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Bannock Indian Culture and History

People: The Bannock Indians are a Native American tribe of the Great Basin region, particularly what is now Idaho, though they were a widely traveled tribe who also had outposts in parts of Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia. The Bannocks are closely related to the Northern Paiute tribe, and speak a dialect of the Northern Paiute language. Today, most Bannock people live on the Fort Hall reservation in Idaho, where they have merged with their allies the Shoshones.

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Names: Many alternate spellings have been used for the Bannock tribe, including Bannack, Banakwut, Bana'kwut, Banate, Panaki, Panakwati, Pan'akwati, Pannaitti, Panaiti, Panaeti, Panaili, Punnush, Ounash, Punashly, and Ponasht. The Bannocks have also been known as Nimi, which means "people" in their native language, or Snake Indians, a historical term that was used to refer to Shoshones and Paiutes as well as Bannocks.

Our Bannock Websites

Paiute/Bannock Language:
    Language learning worksheets and directory of resources for the Bannock Indian language.
Bannock Facts for Kids:
    Questions and answers about Bannock culture.
Bannock Legends:
    Collection of Bannock Indian legends and origin stories.

Maps of Bannock Lands

The Great Basin Culture Area * Language Map of the Numic Tribes:
    Maps showing the approximate locations of the Bannocks and their neighboring tribes.
Idaho Tribal Map * Utah Tribal Map:
    State maps showing the location of the combined Shoshone-Bannock people.

Bannock Tribal and Community Websites

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes:
    Official homepage of the Shoshone-Bannock Indians of Fort Hall Reservation.
Sho-Ban Tribal Enterprises:
    Homepage of a tribally owned economic consortium of Shoshone-Bannock businesses.
Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council:
    Coalition of ten Indian tribes in Montana and Wyoming, including the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.
Fort Hall Indian Agency:
    Website of the BIA office representing the Shoshone and Bannock tribes.
Shoshone-Bannock High School:
    Homepage of the Shoshone-Bannock tribal school.
Fort Hall Casino:
    Homepage of the Shoshone-Bannock casino.

Books for sale on the Bannocks
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The Bannock of Idaho:
    History book about the Bannock Indian tribe.
Northern Paiute-Bannock Dictionary:
    Good dictionary of the Bannock language.
The Shoshone-Bannocks:
    History of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.
Sage Smoke: Tales of the Shoshoni-Bannock Indians:
    Collection of Shoshone and Bannock legends.
The Rocks Are Ringing: Bannock-Paiute Indian War, Oregon, 1878:
    History of the Bannock Indian War.
Chief Pocatello:
    Biography of Pocatello, 19th-century tribal leader of the Shoshone-Bannocks at Fort Hill.
Native American Indian Books:
    Evolving list of books about Bannocks and American Indians in general.

Bannock Lifestyle and Tradition

Shoshone Bannock Tribal Museum:
    Online video exhibit of Shoshone-Bannock culture from the Fort Hall tribal museum.
Cordage People: The Bannock Tribe:
    Children's exhibit on Bannock Indian life, with pictures and a map of Idaho.
Northern Shoshone and Bannock Indians:
    Articles on Shoshone-Bannock customs and traditions.
Bannock Tribe History: * Bannock Indians:
    Early 20th century articles on the Bannock tribe.
Bannock Authors:
    Bannock writers, their lives and work.
Shoshone-Bannock Fry Bread * Bannock Fish Recipe * Chokecherry Pudding * Shoshone Bannock Rock Chuck:
    Sagebrush Tea:
    How to make traditional Bannock recipes.
Fort Hall Pow Wow: * Shoshone-Bannock Indian Festival:
    Websites about the Shoshone-Bannock festival and powwow.
Ramon Murillo Fine Artwork:
    Homepage of a Shoshone-Bannock tribal artist.
The Art of Beadwork:
    Online photo-essay featuring Shoshone and Bannock types of beaded clothing.
Bannock Ethnobotany:
    Information on the traditional uses of plants in the Bannock tribe.
Shoshone-Bannock Ceremonial Buffalo Hunt:
    The annual tribal tradition of bison hunting.
Tribe Celebrates History And Culture Through Horse Racing: * Bannock or Banate Tribe and Their Horses:
    People of the Horse:
    The importance of horses to Shoshone and Bannock culture.
Bannock Wickiup: * Bannock family with their tepee:
    Old photographs of traditional Bannock homes.
A Hisotry of Shoshone-Bannock Indian Art:
    Online museum exhibit of Shoshone-Bannock crafts.
Bannock Cultural Objects:
    Museum exhibit with photos of Bannock baskets, tools, and other artifacts.
Shoshone Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall Reservation:
    The Shoshone-Bannock tribal flag.

Bannock Religion and Myth

Bannock Religion and Expressive Culture:
    Information about religious beliefs and ceremonies in the Shoshone-Bannock tribes.
Native American Funeral Traditions:
    Explanation of Native burial rituals by a Shoshone-Bannock funeral director.
Bannock Legends:
    Collection of Bannock Indian myths and origin stories.

Bannock Politics, Issues, and News

Sho-Ban News:
    Online newspaper of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes.
We Are the Same as the Salmon: * Panther Creek Fisheries Revitalization Project: * Idaho Salmon Recovery Plan:
    Articles on the Shoshone=Bannock struggle to save the sockeye salmon population from extinction.
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes oppose delisting of Yellowstone grizzly:
    Tribal opposition to the removal of the grizzly bear from Endangered Species protection.
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Claim City Creek Trailhead: * Tribes, federal agency claim same land in eastern Idaho:
    Disagreement over ownership and management of a popular trailhead on Shoshone-Bannock territory.

Bannock History and Biography

Bannock Indian History:
    Information on Bannock history and genealogy.
The Snake War in Idaho: * Chief Big Foot (Howluck) and the Snake War: * Bannock, Snake and Paiute War:
    Battle of Owyhee River:
    Articles about the Snake War of the 1860's, which the Bannocks fought alongside the Shoshones and Paiutes.
Chief Buffalo Horn and the Bannock War: * The Bannock War of 1878: * Bannock War at Camas Prairie:
    Indians 101: The Bannock Indian War: * Account of the Bannock War:
    Articles about Bannock chief Buffalo Horn and the 1878 conflict with the Americans.
Chief Tahgee: * The Targhee Enigma:
    Information about the 19th-century Bannock leader Targhee.
Pocatello: A Warrior's Struggle to Survive: * Chief Pocatello:
    Information about the 19th-century Shoshone-Bannock leader Pocatello.
Bannock Indian Chiefs and Leaders:
    Profiles of Idaho Native American historical figures.
Lewis and Clark: The Bannock Indians:
    Records of the Bannock tribe from the journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805.
Indian Annie:
    Story of a Bannock child who survived the Army massacre of her town.
Shoshone-Bannock Treaty of 1868:
    Texts of historical treaties between the US government and the Bannock Indians.
Four Directions: Bannock:
    Timeline and links about Bannock history.

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Links, References, and Additional Information

   Bannock People * Wikipedia: Bannock: * Bannock Shoshone Tribe:
   Encyclopedia articles on the Bannock tribes.
   El Pueblo Bannock * Los Bannock * Paiute Septentrional y Bannock:
   Information about the Bannocks in Spanish.
   Bannock Resources * Shoshone-Bannock Tribes:
   Shoshone-Bannock links.



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