Treaty of Ruby Valley (1863)
The Treaty of Ruby Valley (1863) was a peace agreement between the United States and the Western Bands of the Shoshone Nation. The Shoshone did not give up their lands. They agreed to allow the U.S. to travel through their country, keep telegraph and stage lines, and build a railroad. They also allowed mining, mills, ranches, and timber operations, and the U.S. could set up military posts and routes for mail and telegraphs. The President could designate reservations when needed. In return, the Shoshone would receive twenty yearly payments of goods and cattle valued at $5,000 each year.
The treaty did not extinguish Shoshone land title. Over time, disputes over land rights led to claims processes and court cases. In the 2000s, Congress tried to settle the claims with payments for much of the Shoshone homeland, but many Western Shoshone leaders and tribal councils opposed the deal, arguing that land rights could not be bought. A 1985 U.S. Supreme Court ruling helped keep that view by saying payments could extinguish land claims. The treaty remains central to ongoing debates about Western Shoshone land rights and has drawn national and international attention.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:48 (CET).