The Native Races (Vol. 1-5). Hubert Howe Bancroft
Columbia. Their territory is bounded on the north and west by … the Blackfeet and Crows.' Brownell's Ind. Races, pp. 537–8.
THE SNAKES.
The Snakes, or Shoshones proper, although they form a part only of the great Shoshone family, are usually termed 'the Shoshones' by the authorities. They are divided by Dr. Hurt into 'Snakes, Bannacks, Tosiwitches, Gosha Utes, and Cumumpahs, though he afterwards classes the last two divisions as hybrid races between the Shoshones and the Utahs. … The Shoshones claim the northeastern portion of the territory for about four hundred miles west, and from one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five miles south from the Oregon line.' Simpson's Route to Cal., p. 46. 'The great Snake nation may be divided into three divisions, namely, the Shirrydikas, or dog-eaters; the Wararereekas, or fish-eaters; and the Banattees, or robbers. But, as a nation, they all go by the general appellation of Shoshones, or Snakes. … The Shirrydikas are the real Shoshones, and live in the plains hunting the buffalo.' The country claimed by the Snake tribes 'is bounded on the east by the Rocky Mountains, on the south by the Spanish waters; on the Pacific, or west side, by an imaginary line, beginning at the west end, or spur, of the Blue Mountains, behind Fort Nez Percés, and running parallel with the ocean to the height of land beyond the Umpqua River, in about north lat. 41° (this line never approaches within 150 miles of the Pacific); and on the north by another line, running due east from the said spur of the Blue Mountains, and crossing the great south branch, or Lewis River, at the Dalles, till it strikes the Rocky Mountains 200 miles north of the three pilot knobs, or the place thereafter named the 'Valley of Troubles.'' Ross' Fur Hunters, vol. i., pp. 249, 251. 'They embrace all the territory of the Great South Pass, between the Mississippi valley and the waters of the Columbia. … Under the name of Yampatickara or Root-eaters and Bonacks they occupy with the Utahs the vast elevated basin of the Great Salt Lake, extending south and west to the borders of New Mexico and California.' Brownell's Ind. Races, pp. 533–7, 540. 'The hunters report, that the proper country of the Snakes is to the east of the Youta Lake, and north of the Snake or Lewis river; but they are found in many detached places. The largest band is located near Fort Boise, on the Snake river to the north of the Bonacks.' Wilkes' Nar., in U. S. Ex. Ex., vol. iv., p. 501. The Shoshones 'occupy the centre and principal part of the great Basin.' Taylor, in Cal. Farmer, Oct. 18, 1861. 'Inhabit that part of the Rocky Mountains which lies on the Grand and Green River branches of the Colorado of the West, the valley of Great Bear River, the habitable shores of the Great Salt Lake, a considerable portion of country on Snake River above and below Fort Hall, and a tract extending two or three hundred miles to the west of that post.' Farnham's Trav., p. 61. The Shoshones inhabit about one third of the territory of Utah, living north of Salt Lake 'and on the line of the Humboldt or Mary River, some 400 miles west and 100 to 125 south of the Oregon line. The Yuta claim the rest of the territory between Kansas, the Sierra Nevada, New Mexico and the Oregon frontier.' Burton's City of the Saints, p. 575. 'Les Soshonies, c'est-à-dire les déterreurs de racines, surnommés les Serpents, … habitent la partie méridionale du territoire de l'Orégon, dans le voisinage de la haute Californie.' De Smet, Voy., p. 24. 'Their country lies south-west of the south-east branch of the Columbia, and is said to be the most barren of any part of the country in these western regions.' Parker's Explor. Tour, p. 83. 'On the south part of the Oregon Territory, adjoining upper California, are located the Shoshones or Snake Indians.' Ib., p. 308. 'Serpents ou Saaptins, Monquis, Bonacks et Youtas toutes les branches du Rio Colombia ou Sud-Est et les environs du lac Salé an Timpanogos.' Mofras, Explor., tom. ii., p. 335. 'The country of the Shoshonees proper is south of Lewis or Snake River, and east of the Salt Lake. There is, however one detached band, known as the Wihinasht, or Western Snakes, near Fort Boirie, separated from the main body by the tribe of Bonnaks.' Hale's Ethnog., in U. S. Ex. Ex., vol. vi., p. 219. 'The Shoshones are a small tribe of the nation called Snake Indians, a vague denomination, which embraces at once the inhabitants of the southern part of the Rocky mountains, and of the plains on each side.' Lewis and Clarke's Trav., p. 305. The Snakes or Shothoucs 'formerly occupied the whole of that vast territory lying between the Rocky and the Blue Mountains, and extending northward to the lower fork of the Columbia, and to the south as far as the basin of the Great Salt Lake.' Coke's Rocky Mts., p. 275. 