Idaho National Laboratory Cultural Resource Management Plan

The absence of a restrictive sociopolitical
organization is a reflection of the highly nomadic
lifestyle of the Shoshone and Bannock Tribes. The
groups moved systematically throughout a large
territory in order to utilize a variety of seasonally
available resources, and, in contrast to their
linguistically related kin in the Great Basin,
probably enjoyed a relative abundance of food and
other material resources. A large proportion of this
general abundance was found in and near rivers
and streams (e.g., Snake River and Big Lost River)
that flowed through even the driest and most
desolate parts of southern Idaho. This led to an
entire complex of subsistence and religious and
social activities that centered on the riverine
habitat (Clark 1986). Consequently, many of the
larger Shoshone and Bannock villages were
located near waterways. However, because the
dispersed nature of the resource base required
these groups to be highly nomadic, these villages
were not occupied on a continuous, year-round
basis. Instead, they were probably utilized again
and again only during the winter months when
weather forced less mobility. During the
remainder of the year, native groups apparently
dispersed to utilize resources that were often found
far from these wintering grounds.
This unique seasonal round, as augmented by
the horse, has been documented by early
anthropologists (Murphy and Murphy 1960, 1986;
Steward 1938). These researchers report that the
Shoshone and the Bannock Tribes of southeastern
Idaho gathered in large winter villages, primarily
along the Snake River in the Fort Hall area.
During the winter, they lived on stores of meat,
fish, and plant foods. In addition, they fished in
nearby streams and made short forays into
neighboring areas to supplement their supplies
with fresh meat. When winter came to a close, the
people split into smaller groups and traveled to
other areas in southern Idaho as resources became
seasonally available.
Many different areas were visited during these
annual expeditions. In the spring, groups traveled
to salmon fishing areas along the Snake River west
of Twin Falls and to the camas prairies in central
Idaho near Fairfield and Dubois (Murphy and
Murphy 1960). Two main routes were followed
during this springtime expedition: one followed
the Snake River, and then north by a number of
routes; and the other proceeded from the Fort Hall
and Idaho Falls area across to the Big Lost River
and then west, skirting along the southern edge of
the mountains. This latter route may have caused
American Indians to pass directly through the INL
area.
In the late summer and early autumn, big
game hunting became an important activity, and
most groups moved east to participate. Many
followed a trail from the Idaho camas prairies east
along the edge of the mountains to the Big Lost
River. From there, the routes separated depending
on the destination. Some groups traveled up the
Little Lost River, crossed east to the Lemhi River
and over Lemhi Pass, and continued east onto the
Great Plains. Other groups headed toward the
Snake River near Idaho Falls, and then north over
Monida Pass. Still others followed a route along
the Snake River to the Jackson Hole and
Yellowstone area. Some groups also returned to
Fort Hall and then went south to the Bear River
Valley and into northern Wyoming. Finally, some
groups chose to go north to the Salmon River area
for the late season salmon run.
It is important to stress that these are only the
major routes and destinations and that the small
groups probably ranged widely throughout the
entire region. It is also important to note that the
Snake River Plain forms a natural east-west
corridor for trade and travel and an area that must
be traversed for north-south travel along the river
valleys. As such, it was frequented by other groups
as well as the Shoshone and Bannock Tribes. For
example, the Nez Perce from northern Idaho
frequently came into southeastern Idaho to trade
and travel to the Great Plains.
Geographically, the INL area appears to have
served as a natural corridor for the seasonal
movements of the Shoshone and Bannock Tribes.
Although there are no large winter villages
reported in the area, some relatively large camps
were observed by visitors. In the early 1830s,
Warren A. Ferris encountered over 200 American
Indians traveling near the three buttes and also
reported a camp consisting of nearly 200 lodges on
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