Northern Paiute

Paiute
Numa

Angie Bulletts (Kaibab Paiute) weaves a Paiute cradleboard, Arizona, 2011
Total population
(6,300 (1990))
Regions with significant populations
United States (Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah)
Languages
Northern Paiute language, Owens Valley Paiute, Southern Paiute language, English
Religion
Native American Church, Sun Dance, traditional tribal religion,Christianity, Ghost Dance
Related ethnic groups
Bannock, Mono, Timbisha and Kawaiisu

Paiute (/ˈpaɪjuːt/; also Piute) refers to three closely related groups of indigenous peoples of the Great Basin:

Their peoples have become members of numerous federally recognized tribes, as noted in the sections below. In many locations they have colocated with peoples of the Shoshone and Washoe tribes, who have also long been in the Great Basin.

The Northern and Southern Paiute peoples both speak languages belonging to the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan family of Native American languages. The terms Paiute, Northern Paiute and Southern Paiute are most correctly applied to refer to groups of people with similar language and culture. It does not imply a political connection or even an especially close genetic relationship. The Northern Paiute speak the Northern Paiute language, while the Southern Paiute speak the Colorado River Numic language. These languages are not as closely related to each other as they are to other Numic languages.

The Bannock, Mono, Coso, Timbisha and Kawaiisu peoples, who also speak Numic languages and live in adjacent areas, are sometimes also referred to as Paiute. The Bannock speak a dialect of Northern Paiute.

But, the Mono Tribe and other three peoples speak distinctly separate Numic languages: Mono is related more closely to Northern Paiute, as is Coso. The Timbisha language is related more closely to the Shoshoni language. The Kawaiisu language is more closely related to Colorado River Numic of the Southern Paiute.