The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1908-09-18
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The Fort Behold Bands.

Round the ancient trading post OF
Fort Berthold, N. D.-a post OF the
fur companies in the long ago-cluster
three strange and interesting Indian
tribes. The association Of these three
bands-the Arikara, Minitari and Man
dan-shows how feeble tribes of differ
emf stock often had to join arms for
protection against common foe, while
the Fort Berthold Indians afford most
interesting subjects for chronological in
vestigation.
The Arikara are of Pawnee race the
Minitari-generally known as "Gros
ventres Of the Missouri'-are Grows,
and the Mandan, If old tradition and
curious circumstances can be believed.
are a mixture of Sioux, Mound Build
ers and Welshman.
Way back some 600 years ago, a
Welsh prince named Madoc sailed to
| find a new world, and is believed to
have landed in North America, taken
his followers into the interior, and van
ished among the Indian tribes. At
igured Mound Builders were erecting
,orts and houses along the Ohio River.
Traces of their wanderings are shown
by the remains Of these structures
down the Ohio, up the Mississippi, and
ending where the Mandan villages were
found 200 years ago.
! The Mandan pattern homes and for
tifications as the Mound Builders did.
That, with their location, links them
with this prehistoric race. But among
the Mandans, to this day are many peo-
pie with light skin and blue eyes-not
mixed bloods, but recurring types,
transmitted from white infusion Of
the long ago. The Mandan language,
taken word by word, is mainly Sioux,
but shows many words that are de-
clared to be plainly and Enthusiastically
Welsh. Finally, the Mandans navigate
the river in "bullboats" Of strange cir
cular pattern, Identical with the coracle
Of Wales.
The Mandans, therefore, seem to be
a wondrous link between the Indian
and the Adventures Of centuries gone
by. and also q link between the red
man and the extinguished nations that
built the great structures dotting many
portions of the Mississippi Valley.
Where can an ethnologist find finer
field for long, Industrious labor?
The Minitari, or Gros Ventre-not
related to the Gros Ventre du Prairie,
living at Fort Belknap-are Crow by
race. stature and speech, and are the
bravest of the three allied tribes. The
Arikara are stocky, dark, silent and
taciturn, Of Pawnee stock, but less
valiant than the Pawnee proper.
Lewis and Clarke, century ago, had
some skirmishes with the Minitari, and
the white trappers fought the Arikara
while the Mandan were ever and al
WAYS the white mans friend, entertain,
ing La Verendrye and his coureurs des
bois in royal fashion 200 years ago
These tribes fought among themselves
considerably, but when the Sioux began
to press them hard they built adjoining
villages, fortified them with palisades
and made treaties Of peace and brother
hood.
About seventy years ago the three
tribes probably numbered 4,OOO-1,OOC
Minitari, 1900 each for the Arikara
and Mandan. The smallpox swept of
most of the Mandan, and hundreds OF
the others. In 1878 they totaled about
400, and low number about LOO
Their reservation is Of poor quality
and they are poverty-stricken lot OF
red men, although they do their best to
get along