Published Resources
This page contains links to accessible published works pertaining to the culture and language of the MHA people.
Grammar & Dictionary
of the Language of The Hidatsa
With an Introductory Sketch of the Tribe
Washinton Matthews
Published 1873
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Description
This document is a PDF Link containing a digital copy of the book titled "Grammar and Dictionary of The Hidatsa, Minneatares Groventres of the Missouri Introductory Sketch of the Tribe, written by an Irish born doctor named Washington Matthews. Originally published in 1873 by New York Cramoisy Press.
Hidatsa Social and Ceremonial Organization
Alfred W. Bowers. Published 1963
Description
This ethnographic paper, dated January 1, 1963, sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology is a detailed description of Hidatsa Social and Ceremonial practices as told by ethnographer Alfred W. Bowers based on data collected in the 1930s. All the Hidatsa informants of this project were born about 1850-1860 and were alive at the time of the Custer massacre. Bowers indicates that he pushed informants to share sacred religious lore for the sake of this project. The paper is an extensive account of Hidatsa social organization, kinship systems, societies, ceremonies, and other details about the history and social practices as collected at the time. The paper includes illustrations, text figures, charts, photographs, and maps. - Description taken from the University of North Dakota Scholarly Commons website:
https://commons.und.edu/indigenous-gov-docs/49/
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Click this link to open the webpage and then click on "view/open." A digital copy of the text will start to download.
Publications of The Folk-Lore Foundation
Myth and Hunting Stories of the Mandan and Hidatsa Sioux
Vassar College. Published 1924
Description
The Folklore Foundation arrived at Vassar in 1920 with Martha Beckwith, a folklorist who studied under Franz Boas, the famous anthropologist, at Columbia. Considered remarkably progressive at the time, the project studied and examined all "folk" elements of culture from folk tales, to folk dancing, to slang. While the foundation conducted research on a wide variety of areas of the world, it focused on Hawaii, Jamaica, the Hudson Valley, and the Native Americans of the Dakotas. [This text contains twelve stories of the MHA people documented by Martha Beckwith] Description taken from:
https://www.vassar.edu/vcencyclopedia/collections-curiosities/the-folklore-foundation.html
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Click this link & scroll (page) through to find the section of Mandan and Hidatsa stories that start on page cdliii. You may also do control+F search and type in the title of the section (as seen above).
Chardon's Journal at Fort Clark
1834-1839
Department of History: State of South Dakota
Published 1932
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https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3625047&view=2up&seq=11&skin=2021
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Description
This text is a publication of journal entries made by fur trader Frances A. Chardon, who resided at Fort Clark from 1834 to 1839 near present day Stanton, ND near Awahti Gixhu'sh (the five villages, referring to the two Nu'eta Villages and three Hidatsa villages) and made notes about the everyday life at the fort, interaction and trade with the Nu'eta (Mandan) people, Hidatsa, Arikara, Sioux and more. He also documents the tragic affects of the Great Plains Smallpox epidemic of 1837 had, mainly on the Nu'eta people, once the virus was exposed and spread (via steamboat activity) among the Nu'eta villages (Including Mittutahunga'sh) nearest to Fort Clark. It also includes correspondence and trade records.
Hidatsa Place Names
Compiled by Louis Garcia
State Historical Society of North Dakota Collections
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Description
This document is a PDF Link containing the names and descriptions of various place names in the Hidatsa language - compiled by Louis Garcia dated 1996, donated to the State Historical Society of North Dakota by Garcia in 2017. According to https://www.history.nd.gov/archives/manuscripts/inventory/11295.html "This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of North Dakota."
Mandan-Hidatsa Myths and Ceremonies
Collected by Martha Warren-Beckwith
Published by the American Folklore Society 1937
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Description
This document is a PDF Link that contains several stories or "Máashii-giwe" that are told during certain times as well as coyote stories that can be told year-round. The stories were compiled by Martha Warren Beckwith on the Fort Berthold Reservation and published by the American Folklore Society in New York, New York in Copyrighted 1937.
An Ethnobotonical Field Guide of The
Missouri River Trench and Environs,
North Dakota
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Description
This document is a PDF Link that contains a record of culturally significant ethnobotany for the Hidatsa and other Northern Plains Tribes who shared the landscape. Information on different trees, plants and shrubs, their names and uses are included.
Introduction:
"The Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, and Crow people have a long and complex history of sharing their living quarters and social spaces on the Missouri River Trench. Not surprisingly, they also share certain traditions and customs associated with the local flora. At the same time, they have maintained ethnic and linguistic distinctions founded upon each group’s unique genesis and trajectory. The product of this interaction is a centuries-old, rich tapestry of botanical knowledge and practice. We begin by briefly introducing the people and the river, discuss our work with them and, finally, present what we learned of Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, and Crow views about plants and their relationship with the world."
Indrek Park Hidatsa Dictionary
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Description
The following document is a PDF of a Hidatsa Dictionary compiled by Indrek Park. Document seems to be a work in progress and may not be in completed form, but contains some valuable words and phrases that may be helpful for some self-study among language learners.
The History and Culture of the Mandan, Hidsatsa, Sahnish (Arikara)
North Dakota Dept. of Public Instruction
Copyright 2001
Description
"This follwoing guide about the histories and cultures of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Sahnish (Arikara) people is part of a collaborative project between the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and the Tribal Nations of North Dakota.
Most of the research for the development of this guide was providedfrom several historical journals, traders papers, and ethnographic studies conducted in the early 1900's among the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara. Other resources have been made available through the work of reference staff and collections of the Three Affiliated Tribes Museum, Minnesota State Historical Society, The State Historical Society of North Dakota and through books and materials on the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara. Most significant are the recollections of tribal oral historians, elders and members who shared their memories, knowledge and wisdom."
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Mandan Phrase Book
A joint endeavor between The Nu’eta Language Initiative and The American Indian Studies Research Institute (AISRI)
Indiana University 2017
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Description
The following document is a PDF of a Nuu'etaa Phrase book containing phrases on various topics, such as greetings, family, food and drink, commands etc.
Hymns and Scriptures Selections
in the Mandan language
Published for the Fort Berthold Mission
Elbowoods, ND 1926
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Description
The following is a PDF of a Booklet featuring Hymns and Scrupture Selections in the Mandan (Nuu'etaa) Language.
Nueta-Mandan
Transcriptions of programmed tapes of that language as taught by
Ronald Samuel Little Owl Ft. Berthold Community College
1992
Description
This document is a PDF Link containing the transcriptions of Ronald Samuel Little Owls three programmed language tapes which were made and used by Ronald himself during his teachings of Nueta-Mandan language classes at the Fort Berthold Community College dated [now named Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College].
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