Northwestern Shoshone term for chief or leader. The title contains the root of the Shoshone verb meaning “to talk or speak.”¹ In Shoshone culture, the authority of a dai’gwahni’ was based on the ability to persuade using oratory, to facilitate regular access to resources, and to effectively mediate between their people and others.² These leaders also instructed their people in their history, sacred stories, and responsibilities within the group.³ Individual dai’gwahni’ were charged with specific activities, such as particular hunts, subsistence gatherings, ceremonies, or war. They were known for their special access to bo’ha, or spiritual power, through dreams and visions, which then manifested itself in how they led their kin group.⁴ They did not possess absolute coercive power, and while succession was often patrilineal, any charismatic leader could become a dai’gwahni’. They sustained their influence by successfully leading their people toward subsistence and in times of crisis. Individuals were free to leave their dai’gwahni’ and pledge their loyalty to another. As Euro-Americans negotiated access to land and resources, dai’gwahni’ increasingly assumed the role of “chief”—that is, a single spokesperson who could speak for and represent the entire group.⁵