Ely Shoshone Tribe

Ely Shoshone Tribe is one of the nine bands of what is known as the Western Shoshone Nation and is a signatory of the Ruby Valley Treaty of 1863 entered into with the United States of America. As a result of the Treaty, the Great Western Shoshone Nation was divided into nine bands.

Ely Shoshone Tribal Reservation was created in 1934 under the Indian Reorganization Act. The Tribe’s current land base is 3629 acres and is located on 6 different parcels. Total membership is 763.  Of those members, 319 live in the service area which is White Pine County. The other 444 tribal members live in the United States with two living out of the country.

Ely Shoshone Tribe is a self-governance tribe and first negotiated with BIA in 1992 and stated Self-Governance in 1993 and then negotiated with I.H.S. in 1993 and started Self-Governance in 1994. 

Currently Ely Shoshone Tribe’s enterprises; Silver Sage Travel Center, along with the Tsaa Nesunkwa Dispensary, sit on approximately 6.5 acres located on the Great Basin Highway.

The building of the Travel Center was funded by the combination of three limited sources, US Department of Housing and Urban Development-Indian Community Development Block Grant, US Commerce Economic Development Administration, and Tribal funds. The ground breaking ceremony for Silver Sage Travel Center was held on September 11, 2003. Silver Sage Travel Center opened for business in May of 2004. Grand Opening Ceremonies were held on June 5, 2004. The Travel Center is open from 4:00 am to 11:00 pm and employs 10-14 personnel.

In 1998, the Ely Shoshone Tribe received a Brownsfield Grant. This grant was used to clean up the old Ely City Landfill on the eastern portion of the 90 acres. The land fill was unregulated and active from the early 1900’s until the late 1950’s. The cleanup was completed in October 2003. Because of the landfill, it is unsuitable for development at this time.

The Ely Shoshone Tribe was successful transferring parcels from the Bureau of Land Management into Trust Land as part of the White Pine County lands bill. In developing the proposal, the Tribe considered the suitability of land in regards to historical, cultural, spiritual, housing, natural resources and economic interest. Ancestral lands of the Western Shoshone Nation have deep religious and cultural significance to the Western Shoshone Indians. The land has always been utilized by Western Shoshones for gathering, hunting, cultural and spiritual purposes.  On December 20, 2006 -President Bush signed a bill transferring 3526 acres into trust for the Ely Shoshone Tribe.

Parcel one is 543 acres and located 105 miles south of Ely on Highway 93

Parcel two is 302 acres and located 5.5 miles south of Ely on Highway 93.  

Parcel three is the largest parcel at 1,994 acres and is located 7.5 miles southwest of Ely on Highway 6. This site is designated for cultural and spiritual purposes. No building is allowed.

Parcel four is 660 acres and is located 10.75 north of McGill, Nevada on Highway 93.  

In 2012 the Tribe signed a purchase agreement to property located at 505 S. Pioche Highway. This consists of 19.7 acres

On August 25, 2015 an MOU was signed with Dice LLC for the expertise in production and marketing, including retail and non-retail of marijuana product.

With the legalization of Recreational Marijuana on January 1, 2017; the Ely Shoshone Tribe adopted the Retail Marijuana Code on November 8, 2017.  The Tribe then approved the Ely Shoshone Tribe Liability Company Ordinance on January 22, 2018 and formed the EST Enterprise LLC. Within the Operating Agreement of the EST Enterprise LLC that was approved on February 5, 2018. A Planning Board was created under Section 7.  

The Ely Shoshone Tribe has one grow facilities and a Dispensary located on tribal lands. Another grow facility is located on fee land, this fee land is owned by the Tribe. 

Members Since: 2004