Walker River Indian Reservation
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The Walker River Indian Reservation is an
Indian reservation An Indian reservation is an area of land held and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not to the state government in which it ...
located in central
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 ...
in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It belongs to the Walker River Paiute Tribe, 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
Northern Paiute people Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...
. The tribe represents two Northern Paiute bands, the larger Aga'idökadö (Agai Ticutta) ("
Cutthroat trout The cutthroat trout is a fish species of the family Salmonidae native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin in North America. As a member of the genus '' Oncorhynchus'', it is one of the Pacific tro ...
Eaters") and the smaller Pakwidökadö (Pugwi Ticutta) ("Chub carp Eaters"). The reservation is located along the
Walker River The Walker River is a river in west-central Nevada in the United States, approximately long. Fed principally by snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada of California, it drains an arid portion of the Great Basin southeast of Reno and flows into the endor ...
between
Yerington Yerington is a city in Lyon County, Nevada, United States. The population was 3,048 at the 2010 census. It is the current county seat of Lyon County, with the first county seat having been established at Dayton on November 29, 1861. It is nam ...
and
Walker Lake Several lakes are known as Walker Lake: Canada *Lake Walker in Quebec, Canada, the largest (by depth) lake in the province. United States

*Walker Lake (Haines, Alaska) *Walker Lake (Northwest Arctic, Alaska) *Walker Lake (Prince of Wales-Outer ...
(in Northern Paiute: Hagi).Northern Paiute Language Project
/ref> At the current lake level, the reservation has only a small frontage on Walker Lake. The bulk of the reservation (72.68%) is in Mineral County; with portions in Lyon County (14.37%) and Churchill County (12.95%). The reservation's land area is 529.970 square miles (1,372.616 km²). In the 2000 census, it had a resident population of 853 persons, and 746 persons in 2010. Schurz is the only town on the reservation.
Wovoka Wovoka (c. 1856 - September 20, 1932), also known as Jack Wilson, was the Paiute religious leader who founded a second episode of the Ghost Dance movement. Wovoka means "cutter" or "wood cutter" in the Northern Paiute language. Biography Wovo ...
, creator of the
Ghost Dance The Ghost Dance ( Caddo: Nanissáanah, also called the Ghost Dance of 1890) was a ceremony incorporated into numerous Native American belief systems. According to the teachings of the Northern Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka (renamed Jack Wilso ...
important in the 19th century, is buried in Schurz. Weber Reservoir, an impoundment of the Walker River, is located upstream of Schurz and provides
irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
water for farms on the reservation. Given the environmental conditions, most of the reservation is used for
cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...
. The Walker River Paiute joined together with the
Pyramid Lake Paiute tribe The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Reservation is a United States reservation in northwestern Nevada, approximately northeast of Reno, in Washoe, Storey, and Lyon counties. It is governed by the federally recognized Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, whi ...
(two Northern Paiute bands: Kuyuidökadö (Cui Yui Ticutta): "
Cui-ui The cui-ui (''Chasmistes cujus'') is a large sucker fish endemic to Pyramid Lake and, prior to its desiccation in the 20th century, Winnemucca Lake in northwestern Nevada. It feeds primarily on zooplankton and possibly on nanoplankton (such as a ...
-Fish-Eaters", and Tasiget tuviwarai: "Those who live amidst the mountains") in a 2016 civil rights suit in federal court against the state to secure polling places on their reservations. Otherwise members had to travel excessive miles to reach a polling place. Early voting for the 2016 elections at Walker River reservation started October 22, and during the first two days, turnout nearly equaled the total of all voters in the 2012 presidential election.Stephanie Woodard, "Paiutes Triumph in Court—Early Voting ‘In Full Swing’ on Two Reservations"
''Indian Country Today,'' 27 October 2016; accessed 27 October 2016


Political activism

Native Americans in Nevada have become more politically active in presidential and other elections, as have those in other states. As part of that, they have been seeking more equitable access to polling places and treatment by county and state officials. Led by chairman Vinton Hawley of the
Pyramid Lake Paiute The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Reservation is a Indian Reservation, United States reservation in northwestern Nevada, approximately northeast of Reno, Nevada, Reno, in Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe, Storey County, Nevada, Storey, and Lyon County ...
, the
Walker River Paiute The Walker River Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation located in central Nevada in the United States. It belongs to the Walker River Paiute Tribe, a federally recognized tribe of Northern Paiute people. The tribe represents two Northern P ...
joined in a successful civil rights suit in federal court against the state government to gain polling places on their homelands in 2016. They have had a discriminatory burden in the past by having to travel excessive distances to vote in elections. Walker River voters were enthusiastic after the victory, with early voting in the first two days on the reservation equal to the total votes cast by members of the tribe in the 2012 presidential election. Hawley is chairman of the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada. Many of their members have similar difficulties with access to polling places. On behalf of the Council, Hawley has "urged Secretary of State
Barbara Cegavske Barbara Katherine Cegavske (née Jewson; born August 27, 1951) is an American businesswoman and politician, who is the former Secretary of State of Nevada from 2015 to 2023. She was a Republican member of the Nevada Senate, representing Clark Coun ...
to direct counties to open omelandpolling places for nine more tribes, including some where ballot boxes are 200-plus miles away, round trip." He also urged the Secretary of State for Nevada to improve conditions at local county polling places for urban Indians, who testified in the suit to being made uncomfortable at most offices.


Notes


Walker River Reservation, Nevada
United States Census Bureau


References


External links


Official Website of the Walker River Paiute Tribe
{{authority control Paiute American Indian reservations in Nevada Federally recognized tribes in the United States Native American tribes in Nevada Populated places in Churchill County, Nevada Populated places in Lyon County, Nevada Populated places in Mineral County, Nevada