115-585: The Wind River Indian Reservation , in the west-central portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming , is shared by two Native American tribes, the Eastern Shoshone ( Shoshoni : Gweechoon Deka , meaning: "buffalo eaters" ) and the Northern Arapaho ( Arapaho : hoteiniiciiheheʼ ). Roughly 60 mi (97 km) east to west by 50 mi (80 km) north to south, the Indian reservation
230-609: A methamphetamine crisis that has since been significantly reduced, even while addiction continues to be a problem. Other residents say the Wind River Indian Reservation is a more hopeful place than is often portrayed in press reports. There are two outpatient clinics located on the reservation. There is one located in Arapahoe , and the second one is located in Fort Washakie . The clinics offer
345-469: A 180,000-acre (730 km) roadless area in the Wind River Range in the 1930s, several decades before the passage of the national Wilderness Act of 1964. The tribes have re-established populations of big game , such as moose , wolf , elk , mule deer , whitetail deer , bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope , and have passed hunting regulations to conserve these species. In November 2016
460-696: A United States Bureau of Economic Analysis report, Wyoming's gross state product in 2022 was $ 49.8 billion. As of 2014, the population was growing slightly with the most growth in tourist-oriented areas, such as Teton County . Boom conditions in neighboring states, such as North Dakota , were drawing energy workers away. About half of Wyoming's counties showed population loss. The state makes active efforts through Wyoming Grown, an internet-based recruitment program, to find jobs for young people educated in Wyoming who have emigrated but may wish to return. The mineral-extraction industry and travel and tourism sector are
575-731: A bill to Congress to provide a "temporary government for the territory of Wyoming ". The territory was named after the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. Thomas Campbell wrote his 1809 poem " Gertrude of Wyoming ", inspired by the Battle of Wyoming in the American Revolutionary War . The name ultimately derives from the Lenape Munsee word xwé:wamənk ("at the big river flat"). Wyoming's climate
690-401: A good amount of precipitation, 20 inches (510 mm) or more, much of it as snow, sometimes 200 inches (510 cm) or more annually. The state's highest recorded temperature is 114 °F (46 °C) at Basin on July 12, 1900, and the lowest recorded temperature is −66 °F (−54 °C) at Riverside on February 9, 1933. The number of thunderstorm days varies across the state with
805-417: A high attendance. These initiatives were designed to provide a safe and alcohol-free environment for the children and young adults. This ultimately helped quell the epidemic, and prevented suicide attempts across such young age groups. An article published in 2001, The Social Construction of American Indian Drinking: Perceptions of American Indian and White Officials , discovered, by qualitatively interviewing
920-527: A higher overall number. In 2010, 93.39% (474,343) of Wyomingites over age 5 spoke English as their primary language ; 4.47% (22,722) spoke Spanish , 0.35% (1,771) spoke German , and 0.28% (1,434) spoke French . Other common non-English languages included Algonquian (0.18%), Russian (0.10%), Tagalog , and Greek (both 0.09%). In 2007, the American Community Survey reported 6.2% (30,419) of Wyoming's population over five spoke
1035-506: A language other than English at home. Of those, 68.1% were able to speak English very well, 16.0% spoke English well, 10.9% did not speak English well, and 5.0% did not speak English at all. Surveys have consistently ranked Wyoming among the most irreligious states . According to the 2020 American Values Atlas survey, Wyoming was the least religious state in the country. Religious self-identification, Public Religion Research Institute 's 2020 American Values Atlas survey. In 2020,
1150-553: A pre-announced location each spring-summer and set up a trading fair (the rendezvous). At the end of the rendezvous, the teamsters packed the furs out, either to Fort Vancouver in the Pacific Northwest for the British companies or to one of the northern Missouri River ports such as St. Joseph, Missouri , for American companies. Early explorer and trader Jacques La Ramee organized a group of independent free trappers to
1265-494: A return from Astoria , Robert Stuart and a party of five men discovered South Pass in 1812. The Oregon Trail later followed that route as emigrants moved to the west coast. In 1850, mountain man Jim Bridger first documented what is now known as Bridger Pass . Bridger also explored Yellowstone, and filed reports on the region that, like Colter's, were largely regarded at the time as tall tales . The Union Pacific Railroad constructed track through Bridger Pass in 1868. It
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#17327732070741380-585: A second the music will sweep you away. Drumming and singing accompanies all dancing and the drumbeat is considered sacred, representing the heartbeat of the tribe. Each thumping note carries songs to the Great Spirit , along with the prayers of the people." The website also advertises the powwows as being free admission. Current social and economic conditions on the Wind River Indian Reservation have complicated historical roots. The reservation has many examples of cultural survival, adaptation, and patriotism. Yet
1495-700: A short-lived boom after the Carissa Mine began producing gold in 1867. Copper was mined in some areas between the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Snowy Range near Grand Encampment . Once government-sponsored expeditions to the Yellowstone country began, Colter's and Bridger's descriptions of the region's landscape were confirmed. In 1872, Yellowstone National Park was created as the world's first, to protect this area. Nearly all of
1610-405: A small sample size of 12 Native Americans residing on the reservation and 12 Whites who also reside on the reservation, that alcoholism is present on the reservation. 10 of 12 Natives said that alcohol is a problem shared by both minors and adults, while all 12 Whites said this. 10 of 12 American Indians said that alcohol is strongly linked to crime, while 11 of 12 Whites agreed. The biggest outlier
