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| The Mandan are a Native American tribe that historically lived along the banks of the Missouri River and two of its tributaries—the Heart and Knife Rivers—in present-day North and South Dakota. Speakers of Mandan, a Siouan language, the Mandan were in contrast with other tribes in the Great Plains region in the establishment of permanent villages instead of leading a nomadic existence tracking herds of buffalo. These permanent settlements featured round, earthen lodges surrounding a central plaza. While the buffalo was key to the daily life of the Mandan, it was supplemented by agriculture and trade.
Archaeological research suggests the Mandan people migrated from the Ohio River valley to the banks of the Missouri River. They were first encountered there by Europeans in 1738 and their friendliness and willingness to trade brought many traders and fur trappers to their villages over the next century. By the turn of the 19th century, attacks by neighboring tribes and epidemics of smallpox and whooping cough, significantly diminished the Mandan's population. A major smallpox outbreak in 1837 reduced their numbers to approximately 125.[1] With such meager numbers, the Mandan banded together with two neighboring tribes, the Arikara and Hidatsa. Over the next few decades, the three tribes saw their land holdings reduced by various treaties. In an effort to establish good relations, the U.S. government founded the Fort Berthold Agency to care for the combined tribes. The Agency soon set up the Fort Berthold Reservation originally consisting of some 8 million acres (32,000 km˛), but by 1910, the size of the reservation was about 900,000 acres (3,600 km˛) of land. With the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, the Mandan officially merged with the Hidatsa and the Arikara into the "Three Affiliated Tribes," known as the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. The last full blooded Mandan died in 1971, with the remaining members of mixed ancestry. About half of the Mandan still reside in the area of the reservation, the rest residing around the United States and in Canada. The Mandan survived by hunting, farming and gathering wild plants, though some food came from trade. Mandan gardens were often located near river banks, where annual flooding would leave the most fertile soil, sometimes in locations miles from villages. The gardens were owned and tended by the women, and they would plant corn, beans and squash, usually enough to last a single year. The buffalo which the Mandan hunted played an important part in Mandan rituals; calling the buffalo near to the village was one of the main objectives of the Okipa ceremony at the beginning of each summer. In addition to eating the flesh, the Mandan used all remaining parts of the buffalo, so nothing went to waste. The hides were used for buffalo-fur robes or were tanned, and the leather used for clothing and other uses. The Mandan were known for their painted buffalo hides that often recorded historic events. The bones would be carved into items such as needles and fish hooks. Bones were also used in farming, such as the scapula, which was used as a hoe-like device for breaking the soil. Besides buffalo, the Mandan trapped small mammals for food and hunted deer. Deer antlers were used to create rake-like implements used in farming. Birds were hunted for feathers, which were used for adornment. The Mandan joined with the Arikara in 1862. By this time, Like-a-Fishhook Village had become a major center of trade in the region. By the 1880s, though, the village was abandoned. With the second half of the 19th century there was a gradual decrease in the holdings of the Three Affiliated Tribes (the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara). The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 recognized 12 million acres (49,000 km˛) of land in the territory owned jointly by these tribes. With the creation of the Fort Berthold Reservation by Executive Order on 12 April 1870, the federal government recognized the holdings as only being 8 million acres (32,000 km˛). On 1 July 1880, another executive order deprived the tribes of 7 million acres (28,000 km˛) lying outside the boundaries of the reservation. With the arrival of the 20th century, the government seized more land, and by 1910, the reservation had shrunk to a mere 900,000 acres (3,600 km˛). This land is located in Dunn, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Mountrail and Ward counties in North Dakota. In 1951, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction of Garrison Dam on the Missouri River. This dam created Lake Sakakawea, which flooded portions of the Fort Berthold Reservation including the villages of Fort Berthold and Elbowoods as well as a number of other villages. The former residents of these villages were moved and New Town was established for them. While a new town was constructed for the displaced tribal members, much damage was done to the social and economic foundations of the reservation. The flooding claimed approximately one quarter of the reservations land. This land contained some of the most fertile agricultural land upon which the agricultural economy had been constructed. In addition, the flooding claimed the sites of historic villages and archaeological sites. |
| The Mandan |
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