CONCLUSION
The Mandan Indians were a peaceful tribe whose greatest enemy appeared to be a disease called smallpox. Because of their friendly nature, the tribe may have been more susceptible to catching that disease, as they were more likely to have close contact with the white man. They allowed the Europeans into their villages, and unknowingly allowed smallpox in as well. Those tribes that fought the white man lost their warriors in battle, the Mandan lost their warriors to a deadly disease. As a result the Mandan may have suffered more in their dealings with the Government than the tribes who fought it.
The story of the Mandan Indians mirrors the story of Native Americans as a whole. The Natives suffered at the hand of the Europeans through war, disease, or both. Their lands were taken at the discretion of the US government without consideration or compensation. The lack of respect for Native American depth, diversity, and majesty is a great tragedy.
Works Cited
Primary Sources
Densmore, Frances. Mandan and Hidatsa Music. Washington Government printing Office,
1923.
Annals of America Volume 4 1797-1820. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1968: pages 158-164
Holloway, Dennis. “, “Solar Virtual Reality Tour of Native American Architecture”. Picture of “Mandan-Hidatsa Tribes Earth Lodge” Internet site “archvr@newmex.com
The Journals of Lewis and Clark. DeVoto, Bernard editor. Houghton Mifflin Company Boston:
The Riverside Press Cambridge, 1953: pages 33-87
Welker, Glenn. Return to Indigenous Peoples’ Literature, “The Buffalo Dance”.
Internet site “gwelker@mail.lmi.org”, 1996.
Secondary Sources
Ronda James. Lewis and Clark Among the Indians. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London. 1984: pages 42-112
Encarta 95. Microsoft, Encyclopedia. cited pictures used with permission of Microsoft corp. Redmond Washington, 1994
Fort Berthold Community College Bulletin, “Reservation Background Information”.
Author Unknown. Internet site “northdakota.SurfBISNet.com”
The Dictionary of Indian Tribes of the Americas Volume II. American Indian Publishers,
1980: pages 219-223 & 438-441