Skull Valley Indian Reservation
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (134 enrolled members, 15-20 living on reservation) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States( Utah) |
|
| Languages | |
| Shoshoni language, English | |
| Religion | |
| Native American Church, Mormonism, | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Western Shoshone peoples, Ute people |
The Skull Valley Indian Reservation is located approximately 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. It is inhabited by the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah, a federally recognized tribe. The population includes approximately 31 people in 7 households and is characterized by a high incidence of poverty.
The reservation comprises 28.187 square miles (73.004 km²) of land in east central Tooele County, adjacent to the southwest side of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in the Stansbury Mountains. The reservation lies in the south of Skull Valley, with another range, the Cedar Mountains bordering west.
The tribe is governed by the a three-person executive committee.
A population of 31 persons resided on its territory as of the 2000 census. Tribal membership is 134, with 15 to 20 living on the reservation.
On October 12, 1863, the band first signed a treaty with the U.S. federal government. In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive order established the reservation.
With the exception of the west side of the reservation, the immediately surrounding areas have had a long history of being used for external purposes, including: a hazardous waste landfill, a nerve gas storage facility that treats some of the most hazardous man-made chemicals, two incinerators for hazardous waste, a magnesium plant that contributes significant amounts of chlorine gas, and the Intermountain Power Project that releases airborne toxic chemicals. Additionally, the U.S. government has tested biological weapons adjacent to Skull Valley. In general, these proximity issues have an added concern because children make up more than 30% of the tribe. Environmental Justice issues have plagued the Goshute Band dating back to at least the 1840s when Mormon settlers would expel lepers to the area in which they lived.
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