1725-428: A study done regarding suicide on the reservation in 1985, the months of August and September produced very high suicide numbers. There were 12 reported deaths, and 88 additional verified instances of suicide threats or suicidal attempts. This epidemic among Native American tribes can be attributed to high unemployment and abuse of alcohol. 40 of the attempts were between the ages of 13 and 19, and 24 attempts were between
1840-459: A variety of services such as Behavioral Health, Social Services, Business Office, Community Health Nursing, Purchased/Referred Care (PRC), Dental, Diabetes Program, Laboratory/Radiology, Medical Records, Medical Services, Nursing, Optometry, Office of Environmental Health, Utilization Review and Compliance. The average life expectancy for someone living on the reservation is 49 years. According to A Suicide Epidemic in an American Indian Community ,
1955-653: A water spirit woman. The Wind River Indian Reservation is located at the historical boundary region between the Great Basin culture of the Shoshone and the Great Plains tribal cultures. In recent centuries, the area was used by many tribes for hunting grounds and for raiding. After 1800, the historical record notes the presence of the Shoshone, as well as the Crow , Cheyenne , Arapaho, Blackfeet , and Lakota in
2070-668: Is Cheyenne , which had a population of 65,132 in 2020. Wyoming's western half consists mostly of the ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountains ; its eastern half consists of high-elevation prairie , and is referred to as the High Plains . Wyoming's climate is semi-arid in some parts and continental in others, making it drier and windier overall than other states, with greater temperature extremes. The federal government owns just under half of Wyoming's land, generally protecting it for public use. The state ranks sixth in
2185-417: Is "Equal Rights". Farming and ranching, and the attendant range wars , feature prominently in the state's history. Wyoming's economy is largely based on tourism and the extraction of minerals such as coal , natural gas , oil , and trona . Its agricultural commodities include barley, hay, livestock, sugar beets , wheat, and wool. Wyoming does not require the beneficial owners of LLCs to be disclosed in
2300-579: Is "Equal Rights". Wyoming's constitution also included a pioneering article on water rights . Bills for Wyoming Territory's admission to the union were introduced in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives in December 1889. On March 27, 1890, the House passed the bill and President Benjamin Harrison signed Wyoming's statehood bill; Wyoming became the 44th state in the union. Wyoming
2415-502: Is 3,532.01 square miles (9,147.9 km). The reservation constitutes just over one-third of Fremont County and over one-fifth of Hot Springs County . The 2000 census reported the population of Fremont County as 40,237. According to the 2010 census, only 26,490 people now live on the reservation, with about 15,000 of the residents being non-Indians on ceded lands and the town of Riverton . Tribal headquarters are located at Fort Washakie . The Shoshone Rose Casino (Eastern Shoshone) and
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#17327732070742530-554: Is a dry state with much of the land receiving less than 10 inches (250 mm) of rainfall per year. Precipitation depends on elevation with lower areas in the Big Horn Basin averaging 5–8 inches (130–200 mm), making the area nearly a true desert . The lower areas in the North and on the eastern plains typically average around 10–12 inches (250–300 mm), making the climate there semi-arid . Some mountain areas do receive
2645-616: Is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States . It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the south. With a population of 576,851 in 2020 , Wyoming is the least populous state despite being the 10th largest by area , with the second-lowest population density after Alaska . The state capital and most populous city
2760-617: Is generally semi-arid and continental ( Köppen climate classification BSk ) and is drier and windier in comparison to most of the United States with greater temperature extremes. Much of this is due to the topography of the state. Summers in Wyoming are warm with July high temperatures averaging between 80 and 90 °F (27 and 32 °C) in most of the state. With increasing elevation, however, this average drops rapidly with locations above 9,000 feet (2,700 m) averaging around 70 °F (21 °C). Summer nights throughout
2875-548: Is located in the Wind River Basin , and includes portions of the Wind River Range , Owl Creek Mountains , and Absaroka Range . The Wind River Indian Reservation is the seventh-largest American Indian reservation in the United States by area and the fifth-largest by population. The land area is approximately 2.2 million acres (3,438 sq mi; 8,903 km), and the total area (land and water)
2990-414: Is made up of 23 counties. From the north border to the south border, it is 276 miles (444 km); and from the east to the west border is 365 miles (587 km) at its south end and 342 miles (550 km) at the north end. The Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming. The state is a great plateau broken by many mountain ranges . Surface elevations range from the summit of Gannett Peak in
3105-618: Is now southwestern Wyoming was claimed by the Spanish Empire , which extended through the Southwest and Mexico. With Mexican independence in 1821, it was considered part of Alta California . U.S. expansion brought settlers who fought for control. Mexico ceded these territories after its defeat in 1848 in the Mexican–American War . From the late 18th century, French-Canadian trappers from Québec and Montréal regularly entered
3220-870: The Arapaho , Crow , Lakota , and Shoshone . Part of the land that is now Wyoming came under American sovereignty via the Louisiana Purchase , part via the Oregon Treaty , and, lastly, via the Mexican Cession . With the opening of the Oregon Trail , the Mormon Trail , and the California Trail , vast numbers of pioneers traveled through parts of the state that had once been traversed mainly by fur trappers, and this spurred
3335-872: The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 , giving them claim to locate in the Great Sioux Reservation , encompassing the western half of present-day South Dakota west of the Missouri River, and rights to hunt north of the Platte River in Wyoming so long as game remained. In practice the Arapaho did not wish to locate permanently at an agency shared by the Sioux. They were belittled by leaders of the more powerful Sioux including Red Cloud , and wanted to avoid being culturally subsumed within
