Bear River Massacre Memorial

On January 29th, 1863, the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation (NWBSN) suffered a huge loss of around 500 of their people at what is known as the Bear River Massacre. This massacre, although not widely shared, is known as one of the largest massacres of Native American people by the California Volunteer Army in American History. The members of the NWBSN are all descendants of the massacre and the tribe shares so many stories of survival and resilience.

Each year, the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation holds a Memorial (currently being held along HWY 91 at milepost 13.1) in honor of those lives. With prayer, ceremony, drum groups, and a sense a Community, NWBSN shares a bit of the history of the morning and a special reading of the names. As we remember, there is a hope that exists for the future; something bigger than each of us, but for all of us.

"We are not here to rewrite history, we are here to complete it." - Chairman Jason Walker 2026

At the Memorial, NWBSN provides light refreshments (varies by year) and wonderful conversation and smudging by the fire. If you'd like to contribute to the annual Memorial Event fund, you may do so here. We are grateful for the support! One day, we hope to meet at our own Amphitheatre just west on our land with parking, restrooms and a water refill station; a design that is shovel ready, but not yet funded.