Early Washoe Encounters

The Washoe are the people indegenius to the region of Lake Tahoe, California. The Washoe language is distinct compared to surrounding tribes, leading researchers to believe they have inhabited the area the longest. Estimates put the populate at around 1500 people. The Summer 2025 issue of Tahoe In Depth reported that just 8 native speakers remain.

Encounters with Washoe prior to 1844 likely happened but are speculative at best. Spanish explorers of the San Joquian valley received reports from coastal and plains Indians that they had met people like them who came from the East, possibly traveling from over the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Juan Crespi recorded some of these accounts while acompanying Gaspar de Portolá on his 1776 expidition along the California coast. In one village, an Indian described the people from the East as coming from a region that sounded like the Great Salt Lake.

[He told us] that in about ten or fourteen journeys [days], pointing to the northeast, that there are people like us, pointing at the soldiers with their swords, arms and horses; who have houses and who also had three priests with them, pointing at us. In that referenced faraway place there was a sea and many buffalo, and that those people had come by horse to their land and returned¹.

30 years later, Gabriel Moraga was exploring the region of the San Joaquin valley and sent a group up in to the mountains. An indian chief told them that 20 years ago he had witnessed soldiers come over the mountains from the East and that they had acted hostile towards them. Writing on the 23rd of October:

on the bank of the river they descried a village called Pizcache of about 200 souls, with a chief named Sujoyucomu. From this chief the following information was obtained, the testimony being from eyemwitnesses. Other soldiers from the other side of the mountains—who we presume were from New Mexico—appeared about twenty years ago, according to the communication of the Indian. The heathen Indians having acted in a hostile manner, the soldiers began to fight and killed many of the Indians. The latter awaited with extreme apprehension the return of the soldiers a second time, but they saw that we did not come from the other side [of the mountains] but from this side and were amazed at the kindness shown them when they expected their annihilation. He [the chief] added that on the other side of the mountains toward the north—according to the way he pointed—was the sea, and that it took them ten days to go there. He said that toward the south there was no sea but that the land continued as low hills. The soldiers who had come previously did not differ at all from our own as far as concerns horses and clothing. This Indian had been present at the skirmish with the soldiers. He supported the fact that he had seen the ocean with all kinds of signs, having been there himself. For this reason, and also because the signs made by the Indian were very clear, we concluded that New Mexico is very close to the other side of the Sierra².

A few days later, a second village tells them the same story of Soldiers coming across the mountains.

Today, the weather being better, and leaving enough men to guard the camp, we divided the party into two groups. One went up the river toward the mountains and the other followed down the river. The first group discovered a village of about 60 souls under the leadership of a chief named Achagua. Nine persons were made Christians, one old man and eight old women. All these people want a mission and wish to be baptized. Furthermore the same story was told as on the 23rd day about the coming of the soldiers and the existence of the sea. This village is called Ayquiche. In addition, word was obtained of six other villages situated on the bank of the river toward the mountains

Narciso Duran writes of these stories in his 1817 Diary. Whether he had heard them prior from Moraga, or the Indians themselves, he does not say.

At this place it appears to be possible to approach by land in the dry season, because although in the immediate vicinity tules are to be seen, nevertheless probably everything is dry by October for there is no water other than the overflow from the river. It is therefore to be supposed that from here on it is better to follow the course of the river by land than by water. In this manner the immense expanse of land may be explored which extends to the end of the Sierra Nevada and which likely is inhabited by innumerable heathen. Once the entrance to the Sierra is discovered, which the end seems to offer as a probability, it would be possible to test the truth of the story which the Indians have told for many years that on the other side of the Sierra Nevada there are people like our soldiers. We have never been able to decide definitely whether they are Spaniards from New Mexico, Englishmen from the Columbia, or Russians from Bodega.

The most likely pre-1844 encounter was Jebediah Smith, who met Washoe while crossing through their territory in what would become Ebbet’s pass. Writing May 28th, 1827

My encampment was about 100 yards from a high and steep bluff on the top of which at about 12 O Clock 10 or 12 indians showed themselves and raised the accustomed yell but not succeeding in scaring us off they collected a great many large rocks and being all ready at once sent them down the hill at the same time raising the yell. Finding that even this would not drive us away they went off.

A few days later and further east, he notes Indians with Spanish blankets, Buffolo Robes, and Knives suggesting they had previously traded with Europeans.

The earliest definitive account of contact with Washoe is from 1845 by John C. Fremont. He writes in Report of the exploring expedition to the Rocky Mountains in the year 1842, and to Oregon and North California in the years 1843-44

A man was discovered running towards the camp as we were about to start this morning, who proved to be an Indian of rather advanced age… He brought with him in a little skin bag a few pounds of the seeds of a pine tree, which to-day we saw for the first time, and which Dr. Torrey has described as a new species, under the name of pinus monphyllus; in popular language, it might be called the nut pine…. As clearly as possible by signs, we made him understand our object; and he engaged to conduct us in sight of a good pass which he knew. Here we ceased to hear the Shoshonee language; that of this man being perfectly unintelligible.

Fremont was introduced to one of the washoe who had seen other White people before, and hired him to guide him through the mountains.

4 years later, the California Gold rush would start and Thousands of people would pass through the Sierras via the California trail.