3450-906: The Gulf of Mexico . They are the North Platte , Wind , Bighorn , and Yellowstone rivers. The Snake River in northwest Wyoming eventually drains into the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean, as does the Green River through the Colorado River Basin. The Continental Divide forks in the south-central part of the state in an area known as the Great Divide Basin where water that precipitates onto or flows into it cannot reach an ocean—it all sinks into
3565-476: The National Park Service and other federal agencies. This had major success at other reservations, but on the Wind River Indian Reservation, violent crime increased by seven percent. In 2013, Business Insider produced a photo scrapbook and indicated locals refer to different streets by infamously violent American locations such as Compton near Los Angeles. The reservation was experiencing
Wind River Indian Reservation - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-596: The Public Religion Research Institute determined that about 55% of Wyoming's adult population was Christian , primarily evangelical and mainline Protestant , Roman Catholic , and Mormon . The Public Religion Research Institute survey documented a decrease in religiosity from a 2014 separate Pew Research Center study; according to the Public Religion Research Institute, the irreligious made up 40% of
3795-885: The Wind River Mountain Range , at 13,804 feet (4,207 m), to the Belle Fourche River valley in the state's northeast corner, at 3,125 feet (952 m). In the northwest are the Absaroka , Owl Creek , Gros Ventre , Wind River , and the Teton ranges. In the north central are the Big Horn Mountains ; in the northeast, the Black Hills ; and in the southern region the Laramie , Snowy , and Sierra Madre ranges. The Snowy Range in
3910-467: The 1860s and 1870s in the Wind River region. The Arapaho briefly stayed in the Wind River valley in 1870, but left after miners and Shoshones attacked and killed tribal members and Black Bear , one of their leaders, as they moved lodges. At another event, a combined force of Lakotas, Cheyennes, and Arapahos surrounded and attacked Washakie's camp at Trout Creek on the reservation. The Shoshones survived
4025-399: The Arapaho arrival on the reservation continues to affect intertribal relations and politics on the reservation today. Over time, intermarriage between members of the two tribes has occurred, building connections between members of the historically-enemy tribes and encouraging political cooperation. Yet efforts to maintain and exert independent sovereignty of each tribe remain a major dynamic on
4140-425: The Arapaho at Fort Washakie Agency became permanent because the United States government never took further action to relocate the tribe. The Arapaho held out hope for a reservation of their own until 1890, when Gen. Crook died. In late-1800s dealings including land cessions, the government repeatedly acted as if the Arapaho were a party of their reservation and its resources by including them in cession discussions like
4255-663: The Bighorn Basin, demonstrating a detailed knowledge of lands further east than the Wind River Basin as part of traditional Shoshone territory. Likewise, the Arapaho were familiar with the Wind River Basin, referring to the Wind River / Bighorn River as Hotee Niicie , meaning "mountain sheep river", in reference to the numerous herds of the species in the area. By the middle 1800s, the Crow were largely dominant in
4370-550: The Catholic Church, with 61,222 (10.8%); and the Southern Baptist Convention , with 15,812 (2.8%). The report counted 59,247 evangelical Protestants (10.5%), 36,539 mainline Protestants (6.5%), 785 Eastern Orthodox Christians; 281 Black Protestants; 65,000 adhering to other traditions; and 340,552 claiming no religious tradition. In 2020, ARDA reported the state's largest individual denominations as
4485-653: The Cheyenne, participating in the November 1876 Dull Knife Fight on the side of the United States, along with Shoshone, Cheyenne, Sioux, and Pawnee scouts. Officers of the United States Army supported the idea of an Arapaho reservation in eastern Wyoming Territory — General Crook may have promised an agency on the Tongue River . Yet federal policy prevented this from coming to fruition, partly because
4600-482: The Crow treaty lands in the Wind River Valley in the 1850s, preferring to hunt away from the emigrant trails and the Crow in places like Henrys Fork and Yellowstone . The Crow dominance in the Wind River Valley, though secured as official Crow territory under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 , effectively ended when Chief Washakie defeated a Crow chief in one-on-one fight at Crowheart Butte , sometime in
4715-531: The Great Plains farther north and east of the Wind River area. The powerful and numerous Lakota were the last to push west in response to American expansion, bumping up against the earlier-migrating tribes, and then moving farther west into the Rocky Mountains. By the mid-1800s, all of these tribes would make incursions into the now-contested Wind River valley. Shoshone place names include dozens in
Wind River Indian Reservation - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-736: The Great Plains. The Arapaho way of life had historically included significant use of mountain hunting grounds, especially in the Colorado Rockies around Estes Park , but also including the Snowy Range , the Bighorns, the Black Hills , and the Laramie Range . To seek favor of the Army, leaders Chief Black Coal (Northern Arapaho), Sharp Nose and their followers allied with Gen. George Crook as scouts against their former allies
4945-581: The Lakota Nation. Instead, the Arapaho hoped for a reservation of their own. In 1868–69, the Arapaho briefly sought to locate with the linguistically-related Gros Ventres at the agency on the Milk River in Montana , but left after a smallpox epidemic. Further, Arapaho priest and leader Weasel Bear had a vision that the Arapaho would find a permanent home closer to the Rocky Mountains, and not on
5060-677: The Mountain Shoshone band continue to live on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The Dinwoody petroglyph style is indigenous to central Wyoming including the Wind River Basin and Bighorn Basin . Scholars believe that the Dinwoody petroglyphs most likely represent the work of ancestral Tukudika or Mountain Shoshone Sheepeaters, because some of the figures at Torrey Lake Petroglyph District and Legend Rock correspond to characters in Shoshone folklore, such as Pa waip,
