Wind River Indian Reservation

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Wind River Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation shared by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of Native Americans in the central western portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is the seventh-largest Indian reservation in the United States, encompassing a land area of 8,995.733 km² (3,473.272 sq mi), encompassing most of Fremont County ^[1]. The reservation is surrounded by the Wind River Mountain Range, Owl Creek Mountains, and the Absaroka Mountains. The 2000 census reported a population of 23,250 inhabitants. The largest town is Riverton. Headquarters are at Fort Washakie. Also home to the Wind River Casino, Little Wind Casino (Both Northern Arapahoe) and Shoshone Rose Casino (Eastern Shoshone), which are the only casinos in Wyoming.

The Wind River Indian Reservation was established for the Eastern Shoshone Indians in 1868. Camp Auger, a military post with troops was established at the present site of Lander on June 28, 1869. In 1870 the name was changed to Camp Brown and in 1871 the post was moved to the current site of Fort Washakie . The nickname was changed to honor the Shoshone Chief Washakie in 1878 and continued to serve as a military post until its abandonment in 1909.^[2] A government school and hospital functioned for many years east of Fort Washakie and children were sent here to board during the school year. St. Michael's at Ethete was constructed in 1917-20. The village of Arapahoe was originally established as a sub-agency to distribute rations to the Arapaho and at one time had a large trading post. In 1906 a portion of the reservation was ceded to white settlement and Riverton evolved on some of this land. Lands were allotted in the 1800's to the various families and names were anglicized. Irrigation was brought in to develop farming and ranching and a flour mill constructed near Fort Washakie.^[3]

Of the population 6,728 (28,9%) were Native Americans (full or part) and of them 54% were Arapaho and 30% Shoshone. Of the Native American population, 22% spoke a language other than English at home.

[edit] Communities

Flag of the Northern Arapaho tribe

• Arapahoe
• Boulder Flats
• Crowheart
• Ethete
• Fort Washakie
• Hudson (part, population 72)
• Johnstown
• Pavillion
• Riverton

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Wind River Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Wyoming United States Census Bureau

Native American Tribes officially recognized by the United States Wind River Indian Reservation is one of the 562 Indian Tribal Entities within the contiguous 48 States recognized and eligible to receive services from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs included in the latest list issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Interior of the United States on April 4, 2008.