Washakie, << WAHSH uh kee >> (1804?-1900), was a chief of the eastern Shoshone in Utah and Wyoming. He was known for his friendliness toward white settlers and for his relentless warfare against his Native American enemies.
In the 1840’s, Washakie furnished aid to many immigrants moving west over the Oregon Trail. In the 1850’s, he aided Mormon settlers in the Utah Territory. In 1876, he sent Shoshone warriors to General George Crook to serve as scouts against the Sioux . Washakie spent his later years negotiating for lands and rights for his people on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. He renounced many indigenous (native) customs and joined the Protestant Episcopal Church. He died on Feb. 15, 1900. A statue of Washakie represents Wyoming in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
