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Long before Europeans came to the harsh landscape of the Great Basin, many nations of American Indians lived in the region. They had their own languages and cultures, and they knew how to survive in an area with extreme weather and little food.

- The Shoshone made powerful bows that could shoot an arrow through a bison.
- The Paiute created duck decoys from reeds to help them hunt birds.
- The Washoe weaved baskets from reeds and willow.

The Great Basin is still home to many twenty-first century American Indians. They continue to weave baskets, hold traditional celebrations, and speak their native languages. Learn more about the past and present of the native peoples of the Great Basin.

Krystyna Poray Goddu has been a writer and editor for more than thirty years; her books include Dollmakers and Their Stories: Women Who Changed the World of Play, and A Girl Called Vincent: A Biography of Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, both middle-grade nonfiction. Her writing for children has also appeared in American Girl magazine. She reviews and writes about children's books for Publishers Weekly and The New York Times Book Review. In addition to her writing and editing experience, she has worked in school libraries and taught writing to middle-school students in independent schools in New York City. She holds a degree in comparative literature from Brown University.