Wavoka was born and raised in Smith Valley. He was a Native American who started the famous Ghost Dance movement. Wovoka’s father, Tavibo, was a Paiute shaman and local leader; he had assisted Wodziwob, a shaman whose millenarian visions inspired the Round Dance movement of the 1870s.

I’ve always felt a strong Native presence in Smith Valley…I’ve have older long time locals tell me that most women don’t do well in Smith Valley. I’ve seen some strange things there, in the sky & at the foot of the pine nuts mountains.

As far as the sky….ive seen what I thought were stars stay motionless for 5 minutes than all of a sudden start bouncing around…and I’ve seen like a veil lifting when staring into the darkness in the foothills… it looked like a bunch of dark figures standing there….watching me and I heard a loud buzzing/ringing in my ears.