The Collaborative International Dictionary
Shoshones \Sho*sho"nes\, n. pl.; sing. Shoshone. (Ethnol.) A linguistic family or stock of North American Indians, comprising many tribes, which extends from Montana and Idaho into Mexico. In a restricted sense the name is applied especially to the Snakes, the most northern of the tribes.
Usage examples of "shoshones".
As we were anxious now to meet with the Shoshones, or Snake Indians, as soon as possible, in order to obtain information relative to the geography of the country, and also, if necessary, some horses, we thought it better for one of us either Captain Clark or myself to take a small party and proceed on up the river some distance, before the canoes, in order to discover them should they be on the river, before the daily discharge of our guns, which was necessary in procuring subsistence for the party, should alarm and cause them to retreat to the mountains and conceal themselves, supposing us to be their enemies who visit them usually by way of this river.
The Indian woman informs me that a few years ago buffalo were very plenty in those plains and valleys, quite as high as the head of Jefferson's River, but few of them ever come into those valleys of late years, owing to the Shoshones, who are fearful of passing into the plains west of the mountains, and subsist on what game they can catch in the mountains, principally, and the fish which they take in the east fork of Lewis's River.
As for Indians, the Shoshones were friendly, but there were roving bands of renegade Sioux who had taken to the rough country after the Custer fight and had never returned to the reservation.
Mabry told it for a purpose, knowing well that the Shoshones were old enemies of the Sioux, and that they would read the story themselves if any tracks remained.
The Shoshones, knowing they had fought enemies, would be more willing in a trade now than they might have been otherwise.
Swinging in behind the Shoshones, they followed a half mile down the coulee to a camp of a dozen lodges.
They shared the meal the Shoshones had prepared and Janice made coffee, which the Indians drank with gusto.
Knowing the ancient enmity between the Shoshones and the Sioux, and considering the sizes of the two parties, Mabry was sure that if High Bear found the Sioux, that would be one party less to worry about.
All the Shoshones in the party had been among those who had served with General Crook under Chief Washakie at the Battle of the Rosebud.
Yet despite his wariness, the quietness of the country, and the reassurance of the Shoshones, they almost walked into an ambush.
The Crows were friendly, anyway, and, like the Shoshones, were old rivals of the Sioux.
The Shoshones do not cultivate this plant, but obtain it from the Rocky Mountain Indians and some of the bands of their own nation who live further south.
At the distance of five miles, he arrived at some brush lodges of the Shoshones inhabited by about seven families.
That about this time The Cut Nose, or Neeshneparkkeook, and Tunnachemootoolt, or The Broken Arm, returned from a war excursion against the Shoshones on the south branch of Lewis's River which had caused their absence when we were in this neighborhood.
At this place the squaw collected a parcel of roots of which the Shoshones eat.