Paiute

Appearance
Paiute is a light dapple gray pony. She has a white stripe down her face. Her bright white hair and body appear to sparkle in the setting sunlight. She has a reddish-orange ring painted around her eye, as well as bands on her legs. She wears red feathers to decorate her mane and tail.

The Name Game
The tribe this steed is based on are located in the Great Basin area of Northern California, Oregon and Nevada (Northern Paiute), and the Mojave Desert areas of AZ, CA, NV and UT (Southern Paiute). Their culture was adapted to desert life. Diet included rabbits, antelope, fish and wildfowl, rice grass and pine nuts.

Life for the Paiutes was a continuous search for food. They were primarily hunter/gatherers. Rabbits were an important source of food for the Paiutes, and they also used rabbit fur to make winter clothing. They customarily lived in small groups because food was so scarce. Paiutes built wickiups, cone-shaped dwellings made of sagebrush or reeds.

In 1889, a Paiute from Nevada named Wovoka experienced a vision and revealed the Ghost Dance religion. This religion spread quickly across the west, as Native Americans from all tribes embraced its message. Federal attempts to suppress this religion led to the Massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. Northern Paiutes were allied with the Shoshone, but had conflict with the Washoe people.

Opossum
Paiute has a special connection to the opossum.

Inspirational Message
English: "You are free to feel your own feelings and make your own choices."

Italian: "Sentiti libera di vivere i tuoi sentimenti e fare le tue scelte."

French: "Tes sentiments et tes choix t’appartiennent, à toi et à toi seule."