Native Languages of the Americas:
Gros Ventre (Ahe, Ahahnelin, Aane, Atsina)
Language: Gros Ventre--Ahe or A'ananin to its own speakers--is an
Algonkian language spoken today by
only a handful of elders in Montana. Most linguists consider Gros Ventre a dialect of
Arapaho, though the two tribes have
distinct political and cultural identities. Gros Ventre had the unusual trait of being pronounced differently by male and female
speakers--women used the sound "k" where men used "ty" or "ch." (Both genders, of course, could easily
understand each other.) Gender dialects have not been preserved among the young Gros Ventre learning
to speak their language again, so even if the language is successfully
revived, it seems unlikely this
feature will survive outside of a linguistics book.
People: Gros Ventre was the French name for these Plains Indians (supposedly because of their
hearty appetites), and Atsina the name their kinsmen the
Arapaho bestowed on them, but they call
themselves A'aninin, the White Clay People. They share a reservation in Montana with their allies the
Assiniboine. The Gros Ventre people are
occasionally confused with the completely unrelated Hidatsa,
whom the French also called Gros Ventre (apparently because the symbols for the two tribes in
Plains Indian Sign Language are quite similar). There are about 3000
Gros Ventre Indians today.
History: The Gros Ventre tribe began as a splinter group of Arapaho Indians
who left their kinsmen to journey north. Their poor choice of the powerful
Blackfoot Nation as enemies left their ranks weakened and depleted
by war just as the western smallpox epidemic struck, a calamity their population still has
not recovered from. The Gros Ventre and their Assiniboine allies did avoid
removal to Oklahoma, accepting instead the reservation in Montana where they live to this
day; however, the government continues to mine for gold on Gros Ventre tribal lands over their
objections due to the exploitative treaty with the Americans they signed at gunpoint in the 19th century.
Arapaho Place Names:
A linguistic study of Arapaho placenames in Colorado.
Native American Dog Names:
Our new fundraiser offering names for dogs and other animals in American Indian languages (including Gros Ventre).
Native American Cultures
Gros Ventre Language Resources
Gros Ventre Language Resources
Gros Ventre Vocabulary:
Contacts and FAQ page
