How did Ute, Shoshone, Shoshone-Bannock, and Northern Paiute groups resist colonial encroachment?

Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin, including the Ute, Shoshone, Shoshone-Bannock, and Northern Paiute, employed both military and cultural strategies to resist colonial encroachment as their lands and subsistence economies were threatened by 19th-century settlement, mining, and ranching.1

Military Resistance

Mounted bands of Ute, Shoshone, Shoshone-Bannock, and Northern Paiute engaged in armed conflict to defend their territories. They fought against ranchers and attacked wagon trains in efforts to drive out intruders, leading to several local wars and massacres during the 1850s and 1860s. Specifically, the Northern Paiute acquired horses and guns to fight trespassers until 1874. The Bannock, driven by famine and frustration over the disappearance of buffalo and restrictive government policies, participated in the Bannock War of 1878, which ended in a massacre of their people.123

Cultural and Religious Resistance

These groups were notably successful in resisting religious assimilation. The Northern Paiute initiated the Ghost Dance movements in 1870 and 1890. While the 1890 movement led by Wovoka emphasized peace and "right living," it became a vital reservoir of traditional culture that persisted into the 21st century. Additionally, groups like the Ute and Eastern Shoshone adopted the Sun Dance and the religious use of peyote, which helped maintain their cultural identity despite pressures to assimilate.1

Legal and Political Advocacy

In the 20th century, tribal councils established under the Indian Reorganization Act utilized the U.S. judicial system to seek compensation for illegally seized lands. Many tribes also actively resisted the federal policy of termination in the 1950s, and some groups, such as the Western Shoshone, have continued to pursue international legal avenues to regain traditional landholdings.1