It is one of the largest Indian Reservations in the United States and where chief Washakie and possibly Sacajawea are buried. This Reservation has a troubling past. It was supposedly established in 1868 for the Ute people (they claim Shoshone) only. In 1877, the northern Arapaho (they are really Anishinabe), were forced by the whites on to the Reservation. All was not well because many of the Utes were once subjugated by the Anishinabek and a feeling of ill attitude existed. Over time, however, the Utes would start to view the whites in very much the same manner as did the Anishinabek. That be around 1928.
On August 26, 1872 the corrupted whites reached an agreement with the Utes for ceding the southern part of the Reservation. It is known as the Lander Purchase Act. This occurred before the Anishinabek settled on this Reservation. The Anishinabek were still at war against the whites at the time (1872). On March 3, 1891 the United States attempted to force the Utes and Anishinabek (Arapaho), to cede their Reservation land north of the Big Wind River. They refused. Quite unlike what occurred in Oklahoma where the Arapaho and Cheyenne ceded their Oklahoma land to the United States but without proper Anishinabe government ratification. That occurred on March 3, 1891. Many of the Oklahoma Anishinabek fled to northern Mexico afterwards. The United States tried again in 1893 to coerce the Anishinabek into ceding much of their Reservation but they refused.
In 1896, the white land thiefs snuck up to the Anishinabe ogimak (leaders) of the Wind River Reservation, and commenced to speak to them in their famous forked tongue language. They proposed to the Anishinabe ogimak to have an area of their Reservation, at Big Horn Hot Springs, set aside as a National Park or some sort of Reservation to be under government control. Anishinabe ogimak were impressed with the idea of an area of their country being set aside as a National Park or a Reservation to protect the hot springs.
They agreed to the Thermopolis Purchase Act knowing they could freely enjoy the Reserved land in their country. What followed was yet another example of the white land thiefs, becoming the natural born liars they are. Of course, the United States ratified the agreement. The United States, afterwards, transferred a section of land around Big Horn Hot Springs, to the State of Wyoming. They did not make it a National Park. The remaning land was declared public lands of the United States. The Thermopolis Land Act is fraudulent. The whites initiated what is now the city of Thermopolis, Wyoming. Big Horn Hot Springs is located in the northern part of the city of Thermopolis.
In 1904 (the same year the infamous ten cent an acre treaty was supposedly ratified by the United States), the corrupted whites commenced to negotiate with the leaders of the Wind River Reservation, about ceding 1.5 million acres of the 2,268,000 acre Reservation. That be the northeastern part of the Reservation. The whites wanted the land because they knew it concealed large amounts of coal, gas, and oil. They probably used threats to force the Anishinabe and Ute leaders, to agree to the land act. It didn't work out. Around 447,244 acres was eventually sold to white settlers after 1906 but very few whites dared to actually homestead on the Wind River Reservation. An event occurred in 1906 which greatly upset the whites of not only Wyoming but Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. White historians refer to it as the 1906 Ute Exodus. It involved not only the Uintah-Ouray Reservation of Utah but the Wind River Reservation of Wyoming, and Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota Reservations as well. Below is a map of the area of the 2,268,000 acre Wind River Reservation the United States tried to force the Anishinabek and Utes, to cede.
The focal point was some northern Reservation (either the Northern Cheyenne Reservation or the Fort Peck Reservation of Montana). Many Indians had commenced to travel to the location in Montana to hold negotiations about the eradication of their Reservations. Many were captured just south of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, between the Powder River and Tongue River, in far northern Wyoming. They were relocated to the Cheyenne Agency Reservation of South Dakota, while those who eluded capture, either fled to the Fort Peck Reservation area of Montana, or westwards towards California, while many obviously settled down to live on the Wind River Reservation.
What the United States did do was get exclusive rights to exploit the Wind River Reservations resources such as coal, natural gas, water, and other resources. That is why the Wind River Reservation has a larger non Indian population. As for the Reservation, 1,820,766 acres is still owned by the tribes who share the Reservation. The whites own close to 20% of this Reservation, or 447,244 acres. You might want to classify the Wind River Reservation as being closed. Below is a map of Wyoming which shows the Wind River Reservation in northwestern Wyoming, just southeast of Yellowstone National Park. You'll notice a large area in the eastern part of the Reservation with a darker color and white color. That is the part of the Wind River Reservation owned by the whites. The darker color area, which is the largest, is controlled by the Bureau of Reclamation. The area with the white color is owned by white settlers.
The Utes live in the western part of this Reservation, while the Arapaho (Shoshone or Anishinabek) live in the eastern part of this shared Reservation. Many people actually believe Sacajawea is buried on this Reservation. However, according to William Clark, Sacajawea died in 1812. Others have researched Sacajawea's ancestory and came to suspect that she was a native to the Wind River Reservation. Evidently, at least one old woman living on the Wind River Reservation after 1884, claimed that Sacajawea lived there until her death in 1884. Many peoples feelings are so strong about Sacajawea actually living there until her death in 1884, that her supposed grave there, is a tourist destination. The Shoshone are really Anishinabe. The name Shoshone may be derived from an Anishinabe word which could mean southener. It is Shawnee. The whites simply added a "Sho" before Shawnee. Thus, Sho-shaw-nee.
Below are the Reservations demographics. Average household size is 2.7. There is a total of 8,382 housing units with owner occupied units the majority (6,069) while renter occupied units number 2,313. The towns listed below are those towns which are predominantly Indian. There is about 8 total towns on the huge Reservation and one that lies partially within the Reservations borders.
Covers 3,473 sq. mi. (2,845 sq. mi. excluding the white owned land in the eastern part)
Population is 23,250
Indian: 6,544 (8,266 including mixed bloods and Hispanics)
White: 15,746
Black: 29
Asian: 394
Mixed: 529
Hispanic: 1,193 - Hispanic population is corrupted as usual. Mexicans are predominantly descended from the Native Americans who lived in the eastern part of the United States. The whites have forced them to lose their tribal identities.
Language is Anishinabe-Ute
Wind River Reservation Communities
Arapahoe
Boulder Flats
Ethete
Johnstown
St. Stephens
Crowheart
Fort Washakie
Wind River