Some most important things to know:
The Mandan are a Native American people living in North Dakota. They are enrolled
in the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota. About half of the Mandan still reside in the area of the
reservation; the rest reside around the United States and in Canada.
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With their Hidatsa friends and neighbors, the Mandan
Indians lay at the center of trade along the Upper Missouri River, inhabiting
what is now central North Dakota. At the time of Lewis and Clark’s arrival,
they lived in two villages, Matootonha and Rooptahee*. Matootonha was located
on the western bank of the Missouri, while Rooptahee was directly north, on the
river’s eastern bank. The Corps of Discovery reached the Mandan villages in the
fall of 1804 and stayed the winter in Fort Mandan, across the river from
Matootonha.
The site of the original Ft. Mandan, named in honor of the neighboring tribe and hosts of Lewis and Clark, is in some dispute, except for the fact that it currently is under the waters of the Missouri River. The Missouri has changed course many times over the years since Ft. Mandan was built, but no changes were as dramatic as when the Garrison Dam was constructed in the 1950's. Part of the Pick-Sloan Plan, Garrison submerged many sites behind it and further altered the downstream path of the already wandering river. Another Pick-Sloan dam, Oahe in South Dakota, also submerged a number of historic sites along the river. A reconstruction of Ft. Mandan currently exists approximately two miles south of the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn, North Dakota.
In Mandan culture, the village was the focus of
political, economic and ceremonial activity. It represented a collective of
households, all striving together to better each family, clan and the village
itself. A sacred cedar post stood at the center of the Mandan village,
symbolizing the tribe’s primary cultural hero. The post was surrounded by an
open plaza, and at the north end of the plaza was the village’s primary
medicine lodge. Forty or fifty additional lodges populated the plaza. The more
powerful a family was, or the more significant that family’s ceremonial duties
were, the closer its lodge would be to the center. On average, 10 people lived
in each lodge. Throughout most of the year, the Mandans lived in these
permanent lodges. But in the winter, to avoid brutal storms, they constructed
temporary lodges in wooded, low-lying areas adjacent to the river.
In fields that surrounded the villages, the Mandans
grew their harvests. Crops included corn, beans, squash and tobacco. When the fall
came, a diversity of Indian tribes and Europeans descended on the Mandan
villages, bringing a rich and varied assortment of goods. At the high point of
trade, Crees, Cheyennes, Assiniboins, Crows and even enemy Teton Sioux could be
counted among the attending delegations. Everything from meat products to
horses to musical instruments was exchanged for Mandan corn.
If you want ot learn more about interesting history of this tribe, visit these links:
Mandan Tribe
How do you pronounce the word "Mandan"? What does it mean?
Where do the Mandans live?
The Mandan Indians are original people of North Dakota. Most Mandan people are still living in North Dakota today.
How is the Mandan Indian nation organized?
The Mandans share a single nation with the Hidatsa and Arikara tribes. In the past, the Mandans, Hidatsas, and Arikaras lived in separate villages and each had their own government and leadership. But after many of their people died of smallpox in the 1800's, the three allies merged. Together, they are known as the Three Affiliated Tribes.
Today the Hidatsas, Mandans, and Arikaras live on a reservation, which is land that belongs to them and is under their control.
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What language do the Mandan Indians speak?
The Mandan people speak English today. Their native Mandan language is still spoken today by only one elder. Hidatsa, Mandan, and Arikara speakers cannot understand each other's languages, so the three languages have been declining since the tribes merged. However, some Mandan people are working to keep their language alive.
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How do Mandan Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many Mandan children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did havedolls, toys, and games to play. Here is a picture of a hoop game played by Plains Indian kids. A Mandan mother traditionally carried a young child in acradleboard on her back--a custom which many American parents have adopted now.
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What were men and women's roles in the Mandan tribe?
Mandan men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Mandan women were farmers and also did most of the child care and cooking. Only men became Mandan chiefs, but both genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.
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What were Mandan homes like in the past?
