Our District

Our district in Fort Washakie, Wyoming, is located on the Wind River Indian Reservation, situated in the central western portion of Wyoming and shared by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes. Ours is the seventh largest Indian reservation by area in the United States; it encompasses a land area of 3,473,272 acres—just over one-third of Fremont County. The Eastern Shoshone population of approximately 4,200 people forms the basis of our student enrollment.

Our Mission

Our mission is to prepare all students to reach their full potential and be prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Collaboration

  • Maintain culture and traditions.
  • Be actively engaged in learning throughout life.
  • Develop healthy and positive habits and relationships.
  • Learn in a safe and healthy environment.

Work Ethic

  • Be responsible, respectful, and honorable.
  • Be prepared and productive.

Innovation

  • Gain the knowledge and skills to compete successfully and globally.

Communication

  • Be independent and critical thinkers.
  • Access and use information appropriately.

Our Vision

  • For all students to excel and succeed while sustaining the knowledge, values, and history of our culture in a global society
  • For all teachers to provide a rigorous and relevant, student-centered learning environment

Our History

Unlike other reservations in the United States, the Wind River Indian Reservation was chosen by the Eastern Shoshone. Protected by the surrounding mountains and watered by alpine streams, "The Warm Valley of the Wind River" is known for its abundant wildlife, mild temperatures, and moderate snowfall. The valley served as the tribe’s winter home and ancestral hunting grounds for years before it became a reservation. When it became clear that the whites would require the Indians to live on reservations, Washakie protected the home of his people by negotiating that the Wind River Valley remain the tribe’s permanent home.

The Eastern Shoshone were joined in the Wind River Valley by the Northern Arapaho in 1878. As traditional enemies, neither tribe was happy with this arrangement, but the federal government assured both that the Arapaho were there temporarily. Fifty years later, the Arapaho were still living on the eastern side of the reservation. The two tribes made their peace, and the Shoshone were compensated for the loss of land by the government. Today, the Shoshone and the Arapaho share the land and jointly govern the Wind River Reservation.