Name: Boston Whitaker
The Mandan people were a unique group of Native Americans who had an important role in history; they contributed to Lewis and Clark’s expedition. Their main roles in history were being hunters, farmers, and traders. The Mandan people had their own language, culture, roles, and trade.
The Mandan people were native to North Dakota and their language was Siouan (Source D). The Mandan tribes did not understand other Native American languages including Hidatsa and Arikara, so that made trading difficult (Source A). Instead of verbally communicating, the Mandans used sign language to make trade easier with both other tribes and white explorers, such as Lewis and Clark (Source B). The Mandan …show more content…
An aspect of their culture that the Mandan people were specifically known for, were their tattoos. The women had tattoos on their chins and men could have had tattoos anywhere, therefore the Mandans were known as “the tattooed people”(Source B). The tattoos that the Mandans wore were made from soot, clay, and dye. The different methods of tattooing resulted in different colors of the tattoos. The tattoos also were for marking important events in a person’s life, which was accompanied by sacred ceremonies. The Mandans had multiple ceremonies to honor their religion, Animalism (Source B). These ceremonies were important “Mandan religion included many ceremonies and rituals that were performed by the various societies. The Okipa was the most complex of these; a four-day ritual requiring lengthy preparation and self-sacrifice by participants, it was an elaboration of the Sun Dance common to many Plains tribes”(Source C). The purpose of the Okipa was to remember being saved from a flood, call on the buffalo, and to give thanks (Source C). Men and women had various roles in their tribes, but both sexes could participate in cultural activities by doing music and …show more content…
Men were hunters and fighters (Source A). The men hunted what was around them, and since they lived by the Missouri and Knife rivers, they hunted sturgeon, crawfish, and mussels (Source B). The Mandan men also hunted land animals which were in their location. The animals that lived in the Mandan’s grass-covered prairies included buffalo, deer, elk, bear, porcupine, antelope, prairie dogs, eagles, and wolves (Source B). The main animal used for food was the buffalo. The hunters' trips could last long, so instead of the Mandan’s normal, permanent, round earthen lodges, with wooden frames, they used tipis. Hunting was the only time tipis were used though (Source A). The weapons that the Mandan tribes utilized for hunting and fighting included bow and arrows, war clubs, hide shields, hatchet axes, spears, lance, and knives (Source B). Women had completely different roles. Women’s roles included farming, child raising, and cooking (Source A). The women also made the clothes (Source B). The plants that women farmed included corn, beans, squash, sunflower, pumpkins, and tobacco (Source C). The women would raise the children, and the children would do chores and get to play sometimes also. The women held the position of making the clothes. The typical wear of a Mandan woman included deerskin dresses decorated with elks’ teeth and cowrie shells (Source A). Typical men’s clothing consisted of breechcloths with leather leggings
The Mandan people were a unique group of Native Americans who had an important role in history; they contributed to Lewis and Clark’s expedition. Their main roles in history were being hunters, farmers, and traders. The Mandan people had their own language, culture, roles, and trade.
The Mandan people were native to North Dakota and their language was Siouan (Source D). The Mandan tribes did not understand other Native American languages including Hidatsa and Arikara, so that made trading difficult (Source A). Instead of verbally communicating, the Mandans used sign language to make trade easier with both other tribes and white explorers, such as Lewis and Clark (Source B). The Mandan …show more content…
An aspect of their culture that the Mandan people were specifically known for, were their tattoos. The women had tattoos on their chins and men could have had tattoos anywhere, therefore the Mandans were known as “the tattooed people”(Source B). The tattoos that the Mandans wore were made from soot, clay, and dye. The different methods of tattooing resulted in different colors of the tattoos. The tattoos also were for marking important events in a person’s life, which was accompanied by sacred ceremonies. The Mandans had multiple ceremonies to honor their religion, Animalism (Source B). These ceremonies were important “Mandan religion included many ceremonies and rituals that were performed by the various societies. The Okipa was the most complex of these; a four-day ritual requiring lengthy preparation and self-sacrifice by participants, it was an elaboration of the Sun Dance common to many Plains tribes”(Source C). The purpose of the Okipa was to remember being saved from a flood, call on the buffalo, and to give thanks (Source C). Men and women had various roles in their tribes, but both sexes could participate in cultural activities by doing music and …show more content…
Men were hunters and fighters (Source A). The men hunted what was around them, and since they lived by the Missouri and Knife rivers, they hunted sturgeon, crawfish, and mussels (Source B). The Mandan men also hunted land animals which were in their location. The animals that lived in the Mandan’s grass-covered prairies included buffalo, deer, elk, bear, porcupine, antelope, prairie dogs, eagles, and wolves (Source B). The main animal used for food was the buffalo. The hunters' trips could last long, so instead of the Mandan’s normal, permanent, round earthen lodges, with wooden frames, they used tipis. Hunting was the only time tipis were used though (Source A). The weapons that the Mandan tribes utilized for hunting and fighting included bow and arrows, war clubs, hide shields, hatchet axes, spears, lance, and knives (Source B). Women had completely different roles. Women’s roles included farming, child raising, and cooking (Source A). The women also made the clothes (Source B). The plants that women farmed included corn, beans, squash, sunflower, pumpkins, and tobacco (Source C). The women would raise the children, and the children would do chores and get to play sometimes also. The women held the position of making the clothes. The typical wear of a Mandan woman included deerskin dresses decorated with elks’ teeth and cowrie shells (Source A). Typical men’s clothing consisted of breechcloths with leather leggings