Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe
The Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe is a federally recognized tribe of Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone peoples, whose reservation Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation spans the Nevada and Oregon border next to Idaho. The reservation has 16,354 acres (6,618 ha) in Nevada and 19,000 acres (7,700 ha) in Oregon.
Sarah Winnemucca, a Northern Paiute activist and author, worked as an interpreter, scout and hospital matron at Fort McDermit from 1868 to 1873. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 689 enrolled members (1992) 341 residents on reservation (2010) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| United States ( Nevada, Oregon) | |
| Languages | |
| Northern Paiute language, English | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Sun Dance, Native American Church, Traditional Unity Movement | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Southern Paiute and Western Shoshone peoples |
Peoples from these two tribes have historically also lived in what is now defined as southwestern Idaho. They are close culturally and linguistically to the Bannock people and various other Shoshone-language peoples. Peoples of these tribes are members of other federally recognized tribes in Nevada and Idaho.
In October 2016 a federal law was passed to put approximately 19,094 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land into trust for the Tribe in order to expand their reservation; this was done under the Nevada Native Nations Land Act. Gambling is prohibited on the new lands.