“Aingah Pah Guttud” 
Red Rock Lakes Region – Eastern Homeland of the Agai Dika – Lemhi Tribe

Historically and today, the Shoshone Nation, the “Wihinite”, are composed of numerous tribal groups and bands occupying the western half of the United States.  The most-furthest northern tribal group, of this great nation, and distinctly known as Sacajawea’s people, are the Agai Dika (Salmon-eaters & Duku Dika - Sheepeaters).  They were uniquely situated alongside the plateau tribes of the Flathead, Kootenai and Nez Perce tribes with whom they made alliances for trade and war.  They were also a buffalo hunting people.  The Agai Dika were termed as lords of the northern plains and their use of the horse was unmatched except by the Eastern Shoshone and the Comanches (who were also Shoshonean people).  But, most importantly, the horses allowed the Agai Dika to maintain their homelands.  And, with the horse, they were able to hold at bay their traditional Canadian enemies, the Peigan/Blackfeet, and later Eastern enemies, the Hidatsa, Mandans, Crow, and the Sioux (Ohio woodlands people), who attempted to tread into their homeland.

The aboriginal homeland of the Agai Dika extends into what is now Idaho, Montana, and the Yellowstone.  These areas were acknowledged as Agai Dika territory.  These places within the homeland provided homesites, traditional resources, and places to hunt and gather. The land also, in their epistemological lens was Creator-given.  And to solidify their claim, the Agai Dika identified and gave specific names to the places within their “Duvee-wah” (homeland).  These places were identified regionally and precisely by the water sources, which was a critical resource for the people and their horses. 

These identified areas provided for the Agai Dika people throughout the millenniums, and they were historically numerous until the initial introduction of the horses.  The horses were brought up through the Shoshonean network by the mounted tribesmen of their nation in the 1700’s.  Upon delivery and unknown to all, the horses had Spanish implements and bridles, which was tainted with a virulent highly contagious disease known as small pox.  Oral narratives by Zuni White Bear Navo tells of the illness and the outcry and devastation to the Agai Dika people and their population.  There were two waves of this disease as told by elders in the 1700’s.  Following this, they were immune but less populated, which was evident in records of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, fur traders and later miners.

Historically, the Agai Dika homeland was presided over by the principal Agai Dika chiefs through-out time.  Historians have noted some of the documented principal chiefs such as Chief Cameahwait (Sacajawea’s brother), Chief Snag, and Chief Tendoy (Sacajawea’s nephew).  These chiefs were all related.  They oversaw a vast territory from Idaho’s southwestern Weiser Valley, southeastern Blackfoot River and Snake River, and Montana’s southern territories, and the greater Yellowstone.  With the support of their Sub-Chiefs and headmen, they were able to maintain and retain these territories for their people the Agai Dika.  Today tipi rings are found as evidence of occupancy, and it must be noted that generational-living and occupation creates the rings seen today.  In these Agai Dika identified regions, tipi rings are observed.

The Red Rock Lakes Region within the Yellowstone Ecosystem was identified by the Agai Dika as being within the boundaries of their homeland, as well as noted by government officials in early treaty documents – (Chief Tendoy, September 24,1868 Virginia City Treaty, Lois Tyler, Camille George and Walter Nevada).  The Agai Dika gave this location that stretched from Lima to West Yellowstone a regional name “Aingah Pah Guttud” translated as Red Rock Lakes.  As one travels there today, tipi rings are observed as well as the vital resources needed by the Agai Dika people to survive.  Additional evidence of buffalo migrations into the region are observed which was a vital primary food source for the Agai Dika, and all that it provided. Additional food and medicinal resources are observed there also.  Elk, Deer, fish, ducks, and provisional wildlife are abundant.  Even the Zeep, ground squirrel, a Shoshone delicacy, are found everywhere.  Eagles and hawks are seen flying overhead, and rocky hillsides with prime sites to pluck feathers for ceremonial use.   Also observed are spiritual sites for Doe-yah-huvee, vision quest, on serene mountain tops in the region.  The Bahva-hope, the White Sage, Sipe, Bah-gwahnah for ceremonies and spiritual purposes are abundant.  The location is east of the area where Agai Dika traveled for paint gathering to, “Where Our Mother Breathes”, the Yellowstone.   Surrounding locations also carry age old Agai Dika names, Oh-ha Avee Pah, the Yellowstone River, Didda-nah, Offering Place to the buffalo near Dillon, Montana and the Three Forks region, Bow-shun-nah Po-ay, all of the Bozeman, Livingston, Gardiner, Montana regions.  The northern extension went as far north to Great Falls, Bee-ah Buttuh-bee-kahd just to name a few sites.  These places hold the Agai Dika memories, history and existence within their Du-vee-wah, the homelands.

