SHOSHONI BY: Samira Johnson and Amber Montgomery

Region of the U.S. they inhabited The Great Basin is in the desert region in the western united states.

Physical Features of the region: land Land-the great basin is a large, desert region in the western united states bordered by Sierra Nevada in the west and the rocky mountains in the east. Between these low mountains are flat valleys. Some valleys may have lakes or sinks. Sinks are low areas where water may collet. The largest sinks are the great salt lake, Carson and Humboldt sinks, and pyramid lake. The area is called a basin because the waters of its stream and rivers remain within it and od not drain out into the ocean. The great basin covers practically all of Utah and Nevada and parts of California, Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming.

Physical features: climate The weather in the Great Basin is harsh. During the winter, it may snow and the temperature may drop to below freezing. In the summer, temperatures can reach as high as 140 F in places like Death Valley. In the higher altitudes, strong winds can cause blinding dust storms. the high mountains to the east and west block rain clouds from reaching the basin skies. There is little rainfall and evaporation of collected water is high.

Values/Beliefs/Spiritual teachings The Shoshoni, like other native Americans in the Basin, structured their lives around the seasons because in the spring and summer food was more plentiful. In the fall there could be feasting, but in the winter it might take a whole day of hunting to find one rabbit and there were periods of starvation.

Housing The Shoshoni lived in domed willow or bush wichiups. Wichiups were constructed by placing a number of small pliable poles in a circle, bending them into the center and trying the tops together to form an igloo shape. Such a home looked like a cone without a top.

Food Food was difficult to find in the Basin. Those living in the mountains were called sheep eaters. Others were called rabbit or pine nut eaters. Yucca fiber was used to catch rabbits. They were widely opened to vegetables. Grass hopers were also gathered and roasted and ground to a powder that could be added to other foods for nourishment. Jackrabbits were an important source of meat. Pine nutsVegetables GrasshoppersJackrabbits

Clothing In the summer, the Shoshoni wore as little as possible, which for men and children was ordinarily nothing. The women wore aprons made of woven sagebrush or cedar bark pounded to shreds. In the winter this bark material was also woven into sleeveless pullovers and plants for men and blouses and skirts for women. Jackrabbits pelts were sewn together for cloaks or moccasins, although most people went barefoot.

Government/Rule/social structure American Indians did not have formal kinds of government. Today, Indians tribes are considered sovereign nations, and they have tribal governments. But tribe members are still citizens of and subject to the laws of the United States and Utah.

Artwork Most of every day was spent foraging and gathering food, but there was always time for games. Most games played in this region were gambling games in which people bet their few belongings. They had little to lose. Most creative efforts went into practical objects like nets for catching game and baskets for gathering pinon nuts, berries, and seeds.

Work cited Google.com/images I love history/shoshone