Missoula County Public Schools

The tribes believe their presence in North America is from the beginning of time. The Mandan call themselves "the People of the first Man." The Hidatsa were known as Minnetaree, or Gros Ventre. Hidatsa was formerly the name of a village occupied by these tribes, which has been said to mean "willows." The name Minnetaree, spelled in various ways, means "to cross the water." Oral historians say the names "Arikara, Arickara, Ricarees, and Rees" were given to them by the Pawnee and other informants to describe the way they wore their hair. It is important to be mindful that the people call themselves Sahnish, which means, "the original people from whom all other tribes sprang." Although sharing cultures and histories for so long, the people keep a distinct sense of tribal relationships.--from the Fort Berthold Three Affiliated Tribes Website