The Mandan Indians lived in settled villages of round earthen lodges. Mandan lodges were made from wooden frames covered with packed earth. When Mandan men went on hunting trips, they often used small buffalo-hide tipis (or teepees) as temporary shelter, similar to camping tents. Unlike other Plains Indian tribes, though, the Mandans were not migratory people, and did not use tall teepees for their regular houses. Here are some pictures of lodges, tipis, and other Indian houses.
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Today, Native Americans only put up a tepee for fun or to connect with their heritage, not for housing. Most Mandans live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
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What was Mandan clothing like? Did the Mandans wear feather headdresses and face paint?
Mandan women wore long deerskin dresses. Mandan men wore breechcloths with leather leggings and buckskin shirts. The Mandans wore moccasinson their feet, and in cold weather, they wore long buffalo-hide robes. A Mandan warrior's shirt was fringed and covered with beadwork, porcupine quills, and feathers; a lady's dress was often decorated with elk's teeth and cowrie shells. Here is a site about the symbolism of Plains Indian war shirts, and some photos and links about Indian clothing in general.
Mandan Indian leaders sometimes wore the long feather warbonnets that Plains Indians are famous for, decorated with buffalo horns and ermine tails. Mandan men and women both wore their hair as long as possible, sometimes down to their knees. Traditionally, Mandan people only cut their hair when they were in mourning. Both men and women usually kept their hair in two long braids, but sometimes left it long and loose for special occasions. The Mandans painted their faces different patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and festive decoration. Mandan women wore tribal tattoos on their chins, and unlike most Plains Indian men, some Mandan men wore beards.
Today, some Mandan people still have moccasins or a buckskin dress, but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear traditional regalia on special occasions like a wedding or a dance.
What was Mandan transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle canoes?
No--the Mandan Indians weren't coastal people, and when they traveled by river, they usually built bowl-shaped rafts out of willow rods and buffalo hide. Over land, the Mandans used dogs pulling travois (a kind of drag sled) to help them carry their belongings. There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe.
What was Mandan food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Mandans were farming people. Mandan women worked together to raise crops of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. Men hunted deer and small game and took part in seasonal buffalo hunts. The Mandans weren't migratory people, so they didn't hunt buffalo as often as other Plains Indian tribes, but buffalo meat was still an important part of their diet because they acquired it in trade from other tribes.
What were Mandan weapons and tools like in the past?
Mandan hunters used bows and arrows. In war, Mandan men fired their bows or fought with war clubs and hide shields.
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What other Native Americans did the Mandan tribe interact with?
The Mandans traded regularly with other tribes of the Great Plains and the Western Plateau. They particularly liked to trade corn and tobacco to tribes like the Kiowa and Assiniboine in exchange for buffalo hides and meat. These tribes usually communicated using the Plains Sign Language.
The Mandans also fought wars with other tribes. Plains Indian tribes treated war differently than European countries did. They didn't fight over territory but instead to prove their courage, and so Plains Indian war parties rarely fought to the death or destroyed each other's villages. Instead, their war customs included counting coup (touching an opponent in battle without harming him), stealing an enemy's weapon or horse, or forcing the other tribe's warriors to retreat. Some tribes the Mandans frequently fought with included the Dakota Sioux and Shoshones.What are Mandan arts and crafts like?
Mandan artists are famous for their beadwork, pottery, and hide paintings. Here is a museum website with photographs of a Mandan buffalo hide painting.
What kinds of stories do the Mandans tell?
There are lots of traditional Mandan legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the Mandan Indian culture. Here is one story about why Mandan women carry baskets.
What about Mandan religion?
Sorry, but we cannot help you with religious information. Religions are too complicated and culturally sensitive to describe appropriately in only a few simple sentences, and we strongly want to avoid misleading anybody. You can visit this site to learn more about the Mandan religious beliefs or this site about Native American religion in general.
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To learn more about history, culture, legends and other things, visit please these links:
And here are the photoes and pictures of the presentatives if this tribe:
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