English: Title: Bulletin

Identifier: bulletin3011907smit Year: 1901 (1900s) Authors: Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology Subjects: Ethnology Publisher: Washington : G. P. O. Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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Text Appearing Before Image: BOLL. 30J MANDAN 797 entirely mythological. All that can be gathered from them is the indication that at some time they lived in a more easterly locality in the vicinity of a lake. This tradition, often repeated by subsequent authors, is given by Lewis and Clark, as follows: "The whole nation resided in one large village underground near a sul)terra- neous lake; a grapevine extended its roots down to their habitation and gave them a view of the light; some of the most adven- turous climbed up the vine and were de- lighted with the sight of the earth, which they found covered with buffalo and rich

Text Appearing After Image: IMERAPARAPA (" LANCE ")—MANDAN with every kind of fruits; returning with the grapes they had gathered, their coun- trymen were so pleased with the taste of them that the whole nation resolved to leave their dull residence for the charms of the upper region; men, women, and children ascended by means of the vine; but when about half the nation had reached the surface of the earth, a cor- pulent woman who was clamliering up the vine broke it witli her weight, and closed upon herself and the rest of the nation the light of the sun. Those who were left on earth made a village below, where we saw the nine villages; and when the Mandan die they expect to return to the original seats of their fore- fathers, the good reaching the ancient village by means of the lake, which the burden of the sins of the wicked will not enable them to cross." JNIaximilian says: "They athrm that they descended origi- nally from the more eastern nations, near the seacoast." Their linguistic relation to the Winnebago and the fact that their movements in their historic era have been westward up the Missouri correspond with their tradition of a more easterly origin, and would seemingly locate them ni the vicinity of the upper lakes. It is possible that the tradition which has long prevailed in the region of X. w. Wisconsin regarding the so-called "ground-house Indians" who once lived in that section and dwelt in circular earth lodges, partly underground, applies to the people of this tribe, although other tribesof this general region formerly lived in houses f)f this character. Assuming that the Mandan formerly resided in the vicinityof the upper Mississippi, it is'i )rob- able that they moved down this stream for some distance before passing to the Mis- souri. The fact that when first encount- ered by the whites they relied to some ex- tent on agriculture as a means of subsist- ence would seem to justify the conclusion that they were at some time in the past in a section where agriculture was prac- tised. It is possible, as Morgan con- tends, that they learned agriculture from the Hidatsa, but the reverse has more often been maintained. Catlin's theory that they formerly lived in Ohio and built mounds, and moved thence to the N.W. is without any basis. The traditions re- garilingtheir migrations, asglven by Maxi- milian, commence with their arrival at the Missouri. The point where this stream was first reached was at the mouth of White r., S. Dak. From this point they moved up the Missouri to Moreau r., where they came in contact with the Chey- enne, and where also the formation of "bands or unions" began. Thence they continued up the Missouri to Heart r., N. Dak., where they were residing at the time of the first known visit of the whites, but it is probable that trappers and trad- ers visited them earlier. The first recorded visit to the Mandan was that by the Sieur de la Verendrye in 1738. About 1750 they were settled near the mouth of Heart r. in 9 villages, 2 on the E. and 7 on the w. side. Remains of these villages were found by Lewis and Clark in 1804. Having suffered severely from smallpoxand theattacksof theAssinil)oin and Dakota, the inhabitants of the two eastern villages consolidated and moved up the Missouri to a point opposite the

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