Shoshone

Shoshone or Shoshoni, Native North Americans whose language belongs to the Shoshonean group of the Uto-Aztecan branch of the Aztec-Tanoan linguistic stock (see Native American languages). In the early 19th cent. the Shoshone occupied SE California, NW Utah, SW Montana, W Wyoming, S Idaho, and NE Nevada. The Shoshone were traditionally divided into four groups: the Comanche of W Texas, a historically recent subdivision of the Wind River Shoshone of Wyoming; the Northern Shoshone of Idaho and Utah, who had horses and ranged across the Great Plains in search of buffalo; the Western Shoshone, who did not use horses and subsisted mainly on nuts and other wild vegetation; and the Wind River Shoshone of Wyoming. Today the Shoshone live on reservations in California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. In 1990 there were some 9,500 Shoshone in the United States.

Group of closely related North American Indian peoples living in the Great Basin region of the U.S. Their language belongs to the Numic group of the Uto-Aztecan family. The Shoshone are usually divided into four groups: Western (unmounted) Shoshone, centred in eastern Nevada; Northern (mounted) Shoshone of northwestern Utah and southern Idaho; Wind River Shoshone in western Wyoming; and the Comanche, a relatively recent division related to the Wind River peoples, in western Texas. The Western Shoshone traditionally subsisted through hunting and gathering. The Northern Shoshone and Wind River Shoshone probably acquired horses by 1680 and adopted much of Plains Indian culture; they hunted buffalo, used tepees and skin clothing, and warred with other tribes. The Shoshone are closely related to the Ute, Paiute, Gosiute, and Bannock. Early 21st-century population estimates indicated some 19,000 individuals of Comanche descent and an additional 22,000 individuals of Western, Northern, or Wind River Shoshone descent.

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Shoshone is a census-designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States. The population was 52 at the 2000 census.

Although small, it is notable as a southern gateway to Death Valley National Park; in addition to being a junction of roads leading from Baker, California and Pahrump, Nevada, it has the last services available before the Furnace Creek area in the park. The commercial district of the town, including a Post Office, gas station, restaurant, bar and coffee house, is just north of the southern intersection of California State Routes 127 and 178.

Shoshone has a single 2,380 foot (725 m) airstrip across SR 127 from the commercial district. It is open to the public and gets about 58 flights per month.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 28.7 square miles (74.4 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 52 people, 26 households, and 17 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1.8 people per square mile (0.7/km²). There were 34 housing units at an average density of 1.2/sq mi (0.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.46% White, 5.77% Native American, and 5.77% from two or more races. 7.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 26 households out of which 15.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.22.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 11.5% under the age of 18, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 38.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $66,250, and the median income for a family was $61,750. Males had a median income of $31,406 versus $41,500 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,051. There were no families and 4.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including no one under 18 and no one over 64.

Politics

In the state legislature Shoshone is located in the 18th Senate District, represented by Republican Roy Ashburn, and in the 34th Assembly District, represented by Republican Bill Maze. Federally, Shoshone is located in California's 25th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon.

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