The Mandan tribe was a large Native American tribe which inhabited what is now, North and South Dakota. The Mandan were a very amiable tribe, who welcomed many prominent American and European explorers. For example, the tribe aided Lewis and Clark on their journey by housing them in their village. They also had a very unique religion and history . According to the four sources provided, the Mandan tribe was a very fascinating with a rich culture. The Mandan tribe had a very unique religion which they were one of the only tribes to follow. According to Source B, “ The religion and beliefs of the Mandan tribe were based on Animism, that encompassed the spiritual or religious idea that the universe and all natural objects animals, plants, trees, …show more content…
According to Source A, “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 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”(Source A). This excerpt shows that, the Mandan tribe did not conform to the common stereotype of most Native American tribes because they dwelled in earthen lodges which were stationary compared to the portable teepees. This also shows that, the Mandan tribe used their own methods for shelter as opposed to using the methods of other tribes. Furthermore, “Aboriginal settlements of the Mandan are found along the Missouri River in North and South Dakota. Early historic documents suggest that before the smallpox epidemic of 1781 there were from six to nine Mandan villages along the Heart and Missouri rivers”(Source C). This shows that the Mandan tribe was a large tribe before the Smallpox epidemic. Consequently, a large amount of the tribe was wiped out as a result of the epidemic. All in all, the Mandan tribe was a very inventive tribe with a problem solving mentality which aided them in their quest for