5175-566: The Shoshone introduced ten bison to the reservation, the beginning of what is planned as a 1,000-head herd. They were the first bison to be seen on the Wind River Reservation since 1885. The tribe is also receiving bison from Yellowstone National Park that are coming out of quarantine at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation . Area suited as buffalo habitat is estimated at 700,000 acres (2,800 km) on
5290-632: The Shoshone started to regain power by trading for firearms in the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous fur trade in the Green River Basin , just over the Wind River Range from today's Wind River Indian Reservation. With the onset of the fur trade, Shoshones could once again project their power east from the Snake River and Green River Valley to hunt buffalo on the plains. Increasingly, they needed to hunt farther east, because
5405-455: The Shoshone's Fort Washakie Agency to receive rations. This decision to place the Arapaho in close proximity with their historic enemies the Shoshone has had significant historical and political consequences. The former Arapaho and Cheyenne reservation under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 encompassing much of eastern Colorado and southeast Wyoming had been overrun by whites after the Colorado gold rush of 1859 . The Northern Arapaho then signed
5520-450: The Shoshone, superseding the Crow's 1851 Fort Laramie treaty claims. In 1872, the Shoshone agreed to sell part of the reservation to the U.S., establishing the North Fork of the Popo Agie River as a southern border. Originally known as the Shoshone Indian Reservation, the Wind River Indian Reservation was established by agreement of the United States with the Eastern Shoshone Nation at the Fort Bridger Treaty Council of 1868 , restricting
5635-421: The Southern Arapaho reservation on the Canadian River in Oklahoma, finding the location unacceptable. So, Army officers looked to Fort Washakie as the closest alternate agency for distributing rations, despite the fact that the Shoshone held treaty rights to decide what other tribes they were willing to admit to the reservation under the Fort Bridger Treaty Council of 1868 . The supposedly temporary placement of
5750-409: The Spanish and traders in the Southwest . (The Arapaho played a similar role of introducing the horse to the Great Plains, through trade between the Spanish settlements along the Rio Grande and the agricultural tribes along the Missouri River .) The Shoshones' dominance in what is now western Wyoming declined as other tribes such as the Blackfeet acquired horses and staged counter-raids. In the 1820s,
5865-417: The U.S. and Canada. These events range from small gatherings sponsored by local clubs to large gatherings like the Pacific Primitive Rendezvous, the Rocky Mountain National Rendezvous, and others. They include many activities similar to the originals, centering on shooting muzzle-loading rifles , trade guns, and shotguns; throwing knives and tomahawks; primitive archery; as well as cooking, dancing, singing, and
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#17327732070745980-461: The US abandoned it in 1909. By that time, a community had developed around the fort. Sacagawea , a guide with the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–06, was later interred here. Her son Jean Baptiste Charbonneau , who was a child on the expedition, has a memorial stone in Fort Washakie but was interred in Danner, Oregon . A government school and hospital operated for many years east of Fort Washakie; Arapaho children were sent here to board during
6095-450: The United States had essentially stopped negotiating reservation treaties with tribes after 1868, preferring instead to use executive orders in such agreements. In 1878 the U.S. Army saw the onset of winter with roughly 1,000 hungry and impoverished Arapaho still averse to living near the Red Cloud Agency , at an agreed-upon agency of Fort Randall , or in Indian Territory with the Southern Arapaho. Chief Black Coal had previously visited
6210-439: The Wind River Basin. These latter tribes came to the area due to geopolitical forces, as well as for food resources; trapper records after 1800 describe huge herds of tens of thousands of stampeding bison in the Wind River Basin, raising massive clouds of dust on the horizon. The Shoshone largely controlled much of what is now western Wyoming in the 1700s, because they were the first of the northern tribes to secure horses from
6325-456: The Wind River Hotel and Casino, Little Wind Casino, and 789 Smoke Shop and Casino (all Northern Arapaho) are the only casinos in Wyoming. The Shoshone has the longest prehistory in the area. Archaeologists have found evidence that unique aspects of the Tukudika Mountain Shoshone or Sheepeater material culture such as soapstone bowls were in use in this region from the early 1800s going back 1,000 to 3,000 years or more. People descended from
6440-399: The Wind River Hotel and Casino. The Museum of the American West in Lander hosts weekly powwow dancing demonstrations during the summer. The Wind River Indian Reservation allows access for fishing and hiking for non-tribal members who purchase a tribal fishing license available from local retailers. The license allows access to fishing lands on the southern half of the reservation, including in
6555-536: The Wind River Reservation resides, provides opportunities for visitors to see and participate in important cultural experiences. Scheduled powwows are available to attend by the public. There are three larger celebrations throughout the year in Wind River Country, including the Eastern Shoshone Powwow in June, the Ethete Celebration in July, and the Northern Arapaho Powwow in September. These ceremonies are an important aspect of Native American culture, that involve feasting, singing and dancing. An important aspect of
6670-420: The Wind River Valley and Absaroka Range, using the area as winter range, and fighting with Shoshones who came into the area. Crow Chief Arapooish mentioned the Wind River Valley as a preferred wintering ground with salt bush and cottonwood bark for horse forage in a speech recorded in the 1830s and published in Washington Irving 's Adventures of Captain Bonneville . Meanwhile, Washakie and his people avoided
