| Local Lore |
 The Western Shoshone Indians of Battle Mountain, Nevada, call themselves “Newe,” a word that means, “The People.” Newe territory covered parts of Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Southern California. To the North of Newe territory were the Northern Paiute and Bannock; to the East were the Northern Ute; to the West the Washo; and to the South the Southern Paiute tribes. Before the white settlers came to the Battle Mountain area, the Peaceful Newe were free to camp all over their ancestral lands and gather food, according to the different seasons. |
| Native
foods were deer, antelope, mountain sheep, rabbits, and many small
animals. The Humboldt River, Little Humboldt River, Reese River, and
their tributaries supplied water for many plants and wildlife. There
were also hundreds of types of birds, including ducks, geese, grouse,
and sage hens available in this area. The Newe harvested the fruits, seeds, and roots of many plants at the proper time of the year. Some types of food included fresh watercress, morning glory roots, cattail roots, and young cattail stems. The men did most of the hunting--for food and material. Some Newe, depending on their particular areas and the food resources available to them, were more mobile than others. Using what nature provided they made everything they needed. The Newe also gathered various plants for medicines. The Newe prayed and left an offering before they picked any plants. The introduction of present day livestock, large-scale cultivation, and plowing has eliminated many native plants. |
 The
Battle Mountain Newe had summer camps in the nearby mountains where
heavy snows contributed to thickly grown plants and mountain trout.
Women gathered roots and berries. Families stayed in shade houses they
may have left from prior years. Each family had an assortment of woven
baskets, pine-pitch covered water jugs, and cooking pots. They also
kept grinding stones and a flat willow basket to prepare pine nuts and
seeds (one of their most important food sources). Wild rye grass seeds
and sunflowers were also used in a type of flour. Current,
buck-berries, service berries, and chokecherries were harvested in the
fall. Rabbit drives were also held in the fall. Like other animals, the rabbit provided clothing as well as food. The skins were carefully removed in one piece. They were then cut into long strips and rolled so only the fur was exposed. The long strips were left to dry. The strips were then tied together and woven in rabbit blankets. |
| When
winter approached the Newe would move to their winter campsites. The
food they had gathered all summer and fall was stored for the long
winter months. Winter homes were made of juniper branches insulated
with leaves and dry material. Winter was a time for storytelling. Newe legends dealt with all parts of life. They told how people were created, set down rules for life, and explained past events. Usually the characters in the stories were animals. Prominent in the stories, is the Coyote “Ijapu.” Because Ijapu is naturally cunning, curious, and cannot stay out of mischief (characteristics undesirable in Newe culture)--stories about him were educational to the young. One story goes like this:  Soon Coyote’s son got sick and died. Coyote went to Wolf and said, “Did you say that man was going to die two times?” Wolf answered him. “You said if a man dies once he’s dead and he won’t get up again. That’s the way it’s going to be.” So Coyote fell back crying and wailing. If he’d taken his brother’s word his son would have lived again. Wolf had made a good speech all the way through but Coyote wasn’t satisfied, so women have to have babies the hard way and death comes only once. Jim Tybo, Battle Mountain, interview “Shoshone Tales” Family relationships were important to the Newe--families made up small nomadic bands. These were kept small to because of the amount of food that had to be gathered. All family members cared for and disciplined younger children. For the Newe, religion was a part of daily life. Round dances and social gatherings brought people together, strengthened the bonds among them and helped to preserve any aspects of Newe life. As the white settlers, miners, and early ranchers moved into Nevada--the Newe became cowboys, laborers, ranch hands, cleaning women, cooks, and helped raise white families. In the late 1800s, the Newe (Western Shoshone) chose to settle on Nevada’s large reservations and smaller colonies (a small area of land next to Nevada’s towns) when land was set aside to make room for the railroad, mines, and ranches. Today the Newe can be found everywhere in all types of jobs. They still enjoy the native foods, but now these foods are reserved for special family celebrations and local “fandangos” (small gatherings of round dances and hand games). While some Newe have adopted the modern day colorful “Powwow” style dances and Navajo Indian Tacos--the round dances and native foods are still enjoyed. The Newe still have a tight family bond and family celebrations are common--older Newe (elders) are honored, as are military veterans. Battle Mountain is still “home-base” for many Newe throughout the United States. Information for this article was gathered from the books, “NEWE: A Western Shoshone History,” published by the Intertribal Council of Nevada, in 1976, and “Shoshone Tales,” written by Anne Smith, in 1993. The Battle Mountain Shoshone tribe owns and operates the Battle Mountain Smoke Shop, at 710 West Front Street--a gas station specializing in tobacco products, fire-works, and native arts and crafts, (775) 635-5866. Please contact the TeMoak Tribe of Western Shoshone, Battle Mountain Band Council, 36 Mountain View Drive, Battle Mountain, NV, 89820, or call (775) 635-2004 for further questions concerning tribal enterprises. |