Newe Tesumpatukanteh (Indian Education)

The Fort Washakie School and Community welcome you to our beautiful reservation.

Isen Tammen Newe Sokoppeh (This is Our Indian Land)

The Wind River Indian Reservation is the seventh largest reservation in the U.S. and home to four thousand Eastern Shoshone and nine thousand Northern Arapahos. Both groups are reviving languages and cultural and spiritual practices that used to be repressed or even outlawed by the U.S. government.

Culture Night

Culture Night is more than just an event; it’s a commitment to upholding community values, celebrating our core principles, and strengthening the bonds that unite our school community. The Office of Indian Education aims to provide our students with memorable Cultural Night experiences that they can bring into the classroom and make them feel at home. With a special thanks to the following committees and tribal partners: FWS staff, parent committees for both JOM and IPC, FWS student clubs, and Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribal programs. Title IV funding, coordinated by Erica Parker, ESEA Consolidated Director, partially supports our programming. Fort Washakie Schools values family and community input on Title I and IV spending. Please share your feedback by completing the survey.

Huwiihu. The Office of Indian Education coordinators, Randy Nagitsy and Stephen “Chaske” Valdez, are excited to help bring cultural traditions back to FWS through events like Culture Night. Usen Taka!

Manikit Bozhan Davay – May 4–8, 2026

The process of collaborating with staff, students, tribal programs, and community members to restore this event has been extensive. The Eastern Shoshone Business Council and our tribal partners are pleased to see our school advancing cultural opportunities for our students and damme newenee. Although minor schedule adjustments may occur, they will not impact the overall experience of Five Buffalo Days. Our theme, Tsangu Tesunhanigande (Having positive thoughts), reflects the importance of maintaining a positive mindset, which is especially vital for our students and communities at this time. We encourage all participants to check in at the front desk at either FWES or FWHS to help ensure student safety.

Usen Taka,

Randy J Nagitsy

Explore the Wind River Indian Reservation

TravelStorys Self-Guided Audio Tour

The tour follows US Hwy 287 from the Town of Lander, Wyoming, north to the Rte. 26 junction and features student-produced interviews and stories of the vast 2.2-million-acre Wind River Indian Reservation, highlighting the native Shoshone peoples who live there, the dramatic scenery, and wildlife of the region.

Here at the Fort Washakie School, students researched and wrote tour stories to interpret their culture and inform visitors. In these tours, virtual and onsite travelers experience a storied landscape, mixing fascinating stories of the people with interpretation of the native cultures and key sites to visit.

In Part One of the self-guided tour, travelers visit the historic town of Fort Washakie and the grave site of Sacajawea, the revered Shoshone guide who guided the Lewis and Clark expedition with her extensive knowledge of the rugged region and her language skills. Visitors can explore the Wind River Trading Company with historical exhibits and learn about Wyoming’s largest Indian powwow and traditional celebration held in June.

Part Two of the tour loops east and highlights the Arapaho people, their history and stories, and regional geothermal features.

Explore This Tour Remotely

Padlet Page

Check out the Office of Indian Education’s Padlet page below to stay up-to-date with the latest updates. We have flyers for our cultural events, the Shoshone Language Workgroup, resources, Shoshone language teachers, the Shoshone Language Professional Development efforts, Core Value posters, and much more!

• The Office of Indian Education Padlet Page