The Washoe Way of Life

Photo Credit: UNR

The Washoe people are a Native American tribe who live in and around the Sierra Nevada range. Prior to European-American settlement, the Washoe ranged over the entire Tahoe area, following seasonal variation in food, following acorn abundance well into the foothills of the Sierras to the west, fishing and bird migrations as far south as Mono Lake and North beyond Honey Lake, and retreated east into the Pine Nut mountains and Great Basin region for the colder winter months. 

​Nevada and California became US territories following the Mexican-American war in 1848, and almost immediately, the discovery of gold and silver in both territories resulted in a surge of immigrants settling within the Greater Tahoe area. Along with settlement, came industry, which had lasting effects to the Washoe way of life who depended on the availability of specific food sources throughout the year. Overexploitation of fishing grounds, excessive logging of old-growth forests, and the introduction of land ownership eventually forced the tribe to adapt and assimilate into the new lifestyle imposed by the incoming settlers. 

Today, the Washoe tribe remains an active population of citizens who carry and protect Washoe tradition. We encourage you to explore their website https://washoetribe.us/ to learn more about their history and culture.
It is important for us all to remember that these lands were once inhabited by people who did not see themselves as separate from the land. We can all learn something from the Washoe way of life, as we confront the same issues of environmental degradation that were introduced to this area just over 150 years ago. 

“The health of the land and the health of the people are tied together, and what happens to the land also happens to the people. When the land suffers so too are the people.
- A. Brian Wallace, Former Chairman of the Washoe Tribe

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