Washoe

Washoe refers to several topics associated with the Washoe people and the region of the western United States. It most commonly denotes the Washoe, a Native American people of the northern Sierra Nevada, traditionally living in the Truckee River valley around Lake Tahoe. The Washoe are part of the broader Uto-Aztecan language family, and their traditional language is Washoe.

Today the Washoe people are organized as federally recognized tribes, principally the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, with reservations in Nevada and California. Their traditional homeland spans parts of the Truckee River basin and the Lake Tahoe area, and contemporary communities include urban and rural settlements in western Nevada and eastern California. Efforts exist to preserve Washoe culture, government institutions, and language programs.

The Washoe language is the ancestral tongue of the Washoe people, classified within the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. It is considered endangered, with revitalization programs, language classes, and documentation being undertaken by community members and researchers.

Washoe County is a political subdivision of Nevada named after the Washoe people. Its county seat is Reno, and it includes much of western Nevada, extending toward the Sierra Nevada. Established in the 1860s, it is one of the most populous counties in the state.

Washoe also refers to a chimpanzee who participated in early studies of language acquisition. In the 1960s and 1970s at the University of Nevada, Reno, Washoe learned American Sign Language from caregivers and researchers, contributing to debates about the cognitive abilities of apes and the nature of language.