MANDAN

[Alan H. Hartley]

A letter dated 6 Oct. 1739 from Beauharnois to Maurepas (L. Burpee ed.
1927 _Jrnls. & Letters of de la Vérendrye_ 364) says

"vous verrez..par l'extrait du journal de cet officier [de la Vérendrye]
qui est cy joint, qu'il a pénétré chez une nation, que les Assiniboels
nomment Mantannes"

I haven't found a place where de la V. states explicitly that "Mantanne"
is an Assiniboin name, but it's pretty clear from the context that
that's the case.

De la V., in his journal for 1738 (ibid. 297-8) says:

"pour venir avec moy dans l'automne à la Descouverte des mantannes que
si deuant on apeloit ouachipouanne selon les monsony, Courtchouatte,
[selon] Les Crix"

The first name may be Cree waciypwa:n, lit. 'mountain Sioux' (where
pwa:n is the same element as in "Assiniboine"). The second, also written
Koüathéattes, is the same as Cree Coworttaiuck and Ojibway Cowathewog
(pl.; in B. Gough ed. 1992 _Jrnl. A. Henry Younger_ II. 393).