Early Euro-American fur trappers, scouts, and emigrants passing through the Great Basin understandably raised concerns among the region’s native inhabitants like Sarah Winnemucca and her family. Confrontations between settlers and Nevada tribes increased in the 1850s with the establishment of trading posts and stations by Mormons and others in the north and south.

With the discovery of the Comstock Lode, the floodgates of settlement opened, prompting major adjustments in the lifestyles of area tribes. The creation of Nevada Territory in 1861 followed by statehood in 1864 introduced governmental structures that struggled to incorporate the region’s native tribes on their own terms. Many Indians lived on the outskirts of the new farms, ranches, and towns, kept separate by cultural prejudice and force of habit.

ARTICLES FROM THE NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY
Articles reprinted with permission from the Nevada Historical Society. Select a link to open a pdf copy of the article.