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.
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:
Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation
The Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California includes four councils:
Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada
Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch
Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba Reservation
None
Pahrump Band of Paiutes, Letter of Intent to Petition 11/9/1987.
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.
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
Tap a state name below to explore Native American tribes by State.
Here is a list of places to visit in Nevada USA to learn about native american culture. Churchill County Museum and Archives 1050 S. Maine St. Fallon, NV 89406 tel (702) 423-3677 fax (702) 423-3662 Clark County Heritage Museum 1830…