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American Indians of North Dakota
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| North Dakota Tourism/Jason Lindsey |
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They are the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, the Yanktonia, Sisseton, Wahpeton, Hunkpapa and other Dakotah/Lakotah (more commonly known as the Sioux) Tribes, along with the Pembina Chippewa, Cree and Metis. Though the individual tribes have distinct and different origins, histories and languages, Plains Indians are united by core beliefs and values that emanate from respect for the earth and an understanding of humankind’s relationship with nature. Just as the name “Dakota” means “friend or ally” in the Lakota language, the hand of friendship and hospitality is extended to you as you journey here to explore the reservations and discover the beauty of Indian culture.
- There are approximately 30,000 American Indians living in North Dakota
- American Indians make up about 5% of the current North Dakota population
Click here for information on Indian people of North Dakota.
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Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe
Comprised of about 11,300 enrolled members
- Traditional lifestyle included hunting by males and various chores by females, including gathering wild rice, cooking, tanning skins, repairing clothes and cutting wood
- Lived in elk or buffalo hide tepees after migrating to North Dakota
- Reservation encompasses 110,000 acres on North Dakota and South Dakota
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Spirit Lake Nation
Comprised of Dakotah/Lakota people, including Sisseton, Wahpeton and Yanktonai tribes:
- Traditional lifestyle was nomadic, hunting bison and residing in tepees. Also fished and farmed along rivers
- Many tribal members live on Fort Totten Reservation
- There are currently 4,300 enrolled members
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Standing Rock Nation
Comprised of Lakota, Dakotah and Nakotah nations:
- Traditional lifestyle was nomadic, hunting bison and residing in tepees
- Greatly influenced by the spread of the Northern Plains horse culture in the late 17th century
- The Standing Rock Nation encompasses 2.3 million acres
- There are currently 13,900 enrolled members
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Three Affiliated Tribes
Comprised of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara nations:
- Traditional lifestyle included farming corn, beans, squash and sunflowers. Tribal members typically lived in semi-permanent earthlodges
- The Mandan people were nearly wiped out by the smallpox epidemic of 1786. Only about 1,250 Mandans remained at the time the Corps of Discovery arrived. Smallpox devastated the Mandan again from 1837 to 1840
- The Hidatsa population was estimated by the Lewis and Clark Expedition to be about 2,100, including 600 warriors
- The Arikara population was estimated by the Lewis and Clark Expedition to be about 2,600. Estimates put the population at about 30,000 before smallpox arrived 20 years earlier
- The three tribes united in 1862 in Like-A-Fishhook Village on the Missouri River
- Many tribal members have lived on Fort Berthold Reservation since 1870
- There are 10,400 current tribal members
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Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
Comprised of 29,161 members, of which 13,000 live on or near the Turtle Mountain Reservation
- Migrated to the area from the Great Lakes region in the late 1400s
- Population for the entire Chippewa Nation in 1764 was 30,000
- Agriculture was the traditional means of support
- The Turtle Mountain Reservation was established in 1882
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Reservations of North Dakota
Click here to view the reservation map for Trenton Indian Service Area, Turtle Mountain Reservation, Fort Berthold Reservation, Spirit Lake Reservation, Standing Rock Reservation and Sisseton-Wahpeton Lake Traverse Reservation.
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