Bands of Southern Paiute live in scattered locations throughout this territory and have been granted federal recognition on several reservations.

[2] Before European colonization, they practiced springtime, floodplain farming with reservoirs and irrigation ditches for corn, squash, melons, gourds, sunflowers, beans, and wheat.

[2] The first European contact with the Southern Paiute occurred in 1776, when fathers Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Francisco Atanasio Domínguez encountered them during an attempt to find an overland route to the missions of California.

In 1851, Mormon settlers strategically occupied Paiute water sources, which created a dependency relationship.

The introduction of European settlers and agricultural practices (most especially large herds of cattle) made it difficult for the Southern Paiute to continue their traditional lifestyle, as it drove away the game and reduced their ability to hunt, as well as to gather natural foods.

Today, Southern Paiute communities are located at Las Vegas, Pahrump, and Moapa, in Nevada; Cedar City, Kanosh, Koosharem, Shivwits, and Indian Peaks, in Utah; at Kaibab and Willow Springs, in Arizona.

[6] Though there was the occasional tension and violent outbreaks between groups, the Paiute were mainly able to live in peace with other tribes and settlers due to their loose social structure.

Most Paiute lived in small familial groups, and only gathered together in large settings for matters of trade and commerce.

[8] LDS militiamen convinced some members of the Coal Creek and Ash Creek bands of Southern Paiute individuals in southwestern Utah territory to assist them in the Mountain Meadows Massacre in exchange for cattle in order to blame Native Americans for the attack.

They would also tightly weave these big baskets with clay and resin to create cooking pots and water jugs.

For instance, those who lived by marshes learned to create duck decoys, nets, and rafts to better hunt the water fowl.

Chokecherries were useful in more ways than one - their stems were brewed to make a sweet drink, and their berries would be crushed, then dried to be saved for later.

Knowing this the Southern Paiute women would take the cane rods and beat them until the small dried droplets came loose.

[17] The men were the primary hunters, they would hunt waterfowl, rabbits, bighorn sheep, and other mammals in the regions they passed through.

The bow is utilitarian and still has carving marks, as to be expected of a practical weapon in a hostile and harsh desert environment.

[22] The quiver is made of deerskin with thick hair still on the case, showing the deer was killed in the winter, and is sewn with two ply sinew, much like the bowstring.

For instance Nuvagantu, or Mount Charleston in Nevada is a holy landmark that the Southern Paiute people believe was where they were created.

These holy lands were places that the separate families or tribes would come to barter, trade, socialize and perform religious ceremonies.