Paiute

Appearance
Paiute is a light dapple gray mare with a white blaze and a dazzling white mane and tail that sparkle in the light. Red feathers tied by flowing leather strips decorate her mane and tail.

Red rings are painted around her eyes, legs, and hindquarters. Although its symbolism varies between Native American tribes and even individuals, red paint commonly symbolizes strength, power, and success in hunting and war. A ring around the eye is believed to enhance a horse's sight and help it foresee danger.

Personality
Clever and strong Paiute never worries about what others think. She follows her own path and loves to celebrate her freedom by dancing.

Magical Gift
Paiute sparkles like a diamond in the sun.

Opossum
Paiute has a special connection to the opossum. In the real world, the Virginia opossum's native range does not overlap with either the Northern or Southern Paiute's ranges along the Great Basin or Mojave Desert.

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."''

Northern Paiutes adopted horses and guns around the 1850s and used them to fight off trespassing prospectors and farmers until 1974 when all Paiute land was appropriated by the U.S. government. Southern Paiutes did not use horses and were often raided for slaves by other equestrian tribes.

Gallery
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