6785-429: The Wind River persists in the name of the Middle Fork Popo Agie River , pronounced "poepoe-zhuh", which comes from the Crow word Poppootcháashe , an onomatopoeia meaning "plopping river". The Crow word for the Green River, farther west, is Chiichkase Aashe or Seedskadee Aashe , meaning " sage hen river." The Fort Bridger Treaty Council of 1868 effectively designated the Wind River Valley as exclusive territory of
6900-503: The ages of 20 and 29. Of the 88 attempts, alcohol was involved in 47 cases, with 46 male and 42 females attempting suicide. Many events were created to attempt to stop this suicide epidemic that hit the reservation. Parents and elder community members closed bingo nights for children and hosted recreational activities instead. The schools extended hours for learning centers and gymnasiums. An alcohol treatment program began holding weekly alcohol-free teen dances, which were very popular and had
7015-458: The amount of land—and fifth in the proportion of its land—that is owned by the federal government. Its federal lands include two national parks ( Grand Teton and Yellowstone ), two national recreation areas, two national monuments, and several national forests, as well as historic sites, fish hatcheries, and wildlife refuges. Indigenous peoples inhabited the region for thousands of years. Historic and currently federally recognized tribes include
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#17327732070747130-438: The area for trade with the tribes. French toponyms such as Téton and La Ramie are marks of that history. American John Colter first recorded a description in English of the region in 1807. He was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition , which was guided by French Canadian Toussaint Charbonneau and his young Shoshone wife, Sacagawea . At the time, Colter's reports of the Yellowstone area were considered fictional. On
7245-405: The attack by digging rifle pits inside their tepees, and then mounting a counterattack. The last significant conflict occurred in June 1874, when 167 Shoshones and U.S. cavalry attacked the Arapaho at the Bates Battlefield on the head of Nowood Creek in the Bridger Mountains east of the Shoshone Indian Reservation. Camp Augur, a military post with troops named for General Christopher C. Augur ,
7360-400: The bulk of the Rocky Mountains. The Teton Range in the northwest extends for 50 miles (80 km), part of which is included in Grand Teton National Park . The park includes the Grand Teton , the second-highest peak in the state. The Continental Divide spans north–south across the central portion of the state. Rivers east of the divide drain into the Missouri River Basin and eventually
7475-445: The cession required the United States to pay the tribes for each area of land settled upon. Seeing that large parts of the ceded area were never taken up by settlers, the ceded portion of the reservation was later restored to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes. In the winter of 1878–79, the United States Army escorted the Northern Arapaho to the Sweetwater Valley near Independence Rock and then temporarily placed them at
7590-431: The country (behind Alaska ) and is the sparsest-populated of the 48 contiguous states . It is one of only two states with a population smaller than that of the nation's capital; the only other state with this distinction is Vermont . According to HUD 's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report , there were an estimated 648 homeless people in Wyoming. According to the 2020 census, the population's racial composition
7705-449: The designating legislation for the Territory of Wyoming , Wyoming's borders are lines of latitude 41°N and 45°N , and longitude 104°3'W and 111°3'W (27 and 34 west of the Washington Meridian )—a geodesic quadrangle. Wyoming is one of only three states (the others being Colorado and Utah ) to have borders defined by only "straight" lines. Due to surveying inaccuracies during the 19th century, Wyoming's legal border deviates from
7820-422: The early 21st century, the media reported problems of reservation poverty and unemployment, resulting in associated crime and a high rate of drug abuse . In 2012, The New York Times released an article titled "Brutal Crimes Grip an Indian Reservation". According to this article, written by Timothy Williams, an Iraq war strategy, "the surge", was used to attempt to fight crime, taking hundreds of officers from
7935-512: The establishment of forts, such as Fort Laramie , that today serve as population centers. The Transcontinental Railroad supplanted the wagon trails in 1867 with a route through southern Wyoming, bringing new settlers and the establishment of founding towns, including the state capital of Cheyenne. On March 27, 1890, Wyoming became the union's 44th state. Wyoming is known for having a political culture that leans towards libertarian conservatism . The Republican presidential nominee has carried
8050-401: The filing, which creates an opportunity for a tax haven . Wyoming levies no individual or corporate income tax and no tax on retirement income. Several Native American groups originally inhabited the region today known as Wyoming. The Crow , Arapaho , Lakota , and Shoshone were but a few of the original inhabitants European explorers encountered when they first visited the region. What
8165-764: The first ever gathering as early as 1815 at the junction of the North Platte and Laramie Rivers after befriending numerous native American tribes. Rendezvous were known to be lively, joyous places, where all were allowed—fur trappers, Indians, native trapper wives and children, harlots, travelers and later tourists—who would venture from as far as Europe to observe the festivities. James Beckwourth describes: "Mirth, songs, dancing, shouting, trading, running, jumping, singing, racing, target-shooting, yarns, frolic, with all sorts of extravagances that white men or Indians could invent." Rendezvous are still celebrated as gatherings of like-minded individuals. The fur trading rendezvous are celebrated by traditional black-powder rifle clubs in
8280-472: The first female court bailiff (Mary Atkinson, Laramie, in 1870), and the first female justice of the peace in the country ( Esther Hobart Morris , South Pass City, in 1870). In 1924, Wyoming was the first state to elect a female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross , who took office in January 1925. Due to its civil-rights history, one of Wyoming's state nicknames is "The Equality State", and the official state motto
