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Welcome to the official website of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes.  We are pleased to offer this service to our enrolled members, visitors, and guests.

MISSION STATEMENT:  The Three Affiliated Tribes will provide to the Tribe and people, maximum quality services, by being responsible, accountable, respectful, caring, and will incorporate the traditional values of our elders and ancestors.


Levings and Obama

During the White House conference on Thursday, Three Affiliated Tribal Chairman Marcus Levings had this exchange with President Obama. It came near the end of the president's opening remarks to tribal leaders. The chairs of all of North Dakota's tribes were at the meeting.

The exchange between Levings and Obama:

OK, you know, let's see, this gentleman right here with the headdress.

Honorable President Obama, this is the second time I get a chance to address you. I've been wearing the war bonnet and I've been really displeasing these gentle ladies behind me, but this is yours. In our Hidatsa, Mandan, and Arikara ways you don't give a gift to a tent, you give it to the individual. You are our commander-in-chief for the soldiers, I'm a lieutenant in the Army Reserve. My name is Ee-Ba-Da-Gish, White-Headed Eagle. I am the chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara. My name is Marcus Dominick Levings. I first met you in Grand Forks at your VIP room. My mother is Dowah (phonetic) Rezilda "Brady" Wells. She gave you the red, white, and blue star quilt ...

Yes, it's beautiful.

With all the prayers. She sent this to you as well, so I'll give it to whatever Secret Service people I need to do that. (Laughter.)

President Obama, I have two issues for my people, the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara, 11,000 tribal members who live in western North Dakota on top of the Williston Basin, the Bakken Formation. We have oil and gas development today, Mr. President. We have an opportunity to be independent from any means of federal programs, any type of issues that we had been not needing before the flood of Elbowoods, North Dakota, in the 1950s. In the spirit of progress, our elders, our ancestors gave up their bottom land. Ninety percent of our people live there, Mr. President. And now they're up on high hilltops, 77-below wind chill factors in winter.

We are the tribe, the Mandan, Hidatsas and Arikaras, who saved Lewis and Clark. We were the ones who made it so they can go out to blaze the trail to Portland. Now we come for you to ask for some help on our energy development, to get the 49-step process eliminated so our elders, who are dying as we speak, can generate opportunities to receive royalties on their minerals.

Second, with all this economic development boom that's going on, Mr. President, in the Williston Basin, and Fort Berthold Reservation, 1 million acres, we need homes. We are short 1,000 homes, Mr. President, home ownership and rentals as well. So on behalf of the Tribal Business Council and my elders, I stand humbly in front of you and ask for your help. Thank you.

Thank you.


A video of President Obama's address and the question and answer session is available. Chairman Levings exchange with the President begins at minute 41:47 on the video.

Click here to view a C-Span video of the conference




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