Nevada Tribes

Nevada tribes include 27 federally recognized tribes, bands, and colonies, primarily made up of three major Native groups: the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe. These Indigenous peoples have lived in the Great Basin region for thousands of years, adapting to its harsh deserts and high plateaus with expert knowledge of the land.

The Washoe traditionally lived around Lake Tahoe, while the Paiute and Shoshone spread across much of Nevada. Despite facing displacement, broken treaties, and cultural suppression, Nevada’s tribes maintain vibrant communities today, preserving language, ceremony, and tradition while advocating for land rights, water access, and environmental protection in both rural areas and urban centers like Reno and Las Vegas.

NEVADA FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES
(Federal List Last Updated 5/16)
There are 18 tribes, 4 bands and 4 councils which comprise the federally recognized Nevada Tribal Governments.
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation (Nevada and Utah)
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation
Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada
Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation (Nevada and Oregon)
Fort Mojave Indian Tribe (Arizona, California and Nevada)
Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony
Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony
Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada
The Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians includes four bands:

Battle Mountain Band
Elko Band
South Fork Band
Wells Band

Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation
The Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California includes four councils:

Carson Community Council
Dresslerville Community Council
Stewart Community Council
Woodfords Community Council

Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada
Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch
Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba Reservation
NEVADA STATE RECOGNIZED TRIBES
(Not recognized by the Federal Governemnt)
None
UNRECOGNIZED / PETITIONING TRIBES
Pahrump Band of Paiutes, Letter of Intent to Petition 11/9/1987.
FIRST CONTACT TO PRESENT
The Washoe tribe inhabited the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range that forms the border between present-day Nevada and California.
They were highly skilled basket makers and used a dialect that was markedly different from that of the other Nevada Indians.
The Paiute lived in northern and southern Nevada. Both groups depended primarily on hunting, gathering, and fishing for their food.
Much of northeastern region was occupied by the Shoshone. They were part of a much larger group of Native Americans known as the Uto-Aztecan whose culture spread from present-day Washington State to the borders of Mexico.
One of the most famous members of the Nevada Shoshone tribe was Sacajawea who served as guide and interpreter for Lewis and Clark on their expedition.
PRE-CONTACT NEVADA TRIBES
PRE-HISTORIC CULTURES IN NEVADA
900 BC – Patayan and Anasazi Indians inhabited the Colorado River area.
1200 – Mojave Indians plant crops along river banks.
Native Americans inhabited the region that is now the state of Nevada thousands of years before Spanish explorers and fur traders began to explore the area.
Archaeological discoveries of bones and ashes in the southern portion of the state reveal that Native peoples lived there more than 20,000 years ago.
Cave drawings left by these ancient people can be found in the Valley of Fire State Park near present-day Las Vegas.  
RESOURCES
Genealogy:Sources of records on US Indian tribes
Nevada Native American Boarding Schools

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