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Native American Tribes of North Dakota

Welcome to our North Dakota State Facts section, part of an educational project designed to provide information about indigenous people in different U.S. states. Follow the links to the right of our tribal map for more information about the language, culture and history of each North Dakota tribe, or scroll below the map for North Dakota Indian activities including a wordsearch, fact sheets, and words from the Native American languages of North Dakota. Feel free to print any of these materials out for classroom use!

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American Indians in North Dakota

Did you know the name "North Dakota" comes from a Siouan Indian word? Dakota is the tribal name of the Dakota Sioux, meaning "friendly" or "allied." The Dakota Indians were not the only native people of this region, however.

The original inhabitants of the area that is now North Dakota included:

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The Arikara tribe

The Assiniboine tribe (Nakoda)

The Chippewa tribe

The Hidatsa tribe

The Lakota and Dakota Sioux tribes

The Mandan tribe

There are four federally recognized Indian tribes in North Dakota today.

Here are the addresses of North Dakota's Indian reservations:

1 Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe:
P.O. Box 359
Fort Totten, ND 58335

2 Standing Rock Sioux Tribe:
P.O. Box D
Fort Yates, ND 58538
http://www.standingrock.org/

3 Three Affiliated Tribes:
HC3 Box 2
New Town, ND 58763
http://www.mhanation.com/

4 Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa:
P.O. Box 900
Belcourt, ND 58316

Teaching and learning activities about North Dakota Native Americans:

Feel free to print these out to use at school!

North Dakota Tribes Word Search: Printable puzzle hiding the names of North Dakota's Indian tribes.

North Dakota Language Greetings: Learn to say "hello" in several Native North Dakota languages.

North Dakota Native Animals: Learn the Native American names of North Dakota animals.

North Dakota Indian Facts for Kids: Answers to frequently asked questions about the tribes of North Dakota.
We currently have pages for the Arikara, Chippewas, Hidatsa, Mandan, Nakoda, and Sioux tribes.

Recommended books about North Dakota Native Americans
(Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links)

Storytelling Time: Coffee-table book of art and history from the tribes of North and South Dakota.

North Dakota Indians: Introducing North Dakota's Native American history and culture to kids.

Sioux: This is a very good book on the Dakota Indians for kids and teens.

Love Medicine: Native North Dakota author Louise Erdrich's excellent first novel about Chippewa life.

Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region Handbook of herbs, food crops, and plant lore among the prairie tribes.

Other resources about American Indian history, culture and society in North Dakota state:

North Dakota Reservations:
Map and profiles of the North Dakota Indian tribes.