etymology of MANDAN

[Jimm G GoodTracks]

On Thu, 05 Aug 1999 20:15:13 -0500 "Alan H. Hartley" <ahartley at d.umn.edu>
writes:
>Jimm,
>
>> the original Singing Group of Mandaree Singers
>
>Where does "Mandaree" come from?
>
>Thanks again,
>Alan

The recent Community of Mandaree is a coined name from the 3 tribal
groups on the Ft.Berthhold rez.  The "Man-" is from Mandan, The "-da" is
from Hidatsa, The "-ree" is from Arikaree, which is another form of
Arikara or even Ree.  The Arikaree are of Caddoan Language Family, most
closely related to Pawnee, who call the Ree in Pawnee: "Astarahi".  The
Ree, at least in these current times, referr to themselves as "Tsanish"
(Tsariks in Pawnee), which simply means the "People" or even "Human
Beings".  If there's other terms, past and present, I'm not aware.  The M
& H are Siouian Language Family, as youre aware.

No doubt, you are also knwow that the three tribal communities primarily
live at: Ree in White Shield, ND, the Mandan in Twin Buttes, ND and the
Hidatsa in Mandaree.  New Town, ND is the hub of Bureau of Indian Affairs
which ministers to the three outlying communities, which are all
separated by an easy 60-75mile drive, from one another, due to the
immense lake spreading out through the center of the rez (reservation).

This distance was impossed by the damning & flooding of the Mo.R.  In
1845, the diminished population of all the villages that composed the
present day 3 tribal groups, constructed Like A Fishhook Village on a
Mo.R. Bend.  The 3 consolidated groups lived there till they moved onto
the Rez to individual allotments or at Elbowoods, ND, where the BIA
Agency was located.  The demise of that community is before my era, but I
was told that people in Elbowoods, tended to live in grouped areas
according to the 3 groups, like they did at Fishhook.

Meanwhile, John's reflections on the term "Manitari" seems to be a worthy
consideration, and the closest explaination to date of an etymology for
Mandan.
Jimm