Thursday 13 February 2014



The Mandan tribe
https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/6/6b/Arikara_Indian_Mandan_1874.jpg






The Mandan tribe are the stereotypical looking Native American tribe. You can see this from the picture through their clothing. Having the face paint on them and the feathers in their head gear and also down their clothing. Women use to wear deerskin dresses and men wore leather clothing and bucksking shirts and also buffalo robes.
The Mandan tribe are/ were located in North Dakota, in the North of America next to the state of Montana by the Missouri River. There are some Natives who still live there today on a reservation of which is under their control along with two other tribes the Hidatsa and the Arikara tribe. On this reservation they have their own government, services and laws. However they are still American citizens and therefore they still must obey the American law. Since the three tribes have merged their native language has been dying out, but the Mandan tribe are trying to keep their language alive.
In the early 18th century the population was 3600 but then by 1836 due to marriages from outside the tribe there were just over 1600 full blood Mandan’s. However by 1838 there was a huge drop in numbers to just 125 being full blood. However in the 1990s with combining the two other tribes, Hidatsa and Arikara the number on the reservation rose to around 6000.
The tribes a few years ago were in great debt but now with a new government they have managed to contain the debt and manage to significantly reduce it to almost none existent. They take great care of their elder citizens as they are an honoured citizen in the village. They have gotten enough money to be able to build a new health centre to look after any emergency cases which may come.
Within their government they are very well formed as in they have many plans to go ahead and have a grasp on all matters. And despite being different tribe the relationship and work ethic which they all have when they come together really is a strong and positive one.

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