Traditional Stories of the Great Basin and Plateau Nations
MAP OF GREAT BASIN AND PLATEAU NATIONS Several Native American Nations live in the Great Basin and Plateau regions of the United States How do you think where each tribe mainly lived affected their way of life How might that have had an impact on their oral traditions W N S E 6 New Mexico Colorado Arizona Nevada California Utah Wyoming Montana Alberta Saskatchewan British Columbia Idaho Washington Oregon PACIFIC OCEAN Shoshone Shoshone Paiute Paiute Ute Ute Ute Shoshone-Bannock Washo Nez Percé Coeur d’Alene Spokane Shuswap Okanagan Yakama Klamath Modoc Wasco
7 Washington Idaho Utah Oregon Montana Nevada Arizona California Wyoming and Colorado The Great Basin and Plateau regions have high deserts and low valleys There are tall mountains lakes and rivers Several tribes live in the Great Basin They include the Shoshone Newe the Paiute Numa and the Ute Nuciu tribes The tribes of the Plateau region include the Nez Percé Nimi ipuu and Yakama Waptailmim HUNTING FISHING AND GATHERING For thousands of years the people of the Great Basin and Plateau regions survived by hunting and gathering their food They hunted deer elk bison antelope moose and caribou They also hunted smaller animals such as jackrabbits and waterfowl The people used the skins and furs of the animals to make clothes robes and blankets They used animal bones to make tools They fished in rivers lakes and streams They caught salmon trout and sturgeon
The Great Basin and Plateau regions include both lush forests and arid deserts The people also gathered roots berries and nuts They gathered food from the spring to the fall Then they prepared and stored it to eat throughout the year Before contact with Europeans the people living in the Great Basin and Plateau regions often moved with the seasons to follow food sources They traveled in small groups and commonly settled near water BELIEFS AND STORYTELLING Many people in the Great Basin and Plateau nations believe that everything in nature has a spirit including animals plants and trees They also believe that people are linked to the world around them It is important to 8
stay in harmony with nature Respecting nature strengthens the connection with these spirits Before Europeans arrived in America Native Americans in the Great Basin and Plateau did not use a written language Instead they passed PERSPECTIVES A TIME FOR TALES The Great Basin and Plateau people usually told stories only during the sacred winter season The stories were often shared as a dramatic performance The narrator would use different voices for each character He or she would use gestures to emphasize different points of the story The audience would also be involved giving responses at different times 9
