MIGRATIONS—ARGUMENT FROM NAMES. 191 
When, in 1803, Lewis and Clarke made their voyage up the Missouri 
and across the Rocky Mountains, they found the Ponka (Poneara) near their 
present location. They say, “The Maha (Omaha) were associated with 
them for mutual protection.” But the Omaha were there only on a visit. 
It is quite certain that they had not lived together for many years pre- 
vious to this. The Omaha were in northeastern Nebraska, south of Sioux 
City, Lowa. 
IOWA AND OTO. 
The two tribes Iowa and Oto are associated here because they are 
mentioned together by Le Sueur, in 1700, as having, previous to that time, 
had the occupaney and the hunters’ right to the country of the Blue Earth 
and of southern Minnesota.’ They appear to have retired before the 
ageressive Sioux down the Des Moines into central Lowa, the Oto going on to 
the Missouri and down into Kansas. While in possession of the country of 
the Blue Earth, we have notices of their having hunted on the St. Croix, in 
northern Wisconsin. It is also stated, which appears to be a matter of 
tradition only, that at a, much later date, not far from the commencement 
of the present century, the Iowa, in war, cut off entirely a small tribe, which 
dwelt south of the St. Croix, called the Unktoka, which means, Our Enemies. 
Ten Iowa warriors were present at the battle of Ticonderoga. 
There are, near the Minnesota River, old fortifications, or earthworks, 
which were probably made by these tribes to protect themselves against 
the incursions of the more powerful Dakota. One such is found a few miles 
above the mouth of the Yellow Medicine River. But possibly this was an 
old Cheyenne fortification, which would seem to be the reading of Dakota 
tradition. 
MANDAN AND HIDATSA. 
These two small tribes live together at Fort Berthold in connection 
with the Ree. They are both small tribes. The Mandan at present num- 
ber less than 400. Years ago they numbered. many more, but wars and 
smallpox have almost annihilated them. From rather a remarkable fact, 
that many of this people have sandy hair, it has been affirmed that they 
are of Welsh origin—supposed to be a lost Welsh colony. George Catlin, 
'This must have been long before 1673, the date of Marquette’s autograph map. The Oto did 
not accompany the Iowa, Ponka, and Omaha. They were first met by the Omaha and Ponka, aeccord- 
ing to Joseph La Fleche, on the Platte River in comparatively recent times.—4J. 0. D. 
