Last Updated: 9 months The Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation call themselves the Agai-Dicutta Band of Northern Paiute Nation. They say they have occupied the Walker Lake Basin area of the Great Basin Region since time immemorial.
Official Tribal Name: Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation
Address: P.O. Box 220, Schurz, Nevada 89427
Phone: (702) 773-2306
Fax: (702) 773-2585
Email: Email the Walker River Paiute Tribe
Official Website: http://www.wrpt.us
Recognition Status: Federally Recognized
Traditional Name / Traditional Meaning
Their Paiute name is Agai-Dicutta Numu. They call themselves the Agai-Dicutta Band of Northern Paiute Nation. The English translation of Agai-Dicutta means “trout eaters.” Numu is a reference to their language.
Common Name / Meaning of Common Name:
Walker River Paiute Tribe
Alternate names / Alternate spellings:
Northern Paiute
Agai-Dicutta Band of Northern Paiute Nation
Name in other languages:
Region: Great Basin
State(s) Today: Central Nevada
Traditional Territory:
The Walker River Paiute Tribe has lived within the Walker Lake Basin area of the Great Basin for tens of thousands of years. They say their ancestors have been in this area since time immemorial.
Confederacy: Paiute
Treaties:
Reservation: Walker River Reservation
Established: 19 March, 1859 – By Executive Order
07 February, 1887 – General Allotment Act (24 Stat. 388)
27 May, 1902 – (32 Stat. 245-260)
15 March, 1918 – Executive Order #2820
03 March, 1928 – (45 Stat. 1 60)
26 June, 1936 – Public Law 74-748 (48 Stat. 1806)
19 June, 1972 – By Authority of the Act of 22 June, 1936 (49 Stat. 1806)
supplemented by the Act of 14 September, 1961 (75 Stat. 409)
Location: At Schurz, Mineral County, Nevada. Portions of the reservation are located in Churchill and Lyon Counties, Nevada.
Land Area: 529.970 square miles (1,372.616 km²), including 42,880 acres of Tribal Land – Churchill
45,835 acres of Tribal Land – Lyon
224,975.34 acres of Tribal Land -Mineral
1,470 acres of allotted land – Lyon
7,261.78 acres of allotted land – Mineral
320 acres of Govt.-owned land – Lyon
644.23 acres of Govt.-owned land – Mineral
Tribal Headquarters: Schurz, Nevada
Time Zone:
Population at Contact:
Registered Population Today:
1,555 enrolled members in 1993.
Tribal Enrollment Requirements:
Genealogy Resources:
Government:
Charter: Organized under the Indian Reorganization Act of 18 June 1934 (48 Stat. 984) as amended. Constitution and By-Laws of the Walker River Paiute Tribe approved 26 March, 1937 .
Name of Governing Body: Tribal Council
Number of Council members: 7
Dates of Constitutional amendments:
Number of Executive Officers: The Tribal Council selects from the members of the Council a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Elections:
The term of each council member is three years and are staggered terms.
B.I.A. Agency:
Western Nevada Agency
Carson City, Nevada 89701
Phone:(702) 887-3500
Language Classification:
Language Dialects:
Number of fluent Speakers:
Dictionary:
Origins:
Bands, Gens, and Clans
Related Tribes:
Duck Valley Paiute | Pyramid Lake Paiute | Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe | Fort Independence Paiute | Ft. McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone Tribe | Goshute Confederated Tribes | Kaibab Band of Paiute | Las Vegas Paiute Tribe | Lovelock Paiute Tribe | Moapa River Reservation | Reno/Sparks Indian Colony | Summit Lake Paiute Tribe | Winnemucca Colony | <Yerington Paiute Tribe
Traditional Allies:
Traditional Enemies:
Ceremonies / Dances:
Modern Day Events & Tourism:
The Tribe hosts the Annual Pine-nut Blessing on the third weekend in September of each year, running from Thursday to Sunday. This is a time honored event when Tribal members come home and Indian people from many nations come to partake in the blessed event. Camping is available on the grounds and showers can be taken at the Tribal Gymnasium.
The Walker River Paiute Tribe Annual Pinenut Festival includes a talent show, pow wow, Fun Run, kid’s games, Indian Car Contest and Parade, Horseshoe Contests, Arm Wrestling, Stick Games, and a Cradleboard Contest. As a part of the weekend activities, a Free BAR-B-QUE is also held. The Traditional Pinenut Blessing and Dance will be held on Saturday evening. The Blessing features the best singers and beautiful songs for the Pine-nut Blessing Ceremony.
The Walker River Paiute Tribe has also developed a tourism program for day use, camping, fishing and boating on the lake. No state fishing license is required, but a tribal fishing permit is needed.
Legends / Oral Stories:
Art & Crafts:
Animals:
Clothing:
Housing:
The people lived in small shelters and cooked their food on open fires and in underground ovens.
Subsistance:
The Walker River Paiute Tribe were hunter gatherers. They lived in extended matrilineal groups within defined geographical areas. Inter-geographical seasonal gatherings occurred when bands came together for food gatherings and ceremonies.
Their biggest food staples were trout from the Walker River and pine nuts.
They also hunted small game such as geese, mud hen ducks, wild jack rabbits, prairie dogs, ground hogs, and some larger game that included deer, antelope, and mountain sheep. Seeds collected included waigrass, taboosi, pine nuts, buck berries, and thorn berries (hu pwi).
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the Indians began farming. A cattle herd was purchased and crops of alfalfa were grown and harvested.
Economy Today:
The Walker River Tribe’s Economic Development Department handles an array of projects which include Cell Tower Leases, Oversight of the Four Seasons Market, the Four Seasons Smoke Shop, and year round fireworks sales.
The Walker River Paiute Tribe are in the process of developing a Fisheries Program and have been working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Nevada Department of Wildlife on several different Lahontan Cutthroat Trout activities.
Religion & Spiritual Beliefs:
Burial Customs:
Wedding Customs
Newspapers:
Paiute Chiefs & Famous People:
Wovoka, creator of the Ghost Dance, is buried in Schurz, which is the only town on the reservation.
Catastrophic Events:
Tribe History:
In the News:
Further Reading: