Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara: The Three Affiliated Tribes
The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara are three different but closely allied North Dakota tribes.
The Mandan speak a Siouan language. Their houses consisted of semi-sunken earth lodges, arranged in a kind of 'stockade' for fortification. They also had a centralized government. For subsistence, the Mandan grew crops and hunted buffalo
The Hidatsa also speak a Siouan language. They were originally nomadic hunters who eventually settled near the Mandan who taught them to farm. The Hidatsa are believed to have come from the same ancestors as the Crow.
The Arikara speak a Caddoan language from the Southern Plains. They fortified their villages with moats and battlements and invented the crossfire battle strategy. Although great warriors, the Arikara were basically hunters and farmers and were noted for their painted hides and coiled pottery.
About the Flag:
The eagle flies over an outline of the Fort Berthold, ND, reservation. The design includes the six sections of the reservation. The spear, bow, and arrows are the traditional weapons used by the ancestors of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara for hunting and survival.
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