indians.

The dwellings of the Camanches, like those of other prairie tribes, consist of tents of buffalo-skins, and are transported from place to place in the manner described in a former chapter. The tribe next adjoining them, the Pawnee Picts, living about the extreme head-waters of the Red River, on the borders of the Rocky Mountains, in habit wigwams of poles thatched with prairie grass, of very picturesque form and arrangement. These people are said to be entirely distinct from the Pawnees on the Platte River; they are in a state of friendly alliance with the Camanches. Unlike the latter tribe, they cultivate large quantities of maize, beans, pumpkins, &c., and, what with their abundant supply of game, enjoy no little prosperity.

In New Mexico, besides the Utahs, Apaches, and other Indian tribes heretofore mentioned, are two very singular communities: the Nabajos and Moques. The first of these lead a pastoral life between the rivers San Juan and Gila. They are spoken of in a communication of Governor Charles Bent, in 1846, as " an industrious, intelligent, and warlike tribe of Indians, who cultivate the soil, and raise sufficient grain and fruits of various kinds for their own consumption. They are the owners of large flocks and herds of cattle, sheep, horses, mules, and asses. It is estimated, that the tribe possesses 30,000 head of horned cattle, 500,000 head of sheep, and 10,000 head of horses, mules, and asses. They manufacture excellent coarse blankets, and coarse woolen goods for wearing apparel. They have in their possession many men, women and children, taken from the settlements of this territory, whom they hold and treat as slaves. The Moques are neighbors of the Nabajos, and live in permanent villages, cultivate grain and fruits, and raise all the varieties of stock." (Schoolcraft's Historical and Statistical In formation concerning the Indian Tribes.)

The Nabajos number from seven to fourteen thousand souls; the Moques between two and three thousand. The two tribes are at enmity with each other, and the Moques have been, by this cause, much reduced.

The following description of the personal appearance of these Indians, (their names being corrupted into " Nabbehoes," and " Mawkeys,") is cited by McIntosh, in his "Origin of the North American Indians," from the Western Democrat: we cannot undertake to vouch for its accuracy. After describing the location of the smaller tribes, the article proceeds: "Not far distant from the Mawkeys, and in the same range of country, is another band of the same description, called Nabbehoes, a description of either of these tribes, will answer for both. They have been described to the writer by two men in whose veracity the fullest confidence may be placed: they say the men are of the common stature, with light flaxen hair, light-blue eyes, and that their skin is of the most delicate whiteness."

Indian Races of North and South America

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Indian Races of North and South America, By Charles De Wolf Brownell, 1865