'They occupy southern and western Nevada.' Parker, in Ind. Aff. Rept., 1869, p. 18. 'They inhabit the southern part of the Rocky Mountains and the plains on each side.' Bulfinch's Ogn., p. 124. 'They occupy all the country between the southern branches of Lewis's river, extending from the Umatullum to the E. side of the Stony Mountains, on the southern parts of Wallaumut river from about 40° to 47° N. Lat. A branch of this tribe reside … in spring and summer on the W. fork of Lewis river, a branch of the Columbia, and in winter and fall on the Missouri.' Morse's Rept., p. 369. 'The Shoshones dwell between the Rocky and blue mountain ranges.' Nicolay's Ogn. Ter., p. 151. 'The aboriginees of the Reese River country consist of the Shoshone nation, divided into many subordinate tribes, each having a distinctive name, and occupying a tract of country varying from 20 to 50 miles square. Their country is bordered on the west by the Pi-Utes, the Edwards Creek mountains some 20 miles west of Reese River, being the dividing line. On the east it extends to Ruby Valley, where it joins on the territory of the Goshoots, the Bannocks being their neighbors on the northeast.' Cal. Farmer, June 26, 1863. 'The Snake tribe, inhabit the country bordering on Lewis and Bear Rivers, and their various tributaries.' Palmer's Jour., p. 43. 'The Snake Indians, who embrace many tribes, inhabit a wide extent of country at the head of Snake River above and below Fort Hall, and the vicinity of Great Bear River and Great Salt Lake. They are a migratory race, and generally occupy the south-eastern portion of Oregon.' Dunn's Ogn., p. 325. The Shoshones inhabit the great plains to the southward of the Lewis River. Cox's Adven., vol. ii., p. 143. The Shoshones occupy 'almost the whole eastern half of the State (Nevada). The line separating them from the Pai-Utes on the east and south is not very clearly defined.' Parker, in Ind. Aff. Rept., 1866, p. 114. 'The western bands of Shoshones … range from the Idaho boundary north, southward to the thirty-eighth parallel; their western limit is the line passing through the Sunatoya Mountains; their eastern limit Steptoe and Great Salt Lake Valleys.' Ind. Aff. Rept., 1870, p. 95. The Snakes inhabit 'the plains of the Columbia between the 43d and 44th degrees of latitude.' Franchère's Nar., p. 150. The Washakeeks or Green River Snakes inhabit the country drained by Green River and its tributaries. The Tookarikkahs, or mountain sheep-eaters, 'occupy the Salmon river country and the upper part of Snake River Valley, and Coiners' Prairie, near the Boise mines.' These two bands are the genuine Snakes; other inferior bands are the Hokandikahs or Salt Lake Diggers who 'inhabit the region about the great lake.' The Aggitikkahs or Salmon-eaters who 'occupy the region round about Salmon falls, on Snake river.' Stuart's Montana, p. 80.
BANNACKS AND UTAHS.
'The Bannacks, who are generally classed with the Snakes, inhabit the country south of here, (Powder River) in the vicinity of Harney lake. … The Winnas band of Snakes inhabit the country north of Snake river, and are found principally on the Bayette, Boise, and Sickley rivers.' Kirkpatrick, in Ind. Aff. Rept., 1862, pp. 267–8. The Bonacks 'inhabit the country between Fort Boise and Fort Hall.' Wilkes' Nar., in U. S. Ex. Ex., vol. iv., p. 502. They 'inhabit the southern borders of Oregon, along the old Humboldt River emigrant road.' Simpson's Route to Cal., p. 47. The Bonaks seem 'to embrace Indian tribes inhabiting a large extent of country west of the Rocky Mountains. As the name imports, it was undoubtedly given to that portion of Indians who dig and live on the roots of the earth.' Johnston, in Schoolcraft's Arch., vol. iv., p. 221. The Bonaks inhabit 'the banks of that part of Saptin or Snake River which lies between the mouth of Boisais or Reeds River and the Blue Mountains.' Farnham's Trav., p. 76. The Bonax inhabit the country west of the Lewis fork of the Columbia between the forty-second and forty-fourth parallels. Parker's Map. The Bannacks range through northern Nevada, and into Oregon and Idaho. Parker, in Ind. Aff. Rept., 1869, p. 18. They 'claim the southwestern portions of Montana as their land.' Sully, in Id., p. 289. 'This tribe occupies most of that portion of Nevada north of the forty-first degree of north latitude, with the southeastern corner of Oregon and the southwestern corner of Idaho.' Parker, in Id., 1866, p. 114. The Bannocks drift 'from Boise City to the game country