Three Affiliated Tribes

Three Affiliated Tribes
Name	Three Affiliated Tribes
Caption	Historic Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara leadership and villages
Population	~6,000 enrolled
Popplace	North Dakota; Fort Berthold Indian Reservation
Languages	Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara (Sahnish), English
Religions	Traditional Native American religions, Christianity
Related	Sioux, Cheyenne, Crow, Assiniboine

Three Affiliated Tribes are a federally recognized confederation composed of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara peoples, located primarily on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The confederation traces roots to historic villages along the Missouri River and to interactions with explorers such as Lewis and Clark, traders like Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, and colonial powers including United States authorities. Their modern governance, cultural revitalization, natural resource disputes, and landmark legal cases have linked them to institutions such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and United States Department of the Interior.

History

The Mandan established agrarian villages documented by Lewis and Clark near Fort Mandan, while Hidatsa and Arikara bands developed allied earthlodge communities and seasonal buffalo hunting ties with the Blackfeet. Epidemics introduced by European contact, including smallpox, severely reduced Mandan populations in the 18th and 19th centuries, prompting consolidation with Hidatsa villages such as Like-a-Fishhook Village and relocations near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi River tributaries. Throughout the 19th century, they negotiated treaties with the United States such as the Fort Laramie Treaty and faced pressures from Fort Berthold Agency administration, military expeditions including units tied to the Indian Wars, and allotment under the Dawes Act that reshaped land tenure. In the 20th century, infrastructure projects by the United States Army Corps of Engineers—notably the Garrison Dam—flooded villages and prompted relocation, sparking legal challenges involving the United States Court of Claims and the Indian Claims Commission that culminated in compensation settlements and ongoing disputes over sovereign rights.

Government and Politics

The confederation operates a tribal corporate charter and an elected tribal council that engages with federal entities such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and agencies like the United States Department of Justice on law enforcement issues linked to the Major Crimes Act. Tribal governance intersects with state authorities in North Dakota and with energy regulators such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over pipeline siting and pipeline approvals. Political advocacy has involved alliances with organizations including the National Congress of American Indians and legal representation in cases before the United States Supreme Court and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Leadership has navigated compacts with the Indian Health Service and agreements under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act with educational institutions like United Tribes Technical College.

Land, Reservations, and Resources

The Fort Berthold Reservation, established by executive order and treaty processes, encompasses areas of the Missouri River valley and spans county jurisdictions such as Dunn County and McLean County. Resource rights across the reservation include oil and gas leases governed by market actors like Eni S.p.A. affiliates, pipeline companies such as Enbridge and agents tied to the Bakken shale boom, and mineral management under the Bureau of Indian Affairs trust responsibilities. Hydroelectric projects like Garrison Dam produced the Lake Sakakawea reservoir, inundating cultural sites and prompting navigation of the National Environmental Policy Act and litigation referencing precedents such as United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians. Land base adjustments reflect policies from the Homestead Act era through modern land consolidation and land-into-trust processes conducted under the Department of the Interior.

Culture and Language

Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara cultural practices include earthlodge construction, seasonal ceremonies tied to buffalo hunting and horticulture, and material arts preserved in institutions such as the National Museum of the American Indian and the North Dakota Heritage Center. Language revitalization programs teach Mandan, Hidatsa, and Sahnish through partnerships with universities like North Dakota State University and tribal programs modeled after the Master-Apprentice Program. Oral histories reference figures such as Sacagawea and interactions with explorers documented at sites like Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. Cultural preservation efforts have engaged with museums including the Smithsonian Institution and advocacy groups such as Endangered Language Alliance to secure archival recordings and curricula.

Economy and Infrastructure

Economic activity on the reservation spans energy extraction in the Bakken regional boom, agricultural enterprises including irrigation systems tied to Garrison Dam projects, and tribal enterprises in tourism, gaming, and services that work with entities like U.S. Bank for financial operations. Infrastructure includes roads connected to the Interstate 94, utilities regulated by the North Dakota Public Service Commission, and broadband initiatives supported by the Department of Commerce and federal grant programs such as those administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Commercial negotiations have involved companies like ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and pipeline operators including TC Energy in disputes over easements, royalties, and environmental compliance under statutes like the Clean Water Act.

Education and Health

Tribal education systems collaborate with schools accredited by North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and higher-education partners such as United Tribes Technical College and Mandan College-style programs, while scholarship programs coordinate with the Bureau of Indian Education framework. Health services address disparities through clinics affiliated with the Indian Health Service and programs funded via the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, with public health partnerships including CDC initiatives and state health departments. Behavioral health, diabetes prevention, and maternal-child programs often receive grants from entities like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Notable Members and Contemporary Issues

Prominent individuals from the confederation have included cultural leaders, elected officials, and activists who have engaged with national debates over pipeline protests and tribal sovereignty, collaborating with environmental groups such as Sierra Club and legal nonprofits like the Native American Rights Fund. Contemporary issues encompass litigation over treaty rights in federal courts, disputes over mineral royalties with oil companies, community recovery from flooding tied to dam operations, and initiatives for language revitalization with support from foundations including the Ford Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The confederation’s role in regional politics has linked it to figures and movements across North Dakota and national indigenous advocacy networks such as the Indigenous Environmental Network.

Category:Mandan people Category:Hidatsa people Category:Arikara people