The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has collaborated with the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation (NWBSN) to release a new digital history resource titled “Native Saints: The Washakie Ward” via the Church Historian’s Press. This initiative fulfills a long-standing desire of the NWBSN, as expressed by Brad Parry, vice chairman of the NWBSN.
“Native Saints: The Washakie Ward” shares narratives from one of the earliest Indigenous congregations in the Church. It builds upon prior projects like “Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days,” which includes stories of Northwestern Shoshone Latter-day Saints. This digital resource comprises historical essays, biographies, maps of Washakie and Shoshone homelands, and historical photographs, chronicling the history of the Washakie Ward until its closure in 1966.
Washakie Ward, established in 1880, was a significant spiritual and cultural center for Northwestern Shoshone Latter-day Saints. According to David W. Grua, a senior historian and lead on the Native Saints project, it was a place where history, culture, and language were preserved for future generations. The collaboration with Tribal Elders began in December 2023, aiming to research and narrate the Washakie Ward’s history.
This project also highlights the life of Sagwitch Timbimboo, a chief who survived the Bear River Massacre of 1863 and who played a crucial role in many tribe members accepting baptism into the Church in the 1870s. The resource includes about 1,600 profiles of Northwestern Shoshone individuals, created with the help of volunteer missionaries and FamilySearch, who indexed the Washakie Ward records over two years.
Tribal Elder and cultural advisor Rios Pacheco emphasized the importance of these stories in preserving the tribe’s history and surviving tragedies. He expressed the hope that these stories, which were traditionally passed down orally, will continue to be read by future generations.
The Church Historian’s Press, established in 2008, publishes works of Latter-day Saint history, including “The Joseph Smith Papers.” NWBSN, a federally recognized tribe, consists of descendants of the Bear River Massacre survivors.
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