They are always nursed by the mother, and not often weaned until they are four or five years old.
In the early days the labor of the sexes was clearly defined.

The man was the hunter and the warrior, the guardian of the family.

The woman was the gatherer of the seeds, the preparer of the food, the care-taker of the children.

To-day there is not much difference in the division of labor.

The breaking down of all the old customs by contact with the whites has made men and women alike indifferent to what work they do so that the family larder and purse are replenished thereby.
In the early days the Washoes were expert hunters of bear and deer.
They used to cross over into the mountains of California for this purpose, and the women would accompany them.