36 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



cance only when analyzed in the light of the former village systems 

 of the three Hidatsa and one Mandan group that comprised the 

 original population at the time of its founding. Each of these 

 village groups had suffered severe smallpox losses 8 years before 

 and the intervening period was one of general disorganization. No 

 doubt the original village groups would have remained independent 

 and separate villages had the pressure of enemy groups slackened, 

 for we have seen that although the Awaxawi numbered only 18 or 

 20 households prior to the epidemic, they had shown no inclination 

 to assimilate with any of the other village groups. During this 

 period of social disorganization, the Hidatsa and Mandan village 

 groups accepted the Arikara ^° as equal partners because of common 

 enemies, the Sioux. The three Hidatsa groups and the Nuitadi 

 Mandan chose to move out of the Knife River region because wood 

 was getting scarce. One Mandan village group, the Nuptadi, pre- 

 ferred to maintain an independent village near the Arikara rather 

 than join with the Hidatsa. The Nuptadi Mandan group had many 

 kinship bonds with the principal Yankton bands under Medicine 

 Bear, a Sioux chief, whose mother was a Nuptadi Mandan taken 

 prisoner when the Sioux sacked and burned the village near Painted 

 Woods during the 1780's. She was a small girl at the time and was 

 reared by the Sioux, later marrying a Sioux. Her son distinguished 

 himself and became head chief of one large band of Yankton. It 

 was said that he always had a compassion for the Nuptadi Mandan 

 and liked to visit them because he had so many relatives in that 

 village. Other Mandans taken prisoner at the same time and adopted 

 by the Sioux likewise claimed kinship with this Mandan group which 

 remained back at the Knife River when the Fishhook Village was 

 built. 



The smallpox epidemic of 1837 had cut deeply into the earth lodge 

 population on the Upper Missouri; even a majority of the original 

 tribal council died at that time. Of the three Hidatsa village groups, 

 the Awaxawi and Awatixa suffered the heaviest losses; this was due 

 to the nearness of their villages to the Mandan where the epidemic 

 first broke out. At this time, the Hidatsa-proper were on one of 

 their periodic upstream migrations and were dispersed into several 

 bands. The period 1837-45 was one of indecision; the Awatixa 

 and Awaxawi were so few in numbers that they were obhged to seek 

 assistance of the Mandan and Arikara for protection from the Sioux. 

 The Hidatsa-proper, in part, lived in a strongly-fortified village north 

 of the present town of Sanish while others moved westward and joined 

 with the River Crow from whom they had separated when they 



1" The Arikara were themselves the remnants of a large number of independent village groups. 