8395-662: The following: the Catholic Church (69,500); the LDS Church (67,729); and the Southern Baptist Convention (11,082). Non-denominational Protestants were 23,410 in number. According to ARDA's 2020 report, the Roman Catholics had an adherence rate of 120.48 per 1,000 people, Mormons 117.41 per 1,000 people, and Southern Baptists 19.21 per 1,000 people. Non-denominational Protestants had an adherence rate of 40.58 per 1,000 people; these trends reflected
8510-657: The fur trade started to wipe out bison in the Green River Basin. In the 1830s and 1840s, they are recorded as raiding in the Platte River and Powder River basins, and the Laramie Plains . The Shoshone regularly used the Wind River Basin as winter range or as a route to hunting grounds in the Sweetwater , Bighorn Basin , Bighorn Mountains , or Powder River Basin. Coming from the other direction,
8625-541: The land. It wasn't until the conclusion of the 1938 U.S. Supreme Court Case United States v. Shoshone Tribe of Indians that the government recognized it had wrongly given Shoshone land and resources to the Arapaho. A subsequent land deal then officially solidified Arapaho claim as half-owners of tribal lands and resources on the Shoshone Indian Reservation, which was officially renamed the Wind River Indian Reservation. This complicated history of
8740-542: The late 1850s or early 1860s. Washakie likely opted to challenge the Crow because the emigrant trails and increasing white settlement in Utah, Idaho, and Montana made hunting in those areas harder. This left the Crow-occupied Wind River Valley as the only place Washakie could use force to secure hunting grounds from a rival tribe without significantly opposing American interests. The Crow legacy in
8855-412: The lead investigators on the homicide. The reservation has six officers who are responsible for patrolling an area about the size of Rhode Island . Two teenage boys were arrested in connection with the girls' deaths. One boy had given them his grandmother's methadone, saying that the girls were already high and he wanted to help them, because they didn't want to go home and have their parents see them. In
8970-655: The main drivers of Wyoming's economy. The federal government owns about 42.3% of its landmass, while the state controls 6%. The total taxable value of mining production in Wyoming in 2007 was over $ 14.5 billion. In 2018, tourism industry contributed approximately $ 3.8 billion in spending from domestic and international visitors. In 2002, more than six million people visited Wyoming's national parks and monuments. Wyoming's main tourist attractions include Grand Teton National Park , Yellowstone National Park , Devils Tower National Monument , Independence Rock and Fossil Butte National Monument . Yellowstone, established in 1872 as
9085-538: The majority are in Jackson Lake and Yellowstone Lake , within Yellowstone National Park in the northwest portion of the state. The Green River in the southwest also contains a number of islands. The state of Wyoming has 23 counties . Wyoming license plates have a number on the left that indicates the county where the vehicle is registered, ranked by an earlier census. Specifically,
9200-462: The miners. However, the area was too dangerous for the Shoshone to occupy year-round, so Chief Washakie kept his people closer to Fort Bridger for several years after 1868. Washakie's son was killed in a raid by enemy tribes, and the Oglala Lakota leader Hump, a mentor of Crazy Horse , was killed fighting the Shoshone in the Wind River Basin. Intertribal conflicts occurred several times in
9315-416: The numbers are representative of the property values of the counties in 1930. The county license plate numbers are: The State of Wyoming has 99 incorporated municipalities . In 2020, 51.1% of Wyomingites lived in one of the 12 most populous Wyoming municipalities. The United States Census Bureau has defined two metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) and eight micropolitan statistical areas (MiSA) for
9430-417: The park lies within the northwestern corner of Wyoming. On December 10, 1869, territorial Governor John Allen Campbell extended the right to vote to women, making Wyoming the first territory to do so, and upon statehood became the first state to grant women's suffrage . Women first served on juries in Wyoming ( Laramie in 1870). Wyoming was also a pioneer in welcoming women into electoral politics. It had
9545-485: The population in 2011, 3,737 were Shoshone and 8,177 were Arapaho. There were 1,888,000 acres (7,640 km) of tribal land with 180,387 acres (730.00 km) of wilderness area. In 2000, 6,728 (28.9%) were Native Americans (full or part) and of them 54% were Arapaho and 30% Shoshone. Of the Native American population, 22% spoke a language other than English at home. The Wind River Indian Reservation established
9660-470: The post-1600s westward migration of Siouan and Algonquian -speaking peoples brought new populations onto the plains and traditional Shoshone territory of the middle Rocky Mountains. The earliest of these midwestern, Missouri River, and Great Lakes tribes to migrate to the Great Plains include the Crow, Cheyenne, and Arapaho, though some sources say the Arapaho potentially occupied the Great Plains for 1,000 years. Most of these tribes were initially located on
9775-496: The powwow is showcasing the regalia of the dancers. Each piece is personally significant to the dancer, uniquely handmade, utilizing feathers, shells, bones, beadwork and sometimes family heirlooms. The dances performed are traditional dances, unique to the tribe they belong to, as is the music. The spectacle is described on the Wind River Country's tourism website, telling prospective visitors, "If you close your eyes for
9890-432: The reservation community also suffers from the legacy of settler colonialism , dispossession from land, forced assimilation and cultural destruction, family disruption, environmental extraction and degradation, disenfranchisement , and inter-generational poverty. Though media portrayals produced by outsiders frequently note these disparities, tribal members have publicly objected to such narratives, noting that they are not
10005-636: The reservation's situation has gotten to the point where the Public Health Service can only fund things that require emergency care. The lack of funding has resulted in fewer surgeries and medical procedures. The Fort Washakie Health Center is only working with slightly more than half of its needed funding, according to Richard Brannan, chief executive officer of the Indian Health Service. Wyoming Wyoming ( / w aɪ ˈ oʊ m ɪ ŋ / wye- OH -ming )
