Our Shared History - Our Shared Future
Wyoming Humanities is committed to celebrating and sharing the stories of the Indigenous people of our area, including the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone of the Wind River Reservation. The “Native Narratives” initiative is an ongoing collaborative work to honor the heritage of these tribes.
Wyoming Humanities respectfully acknowledges that we serve a region that is home to, and rich with the history and culture of, several Indigenous communities, including the Eastern Shoshone, Northern Arapaho, Northern Cheyenne, Crow, Ute, and Lakota Nations. We recognize our obligation to give voice to all people as we explore our past and envision our future. As an organization, we are committed to working with the Indigenous Nations of our region as we use the humanities to expand the Wyoming narrative. Our Native Narratives Initiative includes educational and cultural preservation projects designed in collaboration with American Indians in and around our state.
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Indian Education for All
Tribal Government: Wind River Reservation
Written by Janet Flynn, A.W. Baldwin, contributor.
Edited and updated by Shannon D. Smith in partnership with WyoHistory.org.
Tribal Government: Wind River Reservation offers an accessible and up-to-date introduction to the history and structure of governance on the Wind River Reservation, home to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes. First published in the 1990s and long relied upon by teachers, students, and community members, this new 2025 edition has been fully revised to reflect major developments over the past three decades.
Blending historical narrative with clear explanations of modern tribal councils, courts, land issues, and sovereignty, the book also includes new material on the shared reservation history of the two tribes and a comprehensive chapter on Indian gaming. Developed in partnership with WyoHistory.org, it serves as an essential guide for understanding how tribal government works in Wyoming today—and why it matters to the entire state.
Contents:
Foreword
Introduction
1 EARLY GOVERNMENT AND TRIBAL HISTORY
2 TWO NATIONS, ONE RESERVATION
3 A NEW WAY OF LIFE: THE INFLUENCE OF THE WHITE MAN
4 WIND RIVER: THE EARLY DAYS OF THE TRIBAL COUNCIL
5 MODERN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT
6 INDIAN GAMING
Appendix
Acknowledgements
Note from Editor
Book Information
Paperback, 170 pages, 5.25×8.5, 18 images
ISBN: 979-8-9939600-0-5
$19.50
Subjects: Native American History, Indigenous Governance & Sovereignty
Available January 15, 2026!
Order Your Copy Today!
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Before Wyoming: The West in 1776
Before Wyoming: The West in 1776 expands the story of the American Revolution beyond the eastern colonies to the vast interior of the continent. It explores the Northern Rockies and Great Plains as a living, dynamic world shaped by thriving Indigenous nations, shifting alliances, and the early arrival of horses, firearms, disease, and trade.
Through historians, archaeologists, Native knowledge holders, and young people from the region, the film connects landscapes, artifacts, oral histories, and contemporary perspectives to reveal a hidden chapter of American history. Set against the nation’s 250th anniversary, it offers a fresh and meaningful look at what was happening in the West when the United States was just beginning.
Before Wyoming: The West in 1776 was co-produced with Wyoming Humanities, Caldera Productions, and Wyoming PBS. The film was funded in part by a grant from the Wyoming Semiquincentennial Task Force. Community Screenings throughout Wyoming this summer are funded in part by a nationwide initiative, By the People: Conversations Beyond 250.
By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
Stay tuned for information on upcoming Digital and Broadcast premiere dates!
Watch the Trailer
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Powwow Guide
Powwows serve as gatherings where dance, song, and celebration intertwine. Wyoming Humanities has an extensive history working with area powwow, including the creation of this guide to help visitors and general audiences understand the history, the customs, and more of these powerful ceremonies. Wyoming Humanities and Native American Jump Start extend our sincere gratitude to those individuals whose contributions of materials, information, and expertise have made this guide possible.
Expanding Wyoming's Cultural Narrative
In response to the Indian Education for All Act passed by the Wyoming Legislature in 2017, Wyoming Humanities launched a project to raise awareness of the historical and legal events that led to the creation of the Wind River Indian Reservation as it is bounded and governed today.
Wyoming Humanities designed and manufactured portable, easy-to-assemble exhibits, called “pop-up kiosks,” for use in classrooms and public venues throughout the state.
To date, we have provided more than 125 kiosks free of charge to every school district, every county library system, community college library, and other interested museums and public institutions.
Plains Indian Sign Language
As an organization, Wyoming Humanities is committed to working with the Indigenous Nations of our region as we use the humanities to expand the Wyoming narrative. Our Native Narratives Initiative includes educational and cultural preservation projects designed in collaboration with American Indians in and around our state.
Plains Indian Sign Language, PISL, developed as a way for Native Americans of different tribes to communicate with each other across the barrier of different languages.
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Native Voices
Beginning in 2018, a series of talks was held to discuss issues facing the Wind River Reservation and people from the Arapaho and Shoshone tribes in Wyoming. The CWC Institute of Tribal Learning Center, Riverton, WY, operates to better understand relationships and respectful behavior toward the tribes and amongst non-natives and native populations. The series continues to this day, with multiple Tribal Talks events taking place annually.
2026 Native Voices: Honoring Indigenous Ways
When: May 1-9, 2026
Where: Jackson, Riverton, and Wind River Reservation
6th Annual Teton Powwow
When: Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 10am to 10pm
Where: Snow King Sports & Event Center (100 Snow King Avenue, Jackson)
Wyoming Humanities is pleased to provide a variety of resources related to the tribes on the Wind River Reservation
In response to the Indian Education for All Act passed by the Wyoming Legislature in 2017, Wyoming Humanities launched a project to raise awareness of the historical and legal events that led to the creation of the Wind River Indian Reservation as it is bounded and governed today. This includes the “Two Nations, One Reservation” exhibition/kiosk found across the state.
This project introduces the complicated story of how two sovereign nations, the Eastern Shoshone and the Northern Arapaho—historical enemies with different languages and cultures—were forced to share the lands of the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming as a result of treaties, legal actions, and historical events.
Research quickly revealed a wide range of other projects supporting the Indian Education for All Legislation that were already underway across the state. To avoid repetition, collaborate on promotion, and share work, WYH reached out to organizations and scholars involved in these other projects, beginning with an introduction meeting at the Central Wyoming College Intertribal Center in Riverton, Wyoming.
Two Nations, One Reservation
Scholars working on Indian Education for All related projects and participating representatives from both tribes identified a process to create and distribute the exhibits and support related work.
To date, Wyoming Humanities has provided more than 125 “pop-up” kiosks free of charge to every school district, every county library system, community college library, and other interested museums and public institutions.
Exhibit guides for kids, adults, and hosts are available for classroom and public display. If you are interested in hosting one of the exhibition kiosks or obtaining multiple copies of the guides, contact us at ask@thinkwy.org.
Additional Resources
Two Nations, One Reservation – Adult Guide
Two Nations, One Reservation – Kids Guide
Two Nations, One Reservation – Host Guide