Who Are the Hidatsa?
The Hidatsa are a Siouan-speaking people of the northern Plains, now part of the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. Approximately 3,500 Hidatsa are enrolled. They speak Hidatsa, a Siouan language closely related to Crow, with fewer than 100 fluent speakers remaining. The Hidatsa, like the Mandan, lived in permanent earth lodge villages along the Missouri River, practicing agriculture while also hunting buffalo. Sacagawea, who accompanied Lewis and Clark, was Shoshone but lived among the Hidatsa after being captured as a child.
Village Culture
The Hidatsa shared earth lodge village culture with the Mandan, building permanent settlements along the Missouri River. Women owned the earth lodges and controlled agricultural production—corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers provided the dietary foundation. Men hunted buffalo on extended expeditions, bringing meat and hides back to the villages. The Hidatsa occupied several villages, including the famous Knife River villages where Lewis and Clark wintered. Buffalo Bird Woman (Waheenee), documented by anthropologist Gilbert Wilson, provided detailed accounts of traditional Hidatsa life in the early 20th century.
Crow Separation
According to tradition, the Crow (Apsáalooke) separated from the Hidatsa several hundred years ago following a dispute over buffalo stomach. The groups speak closely related languages but developed distinct cultures—the Crow became nomadic buffalo hunters while the Hidatsa remained village agriculturalists. This separation created two nations from one people, similar to the Assiniboine-Yanktonai split among Sioux peoples. The Hidatsa and Crow maintained trading relationships despite separation; cultural similarities remain evident to scholars studying both nations.
Contemporary Hidatsa
Modern Hidatsa share governance within the Three Affiliated Tribes. Garrison Dam (1953) devastated Hidatsa communities, flooding villages and bottomlands. Oil development has brought recent wealth but also challenges—social disruption, environmental concerns, and questions about equitable distribution. Language preservation is urgent; Hidatsa is severely endangered. The Three Affiliated Tribes' Interpretation Center and various programs work to preserve Hidatsa distinct identity. Buffalo Bird Woman's teachings, recorded a century ago, inform contemporary cultural revitalization. How the Hidatsa maintain identity while sharing governance with Mandan and Arikara shapes their future on the Missouri.
References
- Bowers, A. W. (1965). Hidatsa Social and Ceremonial Organization
- Wilson, G. L. (1917). Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians: An Indian Interpretation
- Wilson, G. L. (1981). Waheenee: An Indian Girl's Story (Buffalo Bird Woman's autobiography)