History and Land

Tekoi Range

The Tekoi Range tells a story of opportunity, challenge, and the unyielding spirit of the Skull Valley Band of Goshute, a chapter in our history that reflects both resilience and rebirth.

Industrial Beginnings

Origins of Tekoi

In 1976, Hercules Aerospace built the Tekoi Range on Goshute land to test and calibrate solid-fuel rocket motors. For nearly two decades, the site provided steady employment and income for tribal members — a rare source of opportunity in the desert.

Yet even then, our people understood the trade-offs. Every spark of progress came with questions about environmental impact and our right to control our own future.

A Complicated Partnership

Progress with a Price

While Tekoi brought short-term prosperity, it also revealed the ongoing struggle faced by many Native communities: the need to balance economic survival with environmental and cultural preservation.
The site became a symbol of that tension: advancement on one hand, and the quiet erosion of autonomy on the other.

Restoration and Renewal

Reclaiming the Land

When the lease was not renewed in 1995, the Tekoi Range fell silent. What was once a site of industry slowly became a place of reflection and healing.

“Every decision about our land carries the memory of our ancestors and the responsibility to protect our children.”

Strength in Reflection

A Lesson for the Future

Economy and Sovereignty

Tekoi reminded us that progress must serve the people, not the other way around.

Environmental Stewardship

Every decision must honor its balance and life.

Legacy of Resilience

Goshute people continue to rebuild and redefine our future.

“The land remembers everything — the smoke, the silence, the hands that built, and the hearts that stayed.”

Tekoi Range stands as a reminder that our story is never only about loss — it is about how we rise, rebuild, and honor the past while protecting the future.