The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-08-10
THE LEMHIs AND OTHER
LOCAL INDIAN TRIBES

~AAAAS NAtAEA the natives who
occupied the country where be land.
ed. 'Indios" q. 4. natives az India
whence the English word Indian"
meaning the people inhabitine abor-
lglnaA America. Scientists now re-
gard the native Indians as antioch
thonie and etnologists consider them
single specie of the human race and
divide them into ffty-fve linguistic
families, the third in extent of terri
Tory occupied being the Shoshonean
rms family consists of the Shoshoni
tAannaek, Tukuarika, Camanche. Ute.
fahuu and Mogui tribes, which ac
cording To the last census numbered
1000.
AboTiginally. all of Idaho south of
the Salmon river was inhabited by
the Shoshonis principally, along with
some OF their relatives. The hahA
tat OF this tribe was Western Wyom3
ing, Southwestern Montana. North
ern Utah and Nevada and southern
Idaho. extnding from the Bruneau
and Boise rivers on the west to WIND
and Yellowstone rivers on the east
TT. Boise and FIT. Hall were Hudson
Bay company's trading posts among
these Indians. They originally inhab
TIED the plains extending through
Colorado. Wyoming, and Montana
Just east of the Rocky mountains
Through their relatives. The Moqui
pueblo tribes, who first came In con
tact with the Spaniards of Mexico
from whom the Moquis purchased
horses, the ShOshonls became the
arst western tribe To obtain ponies,
which gave them considerable super
iority over their surrounding neigh
bors. But gradually the Blackfeet
Crows and Cheyennes, who lived east
of them acquired fire arms from the
Hudson Bay and other fur companies
which enabled them 20 eventually
drive the Shoshonis from the plains
into the mountains and To fleece and
rob them Of their ponies, SO that
many families OF this tribe were
brought to low standard OF life and
at the time white people came in con
tact with them were In miserable
condition. BY various treaties with
the government the Shoshonis we're
finally settled upon four reservations,
viz, the Eastern Shoshonis at Wind
river, Wyoming; the Western Sho-
shonis along with some Pahutes al
Duck valley. Nevada. the Central
Shoshonis along with some Bannacks
at Fort Hall, Idaho; and the North
ern Shoshonis along with some Tu
kuariekas and Bannacks at Lemhi
valley, Idaho, which became known
as Tendoy's band or Lemhis.
The name "Shoshonf' comes from
two Indian words. viz, Shawnt,"
meaning abundance" and shaw
nip" meaning grass" or "Shawnt
Shaw-nip," which was genealogical
ly changed To the euphonious name
"Shoshoni' and in English conveys
the thought of abundance of grass"
They were thus called because they
always camped where there was
plenty &C grass and out Of which
they constructed their dwellings, be
ing great weayers they made grass
lodges and were known among all
Indians as grass house people. The
FIRST whites to come in contact with
them, of course. could not under
stand their language. But all Indians
talk by signs and among themselves
converse as readily with gestures as
with spoken language. When asked
the name of their tribe by the FIRST
| inquirers the Indian made serpen-
tine motion of the right hand with
the index finger extended which was
/ aimed to convey the thought of weay-
ing, but which the white man, owing
to the sinuous movement, took to
| mean snake" and for this reason
called them Snake Indians, But as
the Indian name for snake IL an en-
tirely different word this appeilati0n
became a misnomer. however IL has
followed them and still adheres To
this tribe which gave the name TO
the great Shoshonean family. and for
which the city and county of Shosho-
ne, Idaho, are named.
The Shoshoni. Comanche and Tu.
kuArika are recent derivants from
single tribe. whilst the Utes, Pahutes
and BannAcks are derivatives from
another but related tribe OF the Sho-
shonean family.
| The first white permanent settle
ment made in Southern Idaho began
with the discovery OF gold at Boise
basin in 1862. when George Crime.
the leader of the discovery party.
was killed by the Shoshoni Indians.
AS the rush TO the mines progressed
| the Shoshonis became pilferers. max
ing thieving warfare upon this new
camp and murderous attacks upon
the travel along the roads and trails
leading TO the basin. Chief Nampuh
was their leader For him the city
OF Nampa was named. II comes from
| the Shoshoni word "Namp" meaning
| foot" and Pub" meaning "biEness'
or "Bigfoot," he being reputed 10