Washoe people

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/washoe-people

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geographic homeland?Ancestral territory centered around Lake Tahoe, straddling California and Nevada
2. What is the linguistic status?Washoe language is a linguistic isolate, with no known genetic relatives
3. Who are the Washoe people?The Washoe are an indigenous group who have lived near Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada for thousands of years.
4. What is special about the Washoe language?The Washoe language is a unique linguistic isolate, meaning it has no known relatives. It is a key part of Washoe identity and traditions.

Linguistic Isolate: A language that is not demonstrably related to any other language, suggesting a long, independent history.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK): A cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations.
Tribal Sovereignty: The inherent authority of indigenous tribes to govern themselves and manage their own affairs.