The Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada is a

federally recognized tribe This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...

of Western Shoshone Indians in northeastern

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

History

The tribe organized under the 1934

Indian Reorganization Act The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of June 18, 1934, or the Wheeler–Howard Act, was U.S. federal legislation that dealt with the status of American Indians in the United States. It was the centerpiece of what has been often called the "Indian ...

. Western Shoshone elected a traditional council, led by Chief Muchach Temoak and his descendants, to create the new governments; however, the United States refused to recognize the traditional council and created the Te-Moaks Bands Council. Traditionalists did not feel adequately represented by this council and created the United Western Shoshone Legal Defense and Education Association, now known as the Sacred Lands Association in 1974. The traditionalists argued before the

Indian Claims Commission The Indian Claims Commission was a judicial relations arbiter between the United States federal government and Native American tribes. It was established under the Indian Claims Act of 1946 by the United States Congress to hear any longstanding clai ...

(ICC) that the Te-Moak Bands Council did not speak for them and the tribe never gave up their title to their traditional lands. Their claims and appeal were rejected in 1979, when the ICC ruled that the Western Shoshone lost title to their lands in the

Treaty of Ruby Valley The Treaty of Ruby Valley was a treaty signed with the Western Shoshone in 1863, giving certain rights to the United States in the Nevada Territory. The Western Shoshone did not cede land under this treaty but agreed to allow the US the "right to t ...

in 1863. In 1980 the courts ruled that the lands were not ceded in 1863 but were lost on 6 December 1979. Despite appeals by the tribe, the US Supreme Court rules in 1985 that $26 million was paid to the tribe in 1979 for of land. The tribe is still fighting to reclaim their traditional lands today. The tribe's corporate charter was approved in 1938 and their current constitution was amended in 1982.Schoppe-Hine, K
"Welcome."
''Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone.'' 2007 (retrieved 16 Dec 2009)

Today

The Te-Moak Tribe Council is headquartered in

Elko, Nevada Elko (Shoshoni: Natakkoa, "Rocks Piled on One Another") is the largest city in and county seat of Elko County, Nevada, United States. With a 2020 population of 20,564, Elko is currently growing at a rate of 0.31% annually and its population has i ...

. The tribe is composed of four constituent bands. Their constitution allows for an unlimited number of reservations and

Indian colonies An Indian colony is a Native American settlement associated with an urban area. Although some of them become official Indian reservations, they differ from most reservations in that they are placed where Native Americans could find employment i ...

to join the tribe.

Battle Mountain Band

0165R Battle Mountain Reservation Locator Map

This band governs the Battle Mountain reservation, at , in

Battle Mountain, Nevada Battle Mountain is an unincorporated town in and the county seat of Lander County, Nevada, United States. The population was 3,635 at the 2010 census. Its primary economic base is gold mining and, to a lesser extent, legalized gambling. The tow ...

.Pritzker, 241 Traditionally, they are the ''Tonomudza/Tonammutsa (Donammuzi) band'' of Western Shoshone. Their separate parcels of land total . Current reservation population is 165 and total tribal enrollment is 516. Their current band council includes: :*Lydia Johnson, Chairman :*Florine Maine, Vice Chair :*Delbert Holley :*Joseph Holley :*Emerson Winap :*Vacant Seat

Elko Band

The Elko Indian Colony, at , was established in 1918. They govern of federal trust lands. Tribal enrollment is 1,143. Only 6% of the band graduated from high school and their average per capita annual income is $7,000. They are headquartered in

and their current band council is as follows: :*David Decker, Chairman :*Davis Gonzales, Vice Chairman :*Gerald Temoke :*Nick Knight :*Vernon Thompson :*Leta Jim :*Vacant."Elko Band."
''Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone.'' (retrieved 16 Dec 2009)

South Fork Band

3930R South Fork Reservation Locator Map

The South Fork and Odgers Ranch Indian Reservation, at , was established in

Lee, Nevada Lee is an unincorporated community in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The community is located on the reservation land belonging to, and constituting the sole organized community of, the South Fork Band of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshon ...

in 1941Pritzer, 242 The Band governs of land. 59 members live on the reservation and their total band enrollment is 176. Their current band council is as follows: :*Tyler Reynolds, Chairman :*Alice Tybo, Vice Chairman :*Brandon Reynolds :*Dallas Smales :*Gilbert Temoke :*Vacant"South Fork Band."
''Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone.'' (retrieved 16 Dec 2009)

Wells Band

The Wells Indian Colony, at , was established in 1980 and is large. Traditionally, they are the ''Kuiyudika band'' of Western Shoshone, after a desert plant used for food; within this group were at least two other smaller groups, the ''Doyogadzu Newenee'' (end-of-the-mountain people) and the ''Waiha-Muta Newenee'' (fire-burning-on ridge people). Clover Valley served as a rendezvous spot among these small Newe bands. Their headquarters is in Wells, Nevada. 39 members live on the reservation, and total band enrollment is 177. Their current band council is as follows: :*Casey Franco, Chairman :*Steve Brady, Vice-Chairman :*Harvey Healy :*Steve Johnny

Notable Te-Moak Shoshone

Ned Blackhawk Ned Blackhawk (b. ca. 1970) is a Te-Moak tribe, Western Shoshone American historian currently on the faculty of Yale University. In 2007 he received the Frederick Jackson Turner Award for his first major book, ''Violence Over the Land: Indians a ...

, a Te-Moak historian and professor at Yale University

Notes

References

* Clemmer, Richard O. and Omer C. Stewart. "Treaties, Reservations, and Claims." D'Azevedo, Warren L., Volume Editor. ''Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 11: Great Basin.'' Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1986. . * Pritzker, Barry M. ''A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. . * Thomas, David Hurst, Lorann S. A. Pendleton, and Stephen C. Cappannari. "Western Shoshone." D'Azevedo, Warren L., Volume Editor. ''Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 11: Great Basin.'' Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1986. .

External links

Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone
official website
Te-Moak Tribe News Blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Te-Moak Tribe Of Western Shoshone Indians Of Nevada Shoshone American Indian reservations in Nevada Geography of Elko County, Nevada Geography of Lander County, Nevada Native American tribes in Nevada Federally recognized tribes in the United States