General News

Occasionally there's a story related to the Shoshone and Bannock that catches my eye. I'll post them here. If you see something that might be worth adding please send a message using the form to the right and include the url for the news story.

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[Click headlines to read full stories]

Wyoming Wildfire Reveals ‘Massive’ Shoshone Camp, Thousands of Artifacts (Jan 24, 2017)
"A wildfire high in the alpine forests of northwestern Wyoming has revealed a vast, centuries-old Shoshone campsite."

Buffalo Return to Wind River (Nov 7, 2016)
"After more than 40 years of work and perseverance, Dick Baldes could hardly believe the day had finally come. Ten bison – mere brown blobs on the horizon – moved about the western Wyoming prairie beneath the snowy peaks of the Wind River Range for the first time in more than 130 years."

Tribe reclaims City Creek Trailhead System (Dec 14, 2016)
"The next time you use the City Creek Trailhead near Pocatello, you'll probably notice a new sign. That's because there's a new claim tonight, over ownership of the trailhead. Tribal leaders at the Shoshone Bannock Tribe say they own the land, where the popular hiking trail is located."

"The Fort Hall Reservation used to be much larger than it is today. It encompassed what is now the City of Pocatello. In 1888, before the City of Pocatello existed, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes granted a railroad right of way through the Fort Hall Reservation. The right of way included land in the City Creek area because it was a water supply for steam engines the railroad needed. A condition the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Congress, and the Railroad company agreed upon was that when the property was no longer used for a railroad purpose it would revert to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. In the early 1900’s steam engines were replaced with internal combustion engines, and the Railroad company stopped using the water supply easement. At that time the City Creek property legally reverted back to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes because it was no longer used for a railroad purpose.

"In 2012, the Department of Interior informed the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, the Union Pacific Railroad, and the City of Pocatello in writing ownership of the area had already reverted to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. Since then, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes have allowed continued use of the area." - Chairman Blaine Edmo