10120-475: The reservation. In the 1970s and 1980s, oil and gas operators on the Wind River Indian Reservation were found to be stealing oil from the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho. In a coordinated scheme, companies extracted oil and paid some production royalties to tribes, while also secretly collecting and selling a separate supply of oil for which they paid no royalties. The exposé led to reforms. Of
10235-519: The reservation. They were found in the bedroom of a small home in Beaver Creek, which is a low-income tribal housing community. They had overdosed on methadone , a painkiller which is used to wean heroin addicts off of heroin. No one knows how they received the painkillers, which is why the coroner ruled their deaths homicides . The reservation has a very thin police force, which led to the FBI being
10350-513: The sale of the Thermopolis Hot Springs . This was despite Shoshone protests (which were later held up in court) that the Arapaho had no legal claim to the reservation. According to historian Loretta Fowler, Arapaho leaders at the time were aware they had no real legal status to reservation land in the Wind River Valley. They participated in land cessions and allotment of reservation land in part to solidify their title and claims to
10465-485: The school year. St. Michael's at Ethete was constructed in 1917–1920. The village of Arapahoe was originally established as a US sub-agency to distribute rations to the Arapaho . At one time it also operated a large trading post. Irrigation was constructed to support farming and ranching in the arid region. The Arapaho constructed a flour mill near Fort Washakie. Separately, under the Dawes Act , communal tribal land
10580-574: The separate 2014 Pew study's varying attendance at religious services. In 2014, 38% visited a religious service at least once a week, 28% once or twice a month, and 32% seldom/never. A 2018 research article by the National Christian Foundation cited non-churchgoing Christians nationwide did not attend religious services often through practicing the faith in other ways, not finding a house of worship they liked, disliking sermons and feeling unwelcomed, and logistics. According to
10695-991: The soil and eventually evaporates. Several rivers begin in or flow through the state, including the Yellowstone River, Bighorn River, Green River, and the Snake River. Much of Wyoming is covered with large basins containing different eco-regions, from shrublands to smaller patches of desert. Regions of the state classified as basins contain everything from large geologic formations to sand dunes and vast unpopulated spaces. Basin landscapes are typically at lower elevations and include rolling hills, valleys, mesas, terraces and other rugged terrain, but also include natural springs as well as rivers and artificial reservoirs. They have common plant species such as various subspecies of sagebrush , juniper and grasses such as wheatgrass , but basins are known for their diversity of plant and animal species. Wyoming has 32 named islands;
10810-477: The south-central part of the state is an extension of the Colorado Rockies both in geology and in appearance. The Wind River Range in the west central part of the state is remote and includes more than 40 mountain peaks in excess of 13,000 ft (4,000 m) tall in addition to Gannett Peak , the highest peak in the state. The Bighorn Mountains in the north-central portion are somewhat isolated from
10925-543: The southeastern plains of the state having the most days of thunderstorm activity. Thunderstorm activity in the state is highest during the late spring and early summer. The southeastern corner of the state is the most vulnerable part of the state to tornado activity. Moving away from that point and westwards, the incidence of tornadoes drops dramatically with the west part of the state showing little vulnerability. Tornadoes, where they occur, tend to be small and brief, unlike some of those that occur farther east. As specified in
11040-447: The state are characterized by a rapid cooldown with even the hottest locations averaging in the 50–60 °F (10–16 °C) range at night. In most of the state, most of the precipitation tends to fall in the late spring and early summer. Winters are cold but are variable with periods of sometimes extreme cold interspersed between generally mild periods, with Chinook winds providing unusually warm temperatures in some locations. Wyoming
11155-437: The state in every election since 1968 . It is one of the least religious states in the country. Wyoming was the first state to allow women the right to vote (not counting New Jersey, which had allowed it until 1807 ), and the right to assume elected office, as well as the first state to elect a female governor. In honor of this part of its history, its most common nickname is "The Equality State" and its official state motto
11270-468: The state population by 2020. According to a 2013 Gallup poll, Wyomingites' religious affiliations were 49% Protestant, 23% nonreligious or other, 18% Catholic, 9% Latter-day Saint (Mormons), and less than 1% Jewish . A 2010 Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) report recognized as Wyoming's largest denominations the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), with 62,804 (11%);
11385-681: The state. Immigration resulted in a net increase of 2,264 and migration within the country produced a net increase of 1,771. In 2004, the foreign-born population was 11,000 (2.2%). In 2005, total births in Wyoming were 7,231 (birth rate of 14.04 per thousand). According to the 2000 census, the largest ancestry groups in Wyoming were: German (26.0%), English (16.0%), Irish (13.3%), Norwegian (4.3%), and Swedish (3.5%). In 2018, The top countries of origin for Wyoming's immigrants were Mexico , China , Germany , England and Canada . Note: Births in table do not add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving
11500-494: The state. In 2020, 31.3% of Wyomingites lived in either of the metropolitan statistical areas, and 80.4% lived in either a metropolitan or a micropolitan area. The 2020 United States census counted 576,851 people living in Wyoming. The center of population of Wyoming is in Natrona County . Sparsely populated, Wyoming is the least populous state of the United States. Wyoming has the second-lowest population density in
