The Paiute Indians once lived in parts of Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California. Much of their land had a harsh, desert climate, so in order to survive, the Paiute lived in small villages centered around lakes or wetlands well supplied with fish and wildlife.
As hunter-gatherers, they harvested seasonal, native plants and hunted rabbits and pronghorn.
The Paiute’s homes were temporary brush shelters, which made it easy to move from place to place to follow game and food supplies.
The Paiute had little contact with Europeans until the 1840s. As settlers came into their region, they brought with them new diseases and guns, and also stretched the area’s meager food resources.
The 1860s Gold Rush and white settlement of land in the newly opened territories created conflicts with the tribe. Most frequently, settlers would raid Paiute villages or harm tribe members in their quest for land, food, or other resources.
After battling settlers unsuccessfully, the Paiute were removed from their territory by the U.S. government in 1874.
Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation (F)
Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California (F)
Burns Paiute Tribe of the Burns Paiute Indian Colony of Oregon (F)
Cedar City Band of Paiutes
Cedarville Rancheria of Northern Paiute Indians
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation (Southern Paiute)(California) (F)
Colorado River Indian Tribes of the Colorado River Indian Reservation (Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo) (Arizona) and California) (F)
Fallon Paiute Tribe
Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort Independence Reservation (F)
Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation (F)
Indian Peaks Band of Paiutes
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation (F)
Kanosh Band of Paiutes
Koosharem Band of Paiutes
Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony (F)
Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony (F)
Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation (F)
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (F)
Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony (F)
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada (F)
Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community of the Lone Pine Reservation (F)
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, (F) Nevada
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony (Paiute, Shoshone, Washoe)(F) (Nevada)
San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona (F)
Shivwits Band of Paiutes
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation (F)
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada (F)
Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation (F)
Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation (F)
Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada (Northern Paiute and Shoshone) (F) (Nevada)
Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington (F)
Pala Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pala Reservation, (F) (California)
Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona (F) (Arizona)
Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians of California (F) (California)
Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine, (F) (Maine)
Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pauma & Yuima Reservation, (F) (California)
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma (F) (Oklahoma)
Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pechanga Reservation, (F) (California)
Penobscot Tribe of Maine (F) (Maine)
Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma (F) (Oklahoma)
Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California (F) (California)
Pit River Tribe, (F) (California)
includes:
XL Ranch
Big Bend Rancheria
Likely Rancheria
Lookout Rancheria
Montgomery Creek Rancheria
Roaring Creek Rancheria
The Southern Paiute traditionally lived in the Colorado River basin and Mojave Desert in northern Arizona and southeastern California including Owens Valley, southern Nevada and southern Utah. Terminated as a tribe in 1954 under federal efforts at assimilation, the Southern Paiute regained federal recognition in 1980.
Enrollment requirements of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation requires members to live on the reservation at least one year out of three and also requires a blood quantum of at least 1/4 Paiute or Shoshone ancestry.
The Enrollment Office oversees the tribal enrollment rolls of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation by keeping enrollment records of tribal members current and accurate.
Enrollment in the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians traces to the census roll of the Kaibab Indian Reservation of 1940.
There are only three requirements for enrollment in the Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort Independence Reservation. Section 1: The membership of the Fort Independence Community shall consist of: