In 1863, a deadly US massacre killed hundreds of Native Americans. 160 years later, the Shoshone are restoring the site of the attack

On a freezing January morning in 1863, Union Army soldiers launched an unprovoked assault on a winter encampment of Shoshone people in present-day southeastern Idaho. By early afternoon, an estimated 250 to 500 men, women, and children lay dead in the snow.

It remains the single deadliest slaughter of Native Americans in U.S. history—surpassing the body counts of far better-known tragedies like Sand Creek (1864) and Wounded Knee (1890). Yet because it occurred at the height of the American Civil War, the attack received little national attention at the time and was largely erased from popular history for over a century.

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Now, members of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation are reclaiming the land where their ancestors fell and turning a site of historical tragedy into an ecological and cultural restoration project.

What happened at Bear River in 1863?

In the early 1860s, expanding Mormon settlements in Utah and southern Idaho severely disrupted traditional Shoshone hunting and gathering grounds. As natural resources dwindled, small clashes broke out over livestock and food supplies.

In response, Colonel Patrick Edward Connor led the Third Regiment California Volunteer Infantry to the valley where the Shoshone were overwintering near natural hot springs. On January 29, 1863, amid deep snow and subzero temperatures, Connor's troops opened fire without warning on the sleeping village.

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Although Shoshone warriors attempted to fight back with limited ammunition, tomahawks, and bows, they were quickly overwhelmed. Many who jumped into the freezing river to escape drowned or froze. Few survived—among those who did were children who hid under riverbanks or played dead among the fallen.

Reflecting on the mischaracterization of the event, Brad Parry, vice chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, emphasizes why the site's official historical designation had to change:

“When you attack a sleeping village of Indian men, women and children, you can't call that a battle,”

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Preserving memory without bitterness

For generations, knowledge of the massacre was kept alive privately within Shoshone families. Darren Parry, former chairman of the tribe and author of The Bear River Massacre: A Shoshone History, learned the details directly from his grandmother, Mae Timbimboo Parry. Mae had recorded the memories of her grandfather, Yeager Timbimboo, who was just 12 years old when he survived the attack by playing dead among the bodies.

For the Northwestern Shoshone, remembering the past is not about resentment—it is about honor and endurance. As Darren explains:

“The Bear River Massacre does not define us today,” Darren tells Smithsonian magazine. “The loss has made us stronger, more resilient. It's a horrific thing. I can't even imagine what my ancestors suffered. But playing the victim here and becoming bitter is not the way to honor our ancestors. We honor them by telling their story.”

Healing the land in the dirt

In 2018, the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation purchased 350 acres encompassing the heart of the massacre site. Under the leadership of Brad Parry, the tribe launched a major ecological restoration project on the property.

Work crews are clearing out thirsty invasive plants like Russian olive trees and replanting native flora—including willows, milkweed, cedar, chokecherries, and Indian tobacco. They are also restoring the natural, winding flow of the Bear River and reintroducing beavers to rebuild wetland ecosystems. Because the Bear River is the largest tributary to the struggling Great Salt Lake, the project is expected to return roughly 13,000 acre-feet of water to the lake each year.

Beyond environmental benefits, the project is designed to rebuild a direct link between young Shoshone generations and their cultural heritage.

“We want this to be a place where our kids grow up and learn about our history, the plants and medicines that we used, how to grow Indian tobacco, the chokecherry jam we used to make, how we used sagebrush and cedar for ceremony, our ancient way of life,” Brad says.

“The settlers honored their ancestors by building monuments and putting up statues. Our way of honoring them is in the dirt, by bringing nature back into balance. The massacre site is now a place of healing. It is a living statement that we're still here.”