11615-567: The telling of tall tales and of past rendezvous. Personas taken on by participants include trappers, traders, housewives, Native Americans, frontiersmen, free-trappers and others, including soldiers. Although the original style of rendezvous are now unnecessary and no longer occur, in their memory various Wyoming towns and cities (especially ones where rendezvous previously occurred) will put on local festivals resembling town fairs. There may also be another section of this festival dedicated to more traditional item buying, selling and activities. Some of
11730-571: The territory. As early as 1862, Indian Agent Luther Mann Jr. recommended creating a permanent reservation for the Shoshone. After prospectors discovered gold at South Pass in 1867, the United States Indian agent sought to limit numerous tribes from raiding mining camps by placing the Shoshone reservation in the Wind River Valley as a buffer. The United States hoped that tribes like the Crow, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Lakota, and Arapaho would attack their traditional Shoshone enemies instead of
11845-462: The tribal roadless area that encompasses part of the dramatic Wind River Range. Hikers and mountaineers seeking the closest approach to Gannett Peak can hire a guide to drive into a trailhead. The reservation licenses contractors in Thermopolis to offer whitewater rafting and fishing outfitting in the spectacular Wind River Canyon . The Wind River Country, the wide expansion of land on which
11960-417: The tribe from the formerly vast Shoshone territory of more than 44 million acres (180,000 km). A later settlement and land transaction after United States v. Shoshone Tribe of Indians gave the Arapaho legal claim to the reservation, which was renamed the Wind River Indian Reservation. The Shoshone leader Washakie had a preference for the area, and had previously defeated the Crow in battle to hold
12075-456: The true latitude and longitude lines by up to one-half mile (0.80 km) in some spots, especially in the mountainous region along the 45th parallel . Wyoming is bordered on the north by Montana , on the east by South Dakota and Nebraska , on the south by Colorado , on the southwest by Utah , and on the west by Idaho . It is the tenth largest state in the United States in total area, containing 97,814 square miles (253,340 km ) and
12190-754: The west side and another 500,000 acres (2,000 km) on the north of the reservation. The Northern Arapaho established a bison herd in 2019. Facilities for tourism include hotels located at the Wind River Casino and the Shoshone Rose Casino. There are numerous cultural centers and interpretive displays at the Eastern Shoshone Cultural Center and library at Fort Washakie School, as well as the Northern Arapaho Experience Room at
12305-525: The whole story of life in reservation communities. High Country News tribal desk editor Tristan Ahtone ( Kiowa ) used Wind River media coverage by the New York Times , CNN, and Business Insider as examples of simplistic negative narratives that future journalists can work to disrupt through accurate portrayals of Native American realities, both good and bad. In 2009, three young Native American girls (13, 14, and 15 years of age) were murdered on
12420-553: The world's first national park, attracts over three million visitors each year. Rocky Mountain Rendezvous The Rocky Mountain Rendezvous was an annual rendezvous , held between 1825 and 1840 at various locations, organized by a fur trading company at which trappers and mountain men sold their furs and hides and replenished their supplies. The fur companies assembled teamster -driven mule trains which carried whiskey and supplies to
12535-407: Was 84.7% white (81.4% non-Hispanic white), 2.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.9% Asian American, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 3.5% from some other race, and 7.5% from two or more races. As of 2011, 24.9% of Wyoming's population younger than age 1 were minorities. According to data from the American Community Survey , as of 2018, Wyoming
12650-436: Was allotted to individual households, which could later be sold to non-tribal members, further diminishing the tribal land base. In 1904 the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho ceded a portion of the reservation north of the Wind River to the United States and opened to white settlement. The Riverton Reclamation Project and the city of Riverton developed on some of this land. Instead of a lump-sum payment or upfront purchase,
12765-488: Was established at the present site of Lander on June 28, 1869. (Augur was the general present at the signing of the Fort Bridger Treaty in 1868.) In 1870 the name of the camp was changed to Camp Brown, and in 1871, the post was moved to the current site of Fort Washakie . The name was changed to honor United States ally and Shoshone Chief Washakie in 1878. The fort continued to serve as a military post until
12880-499: Was that only 8 of 12 American Indians said that alcohol is a very serious problem on the reservation, while 11 of 12 Whites said the same. In an article in the Casper Star-Tribune , of the 79 deaths from 2004, a quarter of the deaths were attributed to alcoholic cirrhosis and half were alcoholic deaths due to car crashes and homicide connected to drugs. According to Cathy Keene, local director for Indian Health Services,
12995-571: Was the location of the Johnson County War of 1892, which erupted between competing groups of cattle ranchers. The passage of the Homestead Act led to an influx of small ranchers. A range war broke out when either or both of the groups chose violent conflict over commercial competition in the use of the public land. The region had acquired the name Wyoming by 1865 when Representative James Mitchell Ashley of Ohio introduced
13110-431: Was the only U.S. state where African Americans earn a higher median income than white workers. As of 2015, Wyoming had an estimated population of 586,107, which was an increase of 1,954, or 0.29%, from the prior year and an increase of 22,481, or 3.99%, since the 2010 census . This includes a natural increase since the last census of 12,165 (33,704 births minus 21,539 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 4,035 into
13225-565: Was used as the route for construction of Interstate 80 through the mountains 90 years later. After the Union Pacific Railroad reached Cheyenne in 1867, population growth was stimulated. The federal government established the Wyoming Territory on July 25, 1868. Lacking significant deposits of gold and silver, unlike mineral-rich Colorado , Wyoming did not have such a population boom. But South Pass City had
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