In the early 1700’s, the Bannock, Mono-Paviotso speakers of Northern Paiutes ventured into Shoshone territory.  They came at first to the Camas Prairie region, which is a shared gathering site of all of the Shoshones, and then later in and around Jenny Lake regions of the Eastern Shoshone of Wyoming.  These early Northern Paiute people, later termed Bannocks, had come into Shoshone country from the south and became mounted-horsemen.  Some eventually lived in and around certain Shoshone tribal groups (The Agai Dika - Lemhi, Suhu-wokee - Boise, and in the southern portion of the Sosonee -Easten Shoshone).  Although they joined forces within these tribal groups, they were loyal to their Bannock Chief Tagi and maintained their own language.   And this alliance had allowed them to be associated with Shoshone held regions – Oregon, Southern Idaho, Yellowstone, and the Southwestern Montana regions as told by elders Zuni White Bear Navo and Ben Pabawena.

Following the Bannock alliances, newcomers came from the east who would make destructive impacts and grievous changes in the lives of the Agai Dika, White men.  The changes began when tribes along the Missouri River and north in Canada were met by expeditions, fur trappers, mountain men and adventurists who ventured into the west and traded goods.  The ultimate trade good was guns.  Eventually, enemies came into Agai Dika territory emboldened by trade guns and metal weapons.  Revengeful for decades of fighting with the mounted Agai Dika, they forced their way into Shoshone territory.  Not making claims of land or territories, but raiding parties for revenge and Shoshone women and horses.  In these battles, Agai Dika warriors fought with tribal weapons to the death to protect family, people and the homeland.  Sacajawea was taken in one of these raids and her father, who was chief, was killed in battle seeking revenge.  In a later battle with enemies, her brother Chief Cameahwait was killed at what is known today as Bloody Dick Creek near Dillon, Montana.

Eventually, these White men came among the Agai Dika people, at first it was the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805, making promises of peace, protection and guns.  They were followed by fur trappers with trade goods for fur and marrying Shoshone and Bannock women.  In the 1850’s, miners came by thousands for gold, overhunting the land.  And they were followed by wagon train settlers who wanted to sell goods to miners and settle the land, pushing tribes right and left, and tribes fought back.

Outcries by the incoming migrant settlers of murderous savages led to federal and territorial officials making haphazard peace treaties with tribes.  For example, the Blackfeet Treaty of 1855 identified as Blackfeet hunting grounds the Montana and Yellowstone country of the Agai Dika and the Eastern Shoshone.  Overlapping and overlapping to appease the murderous tribes as termed, for peace, to protect the White migrants.  This created a misnomer of the land, its use and occupants.  Some of these treaty documents were ratified and some were not, leaving tribes in a quandary with empty promises.

Many of these promises were made on paper to enemy tribes, unbeknown to the Agai Dika people, and nor were they and the Eastern Shoshone consulted with.  The Agai Dika’s attention and focus was on its people’s quest to survive the lust and greed that invaded their homeland and the ferocious digging of Mother Earth.  Tumultuous times for the people, consisted of killings, rape, and pillage.  Sacajawea’s relative, Agai Dika Chief Snagg was killed in 1863 in Bannock City, Montana by ruthless lawless miners.

From 1863 to 1907, Sacajawea’s nephew, Chief Tendoy took the helm and led the Agai Dika people through the most trying times.  He himself was born in Montana and used his leadership and diplomacy skills to work with local, territorial, and the federal government officials to keep his homeland and territories.  And on the other hand, he was compassionate with helping others in their plight.  Chief Joseph the great Nez Perce chief and his people was shown how to flee through the Yellowstone by Agai Dika kinsmen.  The Bannock War was another plight of freedom fighters fighting for ethnic sovereignty, and they came and fled through Agai Dika territory.  Ironically the paths today are identified as the Nez Perce and Bannock trails through the Agai Dika homeland.  It was original Agai Dika trails and land markers.  Today Agai Dika allies and those who simply came through the land were identified as occupants.  Not so.

In last half of the 17th century, Chief Tendoy was at the forefront fighting his greatest battle, and that was to keep his homeland.  Many pages could be written about Tendoy’s efforts, but ultimately the federal government and its entities on down to local officials took the precious places that held the footsteps and the bones of Agai Dika ancestors – (Unratified Virginia City Treaty of 1868).  Aingah Pah-guttud is one of those places.  Please walk in respect upon the dust of the ancestors of the Agai Dika and remember its history.