The Mandan tribe lived in earth lodges, “which was a type of permanent home for Native Indians who lived in harsh climates without large forests, they were built over shallow pits, with a wooden, domed mound built over the top that was neatly covered with earth or reeds. The Mandan built their earth lodges near their fields, …show more content…
The women planted maize, squash, beans, and sunflowers in river-bottom garden plots, but left the crops for part of the summer while the tribe went bison hunting. Tribes that did not grow vegetables often visited the Knife River villages to trade for surplus garden products, and these trade opportunities were enhanced by the fur trade. Fur traders moved into the villages or made regular visits to them to buy furs and hides from the Mandan. The Mandan trapped and prepared furs, but they also acquired furs and hides by trading maize and items received from the traders to the non agricultural tribes of the region. Acting as middlemen, the Mandan and Hidatsa grew rich and became targets for raids by other tribes. The decline of the fur trade was accompanied by an increased military and bureaucratic presence that provided employment opportunities for men as woodcutters, scouts, teamsters, interpreters, and agency employees”(Source …show more content…
The Great Plains tribes such as the Mandan believed in Manitou, the Great Spirit”(Source B). 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.” The adults, “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 A).
Many diseases would kill many people like “In 1750 there were nine large Mandan villages, but recurrent epidemics of smallpox, pertussis (whooping cough), and other diseases introduced through colonization reduced the tribe to two villages by 1800. In 1837 another smallpox epidemic left only 100 to 150 Mandan survivors. Some of these accompanied the Hidatsa to a new settlement near Fort Berthold in 1845; others followed later, as did members of the Arikara tribe. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara eventually became known as the Three Affiliated Tribes (also called the MHA Nation)”(Source