The harsh environment of Nevada forced the Indian inhabitants to utilize every resource available. Despite these limitations, the Indians developed a rich material culture that enabled them to sustain life and culture.

Nevada Indians lived a nomadic life as they searched for seasonal foods and resources. Most tribes or bands erected temporary dwellings of easily found materials, often conical huts constructed with a pole frame covered with bark, leaves, brush, tule reeds, or woven mats. Many bands also lived in convenient caves. The Northern Paiute who wintered in or near mountains built semi-subterranean houses of poles covered with branches, rye grass, and dirt. In the summer they moved into brush wind brakes or shade structures. The Washoe Indians had permanent winter settlements consisting of dwellings made of long poles set into the ground in a circle, interlocked at the top, and covered with bark slabs or thatching or deer hide. Their summer camps at Lake Tahoe, in the Pine Nut Mountains, or in the oak groves of the Sierra Nevada Mountains consisted of houses made of tule or brush woven together with willow strips.

The Indians of the Great Basin region were noted for their fine basketry utilized as containers, matting, bags, bowls, burden baskets, traps, seed beaters, water and storage baskets, cooking utensils, cradles, sandals, and clothing. Their materials consisted of tule reeds, cattail cords, bark, sagebrush, true rush, willow, and swamp grasses. In historic times, fine baskets were made commercially for income: Maggie Mayo James and Louise Keyser (Datsolalee) were two examples of fine basket makers. Today, the art of basket making is being revived and passed along to a new generation of basket makers.

Other artifacts of material culture which have been found at archaeological sites are projectile points (arrowheads and spear points), stone knives, clay pottery, tule duck decoys, animal snares, petroglyphs, and small art objects such as stone effigies. Some of these items are still made today, as are boats made from tules and rabbit skin blankets.

(Smithsonian Institution. Handbook of North American Indians. Vol. 11, Great Basin. Washington D.C., 1986)