The traditionalists argued before the Indian Claims Commission (ICC) that the Te-Moak Bands Council did not speak for them and the tribe never gave up their title to their traditional lands.

Their claims and appeal were rejected in 1979, when the ICC ruled that the Western Shoshone lost title to their lands in the Treaty of Ruby Valley in 1863.

Their constitution allows for an unlimited number of reservations and Indian colonies to join the tribe.

Their current band council is as follows: The Wells Indian Colony, at 41°07′01″N 114°58′44″W / 41.11694°N 114.97889°W / 41.11694; -114.97889, was established in 1980 and is 80 acres (320,000 m2) large.

[10] Traditionally, they are the Kuiyudika band of Western Shoshone, after a desert plant used for food; within this group were at least two other smaller groups, the Doyogadzu Newenee (end-of-the-mountain people) and the Waiha-Muta Newenee (fire-burning-on ridge people).