Skull Valley Goshute Tribal Lands

Margene Bullcreek

Gabriela Bulisova.

Margene Bullcreek spent her life working to protect her community from the harmful effects of nuclear testing and waste. Margene became an activist in the late 1990s when she became president of the NCAC (Native Community Action Council) to investigate the health impacts of nuclear testing on the Skull Valley Goshute nation.

Margene also led opposition to the construction of a Private Fuel Storage (PFS) nuclear waste facility on the Skull Valley Reservation. Although many on the reservation saw dumping as a new source of jobs and economic prosperity, she believed that the health consequences made the proposal more dangerous than beneficial. She led a small group called Ohngo Gaudadeh Devia (OGD) to fight the project, organizing a 65-mile run from the Skull Valley Reservation all the way to Salt Lake City to protest the PFS facility and filing petitions and legal challenges. The project was stopped in 2006. 

Read our full biography of Margene Bullcreek here.

Violet Bear Allen

Illustration by Brooke Smart.

Violet Bear Allen, born in 1938, was a talented artist and craftswoman who created beautiful beadwork for jewelry, gloves, fans, and moccasins. She also loved to sew, quilt, crochet, and cook, and was an accomplished songwriter. Violet was known for her ability to recognize people’s unique talents and personalities, provide a listening ear, and encourage others to share their gifts. She had a green thumb in the garden but also knew how to help people grow. Read our longer biography of Violet Bear Allen here.

January 17, 1912 - Establishment of the Skull Valley Reservation

Tribal flag, Wikimedia Commons.

By executive order on January 17th, 1912, President William Howard Taft set aside 80 acres in Skull Valley for the exclusive use of the Goshute Indians living there. Several years later, President Woodrow Wilson enlarged the reservation by 17,920 acres. The official establishment of the reservation brought both success and hardship to the Skull Valley Goshute people. Although they were finally given control and ownership of their traditional homeland, they were now subject to government policies of cultural assimilation and the actions of federal agents who did not always have their best interests in mind.

Skull Valley Health Clinic

The Skull Valley Health Clinic in Tooele, Utah was opened in 2018 under the leadership of Chairwoman Candace Bear. It is operated by the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians and provides both primary care and family care for all federally recognized American Indians and Alaskan Natives.The clinic also offers immunizations, pediatrics, mental health services, including drug and alcohol addiction counseling, depression and anxiety counseling, and individual and group counseling. An on-site pharmacy is the clinic’s most recent addition.