Mandan+Indian+Tribe

=__Mandan Indian Tribe__= toc

[[image:mandan.jpg width="251" height="332" align="left" caption="Mandan Indian"]]
The Mandan Indians were a Native American group that lived along the banks of the Missouri River and two of its tribituares, the Heart and Knife Rivers. By the 19th centuary attacks by other tribes and small pox and whoping choughing, dwindled the population to approxamitly 125,with such small numbers they joined the Akiara and Hidasta. The Mandans spoke Mandan,English, Hidasta.

__Family Life__
The Mandans lived in dome-like lodges. The outside of the lodges were covered withmade from reeds and twigs,then covered with hay and mud, there was also a hole in the top for releasing smoke. The interior had four pillars on crossbeams, which held up the roof. The lodges held up to 40 people, villages usually had up to 120 lodges. Orignally the Mandan were splt up into 13 clans, organized around skill and their families,clanswere expected to take care of each of its own. Children weren't named until 10 days after their birth, in special ceremony. Girls and boys were taught differntly, girls were taught domestic duties,farming,and how to keep a home; while boys taught hunting and fishing. Marriges were usually arranged by members of one's own clan, but somethimes it would take place without consent of the parents.

**__Hunting__**
The Mandan survived by hunting,farming, gathering wild plants, and trading. Mandan gardens were often set by river banks, so that annual flooding could leave more fertile soil. The gardens were tended to by the women, where they would plant corn,bean,and squash, enough to last the whole year. Buffalo was an important part of Mandan culture, they would hold a ceremony, the Okipa, at the beginning of each summer to call the buffalo near the village. No parts of the bufffalo went to waste, they ate the meat, used the fur for clothing, the bones were used tools,such as, fish hooks and hoes, for gardening. Along with the buffalo, they also hunted deer and small mammals.

__Dress__
The Mandan women dressed in ankle-lenght made of deer or sheepskin,leather leggings with ankle-high moccasins, they would wear their hair in two long braids. During winter, men would commonly wear sheepskin tunics with leggings and moccasins. They would also wear buffalo hide robes to keep warm. Unlike women,the men would wear their various ornaments in their hair. It was parted across the top, into three sections. Sometimes, the front would hang down to the nose then be curled with a curling stick. The side would hang to the shoulders, and the back to the waist. The long back part would become a tail-like feather.

__Religion__
The Mandans, of all the tribes on the plains, their religion was the most complex. The majority of their mythology was based off the Lone Man, the Lone Man was included in many of the creation myths. In the creation myths, it was believed that the world was created by two rivial gods, the First Creator and the Lone Man, the Missouri River seperated these two lands. The First Creator created the land south of the hills,trees, buffalos,anataloeps, and snakes,the Lone Man created the the land north of the river with the fish,birds, humans, and domestic animal. Some humans were said to live underground.

__Present Day__
The last full-blood Mandan died in 1971. Tribal resident have recoveres from the tragic displacement in the 1950's, the recovery had been helped by two additions in New Town, The Four Bear Casino and Lodge. The most recent addition in New Town has been the Four Bear Bridge, made by the three indians tribe and North Dakota Department of Transportation. The bridge is the longest bridge in the state of North Dakota and is decoreated with medallions to celebrate the three tribes' culture. The bridge was opened to traffic on November 2 of 2005 and offically opended in a ceremony on October 3.



__Refrences__
Mandan Indian Tribe. (1/31/09) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandan Mandan Indian. (2/7/09)http://www.wwu.edu/depts/skywise/tribes.html Four Bears Bridge (2/7/09) http://www.city-data.com/picfilesc/picc17837.php