Paiute Tribe

Paiute Food The Paiute civilization centered around water sources such as springs Mainly hunters and gatherers Practiced limited irrigation from the Virgin, Santa Clara, and Muddy Rivers Raised corn, squash, melons, gourds, sunflowers, and winter wheat

Paiute Culture The Paiute culture is based around the family, extended families would form loose bands Dance culture here as well Monogamy, Polygamy, and polyandry

Paiute Homes Because they are nomadic herdsman they live in moveable homes Wickiups

The Paiute Tribe isn’t just located in Utah

Paiute Tribe in Utah There are 5 bands, totaling 918 members Cedar Paiutes Indian Peaks Paiutes Kanosh Paiutes Koosharem Paiutes Shivwits Paiutes

European Contact The first recorded contact between Utah Paiutes and Europeans happens in 1776 with father Escalante’s mission party In 1826 Jedediah Smith meets the Paiute Continually raided by Utes and Navajos for the European Slave trade Mormon’s move in and cause problems with foraging

European Contact Due to the large amounts of Europeans moving into their territory conflicts arose Pyramid Lake War

Pyramid Lake War Largest conflict in Nevada to date Rag tag gang of Nevada militia men are destroyed, roughly 100 casualties Actual regular army come back Battle ensues Whites win

The Massacre at Mountain Meadows Parley P. Pratt is killed Apparently there’s a “Mormon Rebellion” that needs to be put down A year before the massacre the mormon’s hear of a traveling army coming to kill them Brigham Young’s “Scorched Earth” speech

Buchanan’s Blunder James Buchanan sends Johnston’s army to Utah Enter the Baker-Fancher Party

The Baker Fancher Party Mistakes Alienating the populace Claims that they had killed Joseph and Hyrum Smith, as well as Parley P. Pratt

Cedar City On September 8 the party reaches Cedar City and continues to be disrespectful and claim that they are a scouting party for the Army Isaac Haight, the stake president and mayor, sends a rider to Salt Lake to see what he was to do John Doyle Lee takes militia men to “scout” the area

John D. Lee Recruits the Paiute in the area Watches the Emigrant train for a few days Convinces the Paiutes to attack The party “spots” John Doyle Lee with the Paiutes John decides it’s time to kill the train

September 11, 1857 John Doyle Lee rides in under the flag of truce Tells the party if they leave their weapons they won’t be harmed Mormon’s ride up and pretend to give protection Separate the men from the women and children “Every man do his duty”

Aftermath “Vengeance is mine, and here I have taken a little” –Brigham Young, according to the journal of Wilford Woodruff Paiutes are blamed for the massacre for a long time Mormon’s eventually take the blame Conspiracy theorists