Shoshone-Paiute Tribe
The Duck Valley Indian Reservation, which straddles the state line between Idaho and Nevada two hours from Mountain Home, encompasses 290,000 acres of high desert tribal land and is home to about 1,800 Shoshone-Paiute Indians. The reservation was first established through an 1877 treaty. That and subsequent treaties created a permanent ranching and farming homeland for the tribe while still allowing off-reservation activities, including established fishing patterns from Mary’s Creek to the Bruneau, Snake and Malad rivers.
Geographically isolated from the rest of the world, the tribe is the first in the state to push for more self-reliance with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Following the Indian Self-Determination Act of 1973. the tribe has taken on a number of duties previously performed by the federal government. The Shoshone-Paiute Indians have specific rights to their off-reservation resources and an interest in the operation of several hydroelectric projects, although ranching and tourism continue to be major sources of livelihood for the tribe.
Right: For generations, the men and women of the Shoshone-Paiute tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation have supplied the expertise and labor necessary to make the surrounding sheep and cattle ranches a success. Today, the Shoshone-Paiute are one of a growing number of independent tribes moving toward self-governance. These tribes receive their treaty-based trust monies directly from the federal government and at Duck Valley, these funds are used by the tribe to support educational, health, housing and economic development activities that will ensure their independence well into the next generation.
