One in a series of four histories of native Nevadans, this volume presents the story of the Northern Paiute people, or Numa, who lived, hunted, and travelled in the Great Basin area which occupies one-third of present day Nevada and parts of Oregon, Idaho, and California. Based on interviews with tribal elders and research conducted at numerous archives and record centers, the book begins with a description of the language, culture, and common practices linking the various Numa bands. Chapter two chronicles the influx of white men between 1820 and 1860 and the subsequent disruption and destruction of the traditional Numa way of life. Chapter three provides a detailed account of the Pyramid Lake War of 1860, the final battle between the whites and the Numa, following which the Numa were relegated to reservations and colonies. The final chapter contains eight sections, each devoted to a particular present day Numa reservation and the history of its population, beginning with the distinctive features of each group's original culture and reporting key events in each group's history to the present. Survival of cultural traditions, education, employment, housing, and tribal government are among the contemporary issues discussed. Maps, photographs and illustrations, footnotes, and a bibliography of over 100 entries are included. (JH)