The Mandan Tribe The Mandan tribe is extremely important to U.S. history. The tribe was highly intelligent in their lifestyle. They are also most famously known for coming in contact with Lewis and Clark. Their chief at the time, Chief Shahaka is also known for traveling with Lewis and Clark to visit President Thomas Jefferson. The Mandan are an American Indian group located in North Dakota, their aboriginal home. Unlike many Indian tribes, the "Mandan," despite various spellings, have been known by that name since the earliest contact with non-Indians. Although they were sometimes identified by a name belonging to one of the four divisions of Mandan—Nuitadi, Nuptadi, Awigaxa, or Istopa—or by one of the village names, there is no evidence …show more content…
They grew crops such as maize, beans, pumpkins, sunflowers, and tobacco. They`hunted animals such as buffalo and different types of fish. The tribe made different types of clothing and decorative items including pottery, baskets, and buffalo robes depending on what type of celebration it was. At this point in time, the Mandan tribe was one of the wealthiest of the plains. The tribe welcomed many European and American travelers including Lewis and Clark, Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, and George Catlin. Traditional villages contained 12 to 100 or more earth lodges. Villages usually had about three chiefs. One for war, peace, and one for a regular village leader (source …show more content…
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 have dolls, 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 a cradleboard on her back. Here is a website with pictures of Native American cradle boards. 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 (Source