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Accounts of
recorded history in the early 18th century identify three closely
related village groups to which the term Hidatsa is applied.
These groups are identified as the Hidatsa Proper, largest of
the three, the Awatixa, a smaller group, and the Awaxawi. The
three Hidatsa village groups spoke distinct dialects. The largest
of the three were the Hidatsa Proper ( Hiratsa) whose own name
for themselves meant "willows."
The French and English traders called them Gros Ventre, mistaking
them for an Algonquian-speaking tribe living in north-central
Montana. A smaller group, the Awatixa, lived near the
Hidatsa Proper. Lewis and Clark referred to them as the
"Little Minnetaree Village" in contrast to the "Grand
Village of the Minnetaree." The most separate group, in
culture and dialect, from the others were the Awaxawi, who lived
further south of the Knife River and were closely associated
with the Mandan. Another name traders and travelers used for
this group was Wiitas how nu, a Sahnish term used to name all
the Hidatsa groups, which translates both as "well dressed
men" and "people of the water." (Matthews, 1877,
p.36B).
During 1600-1700, these groups of Hidatsa moved westward, occupying
sections of the Missouri and its tributaries. The Awatixa band
of Hidatsa became agricultural and settled at the mouth of Knife
River. According to the traditions of both the Mandan
and Hidatsa groups, the last migration was of a nomadic people
who had lived northeastward of Devils Lake. This group
separated after quarreling over the division of a buffalo.
Those who moved farther upstream along the Missouri and Yellowstone
became known as the "Paunch" Indians, those who remained
near the other Hidatsa villages were known as the Hidatsa. During
the period of recorded history, beginning with Thompson in 1797
and continuing to 1837, the Hidatsa were three, independent,
closely related, village groups whose size remained unchanged.
Thompson visited these groups in their winter camps in 1797
and gave the following figures for households by village groups:
Awatixa, 31 earth lodges and 7 tipi's; Hidatsa, 82 earth lodges;
Awaxawi and Mandan, 15 Awaxawi and 37 Mandan; Mandan 153 earth
lodges. Thompson estimated the population to be 1,520 Mandan
and 1,330 Hidatsa. Maximilian in 1833 estimated the total
population to be between 2,100 to 2,200. (Bowers, 1992, p. 11).
Subsequent explorers and fur traders such as Mackintosh in 1771,
LeRaye in 1802, Lewis and Clark in 1804-1805, and Alexander
Henry in 1806 were aware of the different cultures of the three
Hidatsa villages and the Crow. Catlin in 1832 did not
recognize the Awaxawi as a separate tribe. In 1833, Maximilian
reported that the Hidatsa groups were in the same villages when
Charboneau came to the Missouri in 1797. The Awatixa and
Awaxawi were not living at the mouth of Knife River when Maximilian
described an attack by the Sioux. This incident provides a date
for the final union of the three Hidatsa village groups at the
mouth of Knife River. There they remained in close associations
until 183 7 when they scattered to escape a second smallpox
epidemic. (Bowers). THE AWAXAWI The Awaxawi at one time, lived
as nomads in the east, as agriculturists, and later at Devils
Lake. They later lived downstream of the Heart River and beyond
the Crow to the west and the other Hidatsa Crow group to the
northeast and upstream. They lived in the Painted Woods
region around the Square Buttes where they remained on friendly
terms with the Mandan. The Awaxawi were downstream near
the Mandan of the Hensler-Sanger region where Lewis and Clark
described ruins of their villages in 1804. Prior to the epidemic
of 1782, they had few enemies. The Hidatsa hunted upstream from
the earth lodge villages at and below Knife River of the Missouri.
Here, between the Knife and Yellowstone, they were numerous
enough to withstand attacks of the Assiniboine, who hunted in
the area but rarely wintered on the Missouri River. During this
time, the Awaxawi moved upstream and attempted to build a permanent
village above the Knife River only to be driven out by the Hidatsa
Proper. War broke out between them that lasted three years.
The Awaxawi moved downstream near Fort Yates and built a village
near the friendlier Cheyenne. This conflict with the Hidatsa
Proper and temporary residence below the Mandan was prior to
1782, as the Awaxawi were in the Painted Woods region during
the first recorded smallpox epidemic. (Dunn, 1963, p.159).
THE AWATIXA Early history and migrations of
A watixa have them occupying positions on the Missouri, specifically
around and upstream from Painted Woods. They have no traditions
of permanent residence elsewhere. It was in this area
that they believe the clans originated.
THE HIDATSA PROPER The group known as the Hidatsa
Proper lived on the north bank of the Knife River. They
were an agricultural and nomadic group. Their territory
ranged upstream along the Missouri, its tributary regions to
the west, the Mouse River and Devils Lake regions to the northeast.
The Hidatsa Proper were recognized by Thompson to be formerly
agriculturists living at the headwaters of the Red River. They
were a confederation of nomadic Hidatsa who came from the north
to settle near the Mandan, where they adopted agriculture and
permanent villages. At the close of the 18th century, Canadian
fur traders from the north, and St. Louis traders from the south,
visited the Hidatsa who were reported to have two thousand members
living in three villages located near the mouth of the Knife
River near the two villages of the Mandan. During the years
1804, 1832, 1833, and 1834, travelers to the three Knife
River villages indicated these villages remained the same since
1796. There was no change until the epidemic of 1837,
when the survivors of the three villages formed as one on the
Knife River. They remained there until 1845, when the
Hidatsa and the Mandan moved up the Missouri and established
Like-a-Fishhook Village (Matthews, 1877, p. 40).
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