Fort Berthold Indian Reservation

Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is a US Indian reservation located in west-central North Dakota, established by the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 and the Dawes Act of 1887 for the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara tribes, who are also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. The reservation is situated near the Missouri River and covers an area of over 1,318,398 acres, with its administrative headquarters in New Town. The reservation is also close to the Lake Sakakawea and the Garrison Dam, which was constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Geography

The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is located in the Missouri River Valley and covers parts of Mountrail County, Dunn County, McKenzie County, Mercer County, and Ward County in west-central North Dakota. The reservation's terrain is characterized by rolling hills, badlands, and river valleys, with the Missouri River flowing through it, which is also a popular spot for Lewis and Clark and other explorers, including George Armstrong Custer and Sitting Bull. The reservation is also home to the Lake Sakakawea, which is the largest lake in North Dakota, created by the construction of the Garrison Dam by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and is a popular spot for fishing and boating, similar to Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The reservation's geography is also influenced by the Little Missouri River and the Yellowstone River, which flow into the Missouri River, and is near the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

History

The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation was established in 1870 by the US Congress for the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara tribes, who were forcibly relocated from their ancestral lands along the Missouri River to the reservation, similar to the Trail of Tears and the Long Walk of the Navajo. The reservation was named after the Fort Berthold, a US Army fort that was established in 1850 to protect the tribes from Sioux attacks, and was also a key location during the Dakota War of 1862 and the Battle of Little Bighorn. The reservation has a rich cultural and historical heritage, with evidence of human habitation dating back to the Paleoindian period, and is also home to the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation's MHA Nation headquarters, which is led by the Tribal Chairman and the Tribal Council, similar to the Navajo Nation and the Cherokee Nation. The reservation has also been influenced by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Fur Trade, and the Gold Rush, which brought European-American settlers to the region, including John Jacob Astor and Kit Carson.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the population of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation was 6,341, with the majority being Native Americans, including the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara tribes, who are also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. The reservation has a total area of 1,318,398 acres, with a population density of 4.8 people per square mile, similar to the Navajo Nation and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The reservation is also home to several communities, including New Town, Parshall, and White Shield, which are served by the New Town School District and the Parshall School District, and are also near the Minot State University and the University of North Dakota.

Economy

The economy of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is primarily based on agriculture, with the main crops being wheat, barley, and sunflowers, similar to the Great Plains and the Prairie Pothole Region. The reservation is also rich in natural resources, including oil, gas, and coal, which are extracted by companies such as ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, and are also near the Bakken formation and the Williston Basin. The reservation has also seen significant economic growth in recent years, driven by the oil boom in the Bakken formation, which has brought new jobs and investment to the region, including the North Dakota Oil and Gas Division and the Minot Area Development Corporation. The reservation is also home to several businesses, including the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation's MHA Nation enterprises, which include a casino, a hotel, and a convenience store, similar to the Navajo Nation's Navajo Gaming and the Cherokee Nation's Cherokee Casinos.

Government

The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is governed by the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation's Tribal Council, which is composed of representatives elected by the tribal members, similar to the Navajo Nation's Navajo Nation Council and the Cherokee Nation's Cherokee Nation Tribal Council. The reservation is also subject to the jurisdiction of the US Bureau of Indian Affairs and the US Department of the Interior, which provide funding and technical assistance for various programs and services, including healthcare, education, and law enforcement, similar to the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Indian Education. The reservation has also established its own law enforcement agency, the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation Police Department, which is responsible for maintaining law and order on the reservation, and is also near the FBI's Minot Field Office and the US Marshals Service's District of North Dakota. The reservation is also a member of the National Congress of American Indians and the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, which advocate for the rights and interests of Native American tribes, including the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara tribes.