Arikara History
The Arikara Indians, also known as the “Arikaree”, “Ree”, and “Sahnish”, were a semi-nomadic group, who lived primarily in earth lodges on the plains of South Dakota for several hundred years. They lived in tepees while traveling between villages. The Arikara once controlled the Missouri River for a hundred miles (map above) and; in 1784 were believed to once be 30,000 strong. Sadly, a series of small pox swept through he Arikara settlements, reducing them to three small villages of approximately 2,600 by the time Lewis & Clark visited them twenty years later. The relics in the Loitwood Collection came from an earlier time as indicated by the fact that almost no trade material is found in the collection
On October 8, 1804, the Lewis & Clark expedition made contact with the Arikara; and stayed with them for five days. See an Arikara Pot from the Lewis & Clark site. Relations between the Corps and the Arikara were good. They observed and recorded descriptions of their hosts, noting in their journals “Arikara men wore buffalo robes, leggings, and moccasins. Women were clad in fringed antelope dresses.”
The Arikara Indians were primarily an agricultural society. Their major crops were corn, beans, and squash; but they also grew tobacco, watermelon, and pumpkins. They also hunted buffalo, deer and other native game as well as being fishermen. Women did much of the farming. Much of the communication between the Lewis & Clark expedition and the Arikara centered on future trade with America, which the Indians showed interest. As other Indian Tribes had already done, the Arikara agreed to dispatch a representative east to visit President Jefferson. Lewis also encouraged the Arikara to make peace with their chief enemies, the neighboring Mandans, and the tribal chiefs consented to his suggestion.
More than anything else, the Indians were fascinated by York, who was Clark’s slave. The Arikara had never before seen a black man. York played with the children, and told them he was a wild creature who had been captured and tamed by Captain Clark. The adult Arikara were so astonished by his presence, that they believed he had special spiritual power. Because of this, and his impressive size, they nicknamed York “Big Medicine”.
In 1823, the “Arikara War” was the first Plains Indian War between the United States and the western Native Americans. Occupying a central location for trade between the Indians and the white settlers to the east, they had begun to come into conflict with the many traders encroaching upon their lands.
It was important to the Arikara that they have productive harvests, both to supply the tribe with food to eat and to provide commodities that the Arikara could trade with other Indians. In particular, crops balanced the relationship between the Arikara and the neighboring Teton Sioux with whom they had very strained relations. The Tetons possessed great military strength, but they also depended on the Arikara harvests to survive. Similarly, the Arikara obtained many of the trade goods that they needed from the Tetons.
In 1823, the “Arikara War” was the first Plains Indian War between the United States and the western Native Americans. Occupying a central location for trade between the Indians and the white settlers to the east, they had begun to come into conflict with the many traders encroaching upon their lands.
It was important to the Arikara that they have productive harvests, both to supply the tribe with food to eat and to provide commodities that the Arikara could trade with other Indians. In particular, crops balanced the relationship between the Arikara and the neighboring Teton Sioux with whom they had very strained relations. The Tetons possessed great military strength, but they also depended on the Arikara harvests to survive. Similarly, the Arikara obtained many of the trade goods that they needed from the Tetons.
Though the Arikara were never noted for their friendliness to white settlers, all hell broke loose when an Arikara Chief’s son was killed by a trading company employee.
Furious with this event and concern with losing control of their lands, the Arikara attacked a trapping expedition of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, who were traveling along the Missouri River on June 1, 1823, resulting in the death of about a dozen of the traders. Afterwards, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company survivors retreated downriver where they waited for reinforcements and made plans to retaliate.
On August 9, 1823, the U.S. Army sent some 230 soldiers, 750 Sioux, and 50 trappers, under the command of U.S. Army Colonel Henry Leavenworth to take vengeance on the Arikara. By the end of that attack, some 50 Arikara lay dead. Six days later, the military forces burned an Arikara village and later built an American post there, as a message to other “unfriendly” Indians.
Though the U.S. Military was successful in subduing the Arikara, the conflict sparked a great debate because Colonel Henry Leavenworth had not entirely wiped out the tribe, at a time when Americans were demanding cohabitation and subjugation of the Native Americans.
In addition to subduing the Indians, the area where the Arikara lived was also central to the competition between the U.S. and Great Britain for control of the middle Missouri River and access to areas farther upriver and the Pacific Coast trade. After the first plains war, the American fur trade and exploration greatly expanded.
In the 1830’s, the Arikara were nearly destroyed by small pox, and in the end, were forced from their lands by the Sioux in the 1870’s. Migrating to North Dakota, they lived for many years near the Fort Clark Trading Post on the Knife River, and began to work closer to the Hidatsa and Mandan tribes who inhabited the area. In 1862, they joined the Hidatsa and Mandan at Like-a-Fishhook Village, near the Fort Berthold Trading Post in North Dakota. Ironically, for protection and jobs, the Arikara men served as scouts for the U.S. Army stationed at nearby Fort Stevenson and in 1874, guided George Custer on his Black Hills Expedition.
Furious with this event and concern with losing control of their lands, the Arikara attacked a trapping expedition of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, who were traveling along the Missouri River on June 1, 1823, resulting in the death of about a dozen of the traders. Afterwards, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company survivors retreated downriver where they waited for reinforcements and made plans to retaliate.
On August 9, 1823, the U.S. Army sent some 230 soldiers, 750 Sioux, and 50 trappers, under the command of U.S. Army Colonel Henry Leavenworth to take vengeance on the Arikara. By the end of that attack, some 50 Arikara lay dead. Six days later, the military forces burned an Arikara village and later built an American post there, as a message to other “unfriendly” Indians.
Though the U.S. Military was successful in subduing the Arikara, the conflict sparked a great debate because Colonel Henry Leavenworth had not entirely wiped out the tribe, at a time when Americans were demanding cohabitation and subjugation of the Native Americans.
In addition to subduing the Indians, the area where the Arikara lived was also central to the competition between the U.S. and Great Britain for control of the middle Missouri River and access to areas farther upriver and the Pacific Coast trade. After the first plains war, the American fur trade and exploration greatly expanded.
In the 1830’s, the Arikara were nearly destroyed by small pox, and in the end, were forced from their lands by the Sioux in the 1870’s. Migrating to North Dakota, they lived for many years near the Fort Clark Trading Post on the Knife River, and began to work closer to the Hidatsa and Mandan tribes who inhabited the area. In 1862, they joined the Hidatsa and Mandan at Like-a-Fishhook Village, near the Fort Berthold Trading Post in North Dakota. Ironically, for protection and jobs, the Arikara men served as scouts for the U.S. Army stationed at nearby Fort Stevenson and in 1874, guided George Custer on his Black Hills Expedition.
Two years later, in 1876, a large group of Arikara accompanied Custer, and the 7th Cavalry on the Little Bighorn Expedition. It was the Arikara scouts who were in the lead when the village was attacked. Several scouts drove off Lakota horses, as they had been ordered, and others fought alongside the troopers. Three Arikara warriors (Little Brave, Bobtail Bear, and Bloody Knife) were killed, along with about 260 other men serving under Custer.
By 1888, the Arikara population was reduced to 500. The census of 1904 gave the population as 380. Today, the Arikara population is about 2,500. Most of them live on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota with the Mandan and Hidatsa Tribes, which together, are now known as the “Three Affiliated Tribes”.