Sheep Eaters, Part 3- Shelters & Petroglyphs

Program 3 - Shelters & Petroglyphs: The Sheep Eaters followed migrating big horn sheep and utilized caves and cliff overhangs for shelter, only building wood-pole structures--wickuips--where no natural shelter was readily available. Rock art, associated with vision quests are also examined.

The spectacular Wind River Mountain Range of northwest Wyoming was once home to a little known but fascinating band of Shoshone Indians known as the Tuku Dika, or Sheep Eaters. As their name implies, these peoples were among the most successful hunters of North America's wild sheep, the majestic Rocky Mountain 'big horns'. These magnificent creatures still roam the rugged Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem; however, the tribe that followed them for hundreds of years was relegated to life on the reservation by the turn of the nineteenth century. This four-part series examines the life ways of this ancient band of high mountain Shoshones. Filmmaker: Gary Wortman