Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- commercial fishing - Methods
- Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin - Technology and economy
- Indigenous peoples of California: Top Questions
- Native American - The Great Basin
- Indigenous peoples of California - Production and technology
- South American nomad - Economic system
- Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin - Social organization
How did Great Basin peoples catch fish in rivers and lakes?
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Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin
Kaylei Weed (left) of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe with her two sons and mother, Elaine Ethel Weed, at the Wind River Indian Reservation in 2015.
Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin utilized a variety of traditional methods to catch fish in the region's rivers and lakes, particularly during seasonal spawning runs when groups would aggregate to exploit this resource.12
Commonly used fishing equipment included:
- Nets: Used for capturing fish in both rivers and lakes.1
- Lines and hooks: Employed as a traditional method for fishing.1
- Harpoons: Utilized for spearing fish.1
- Willow fish weirs: Constructed in rivers to trap or guide fish.1
These tools were integral to the subsistence strategies of Great Basin groups, who followed an annual round to take advantage of available food sources across different ecological zones. For example, Shoshone and Shoshone-Bannock peoples relied on catching salmon during their annual spring spawning runs, consuming the fish fresh or drying and smoking it for later use.1