People and the Wash - Native Americans

Some 1,000 years ago the Las Vegas Wash provided for a variety of Native American populations. According to recent archeological surveys, the area was used extensively by Patayans, ancestral Puebloans, and Southern Paiutes, who took advantage of the natural resources found in the Wash area. In addition to providing food, shelter and water, the Wash area also served as a natural pathway between the Colorado River in the east, the Las Vegas Springs in the center of the valley, and the Spring Mountains in the west. Travel between these areas was an important part of life for these Native Americans.

Leon Rockwell standing at the entrance of a Paiute wickiupon the Las Vegas Wash, near the Colorado River, circa 1907. Rockwell Collection Photo

During the summer and early fall there would be many trips between the mountains and the Wash, in order to gather food at the right times. In mid August the Mesquite beans would be plentiful in the Wash area. In the fall, there would be trips back into the mountains to gather pine nuts that could be saved and stored for winter. Then, as the end of fall approached it was time to begin the move out to the Colorado River.

In addition to the gathering of food supplies, there was another important activity that took place in the Wash area. With lush vegetation, abundant wildlife and fresh water from underground springs, the Wash provided an excellent location for the various tribes to come together and trade different goods. High up on the list for trading would have been food items. Those who were able to gather an excess of grass seed from the mountains could trade with those who were carrying an excess of Mesquite bean from the Wash. You may have found other items for trade like pottery or special rocks for making tools, and sometimes there were even seashells from the Gulf of California.

We can only imagine what it must have been like to be a part of the activities surrounding the Wash some 1,000 years ago.