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About the Three Affiliated Tribes
The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (Sahnish) live in the Missouri River area. Historians document the first tribe, to occupy this area was the Mandan with the Hidatsa, and the Arikara moving up the river later. The Mandan and Hidatsa people were originally woodland people who moved to the plains at various times. Each tribe maintained separate bands, clan systems, and separate ceremonial bundles. After the devastation of the small pox epidemics of 1792, 1836, and 1837, homogenous societies evolved for economic and social survival.
The three tribes lived in earth lodges, were farmers, hunted wild game and relied heavily on the buffalo for food, shelter, clothing, and animal pans for making various utensils and garden tools. They maintained a vast trading system and were considered middlemen by neighboring tribes with different types of trade products.
Currently, the Chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes is Tex. G. Hall, "Ihbudah Hishi" ("Red Tipped Arrow"), who grew up on his family's cattle ranch in Mandaree, located in the heart of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation in North Dakota. Chairman Hall has been instrumental in expanding the economic development of the Three Affiliated Tribes and the Native American Community.
About the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation
In 1950, landowners arrived at Fort Berthold and invited people to accept or reject land appraisals made in 1948. An overwhelming majority accepted those appraisals. By the fall of 1954, relocation was complete. A new road system was constructed, school buildings were built, churches and cemeteries were moved, the agency was housed in its new quarters at New Town, the Four Bears bridge was removed from its original site, and installed as part of the new bridge west of New Town, North Dakota.
About Chairman Tex Hall
Tex followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both ranchers, who told him to "pay attention and learn as much as you can, because someday you may have to lead your people." Those words became reality on November, 1998 when Tex was elected Chairman of his tribe; 40 years to the date that his grandfather was elected Chairman of the Tribal Council in 1958. In 2002, for the first time in history, Tex was overwhelmingly re-elected Chairman for a second term.
Tex was elected President of the National Congress of American Indians in 2001. In that capacity, Tex has led the fight for the protection of tribal sovereignty and been the most outspoken and active voice for tribal rights in Washington, D.C., where he has testified a record 60 times in front of Congress. In 2005, Tex delivered the first ever State of the Indian nations address, in which he announced a new initiative to create 100,000 new jobs in Indian Country by 2008.
Today
The Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara have a large and varying group of businesses located under its umbrella, including Fort Berthold Development Corporation. In 1995, the Three Affiliated Tribes discovered opportunities in the construction industry on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. This new area created noteworthy employment for constructing houses and commercial structures for the Tribe and Tribal members who could then obtain meaningful and fulfilling work in the area. This opportunity not only filled a niche in the construction industry and related businesses, it also assured the tribe and its members of the quality and commitment by the Fort Berthold Development Corporation to expand economic opportunity to the Native American community.
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