For centuries, Lander County was home to the Newe, later called the Western Shoshone, whose lives were shaped by the rhythms of the Great Basin.
Rather than living in permanent settlements, the Newe organized themselves into extended family groups that moved with the seasons. They traveled along the Humboldt River and into the surrounding foothills, following water, game, and harvest cycles that had sustained them for generations.
Tonomudza was more than a homeland—it was a shared middle ground. Groups gathered here to hunt and fish together, to trade, and to hold celebrations and festivals that strengthened social ties. The Newe understood this landscape in precise detail, knowing where food could be found in droughts and years of abundance. Their way of life depended on cooperation, flexibility, and deep knowledge passed down through story and practice rather than written record.
Long before modern mining, the Shoshone were the first to discover and use copper in this area—centuries before it became known as the Battle Mountain Mining District. They also developed quarries throughout the region, carefully selecting stone that could be shaped into tools or traded with other Indigenous groups across the Great Basin. These trade networks connected distant communities long before modern roads existed. While relations were often peaceful, conflict did occur. The Newe sometimes clashed with the Northern Paiute to the west and with the Bannock to the north, who were known to be more aggressive. These tensions were part of a long-standing balance of territory, resources, and survival.
To protect themselves, the Newe used the land strategically. High points such as Mount Tenabo served as natural lookout positions, allowing them to watch for danger moving across the open basin. As unfamiliar travelers began appearing in greater numbers, these vantage points became even more important. Awareness, not walls, was their defense in a wide and exposed landscape.
Today, the Battle Mountain Band remains one of four bands of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone, carrying forward traditions rooted in Tonomudza. Their story is not a prelude to local history; it is the foundation upon which everything that followed was built.
