Darwin Ranch Partnership with the Eastern Shoshone Tribe

The People

Shoshone people have lived throughout the Great Basin, High Plains and Rocky Mountain areas since time immemorial. Places currently identified as national treasures, national recreation areas, and America’s first national park, Yellowstone – as well as the spectacular Darwin Ranch in the Gros Ventre mountains – were once Shoshone homelands and hunting grounds.

The Eastern Shoshone with a total tribal enrollment of 4,433 reside largely in or near the western area of the Wind River Indian Reservation in Fort Washakie and the communities of Crowheart, Burris, and Boulder Flats along the foothills of the Wind River Mountains.

The Program

In order to document and pass on the full language and elk traditions, the Darwin Ranch has partnered with the Chief Washakie Foundation to develop a language immersion program at the Darwin Ranch – traditional Shoshone hunting grounds.

In 2021 and 2022 the Foundation ran its first cultural programs at the Darwin, involving many elders and tribal member participants. The elders taught about hunting traditions and tribal history.

The Language and Traditions

The fortitude of the Eastern Shoshone to maintain their cultural identity, language and unique resources is historic and endures to the 21st century. However, the language and traditions are being lost with the passing of tribal elders. The Tribe estimates that only 126 members, all over the age of 60, are conversationally-fluent Eastern Shoshone speakers.

“Who we are as a people, our identity and everything about us, is tied to our language. There are ceremonies, descriptions and instructions done in our language that are vital to preserving out traditions and ceremonies. We believe the Creator gave us this language. A lot of people feel closer to the Creator when they talk to him in our language.” —James Trosper, Tribal member and Chief Washakie Foundation chairman

In addition to language, Eastern Shoshone cultural leaders desire to document and pass on traditions related to their tribal identity as elk hunters – traditions they are at risk of losing if elders cannot pass them on to younger tribal members. These traditions include preparations for the elk hunt; the hunt itself; and processing elk, tanning hides, drying meat, and making moccasins.

“We need to start keeping the younger generation with our language. My grandma did her job raising me how to speak Shoshone and know the customs. It was brought down to her from her grandparents too. I want to be able to do what she did and pass it on.”

—George Hardin, Tribal elder

The Opportunity

The Chief Washakie Foundation seeks to expand the program to involve more elders, engage and teach more tribal members, and create a full week of immersion in the language and traditions of the people. The Darwin Ranch will host the program for a week, allowing the tribal members to be fully immersed in learning. During the days, participants will go into the field on horseback with the elders, hunting elk. In the evenings, elders will teach related skills such as moccasin-making and drying meat. Throughout, participants will be encouraged to speak only Shoshone language. Full language immersion may not be possible this year, but is the goal as the program grows over time.

The Foundation seeks funding from friends and allies who wish to support this important cultural and language preservation work.

Listen to this segment about Darwin’s Shoshone Elk Hunt on Wyoming Public Radio: