The Paiute Indians
Yi-waxantini-wi, "The Valley People"
Long before the European settlers made their way
to America, and before the Spanish explorers traveled the West, the Native
Americans lived across the land. In Southern Nevada, the Paiutes ("Pi-yutes")
called the Mojave Desert home.
Life for the Paiutes
The Paiutes lived in small groups, usually families. They survived in
the desert by shielding themselves from the desert sun and drinking the
water that the desert provided. They built wikiups, which were like tents,
where they could live. At the Las Vegas
Springs, water flowed freely, which helped keep them cool and quenched
their thirst.
Paiute Foods
The Paiutes grew their own food. They set up camps near water and dug
trenches for irrigation. Seeds of corn, beans and pumpkins were sprinkled
in the dirt and they’d wait for their crops to grow a bounty of
food to harvest.
The Paiutes hunted native animals like rabbits and
mountain sheep. They ate the seeds of wild grasses and pine nuts. The prickly
pear cactus gave them fruit. The Paiutes lived off of the land, sharing
what they had with other local tribes.
Once the European
settlers made their way out West, the Paiutes were opened to new foods.
Peaches, plums, wheat and oats were introduced and made for a treat.
The Paiutes meet the settlers
The Mormons were the first of the European settlers to live with the Native
Americans of Southern Nevada. They built a fort
near the Las Vegas Springs and
hired the Native Americans to help with the crops and building.
A few years later, Helen
Stewart took over the fort
the Mormons left behind. She sold most of her land to William
Clark, but bought more and gave the Paiutes
their own section of land near the fort in what is now downtown Las Vegas.
That piece of land is called the Las Vegas Paiute Colony Reservation.
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