US Government Documents related to Indigenous Nations
As a federal depository, the Chester Fritz Library holds numerous government documents that relate to the Mandan, Arikara, and Hidatsa Nation. A selection of these documents have been digitized to provide a single location for access that does not require familiarity with SuDoc numbering to navigate.
The digitization of these papers has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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River Basin Surveys Papers, No. 9: Archeological Investigations in the Heart Butte Reservoir Area, North Dakota
Paul L. Cooper, Smithsonian Institution, and Bureau of American Ethnology
Published as a series sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, the “River Basin Surveys Papers” are a collection of archeological investigations focused on areas now flooded by the completion of various dam projects in the United States. The River Basin Surveys Papers (numbered 1-39) were mostly published in bundles with 5-6 papers in each bundle. In collaboration with the United States (US) National Park Service and the US Bureau of Reclamation, the US Department of the Interior, and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Smithsonian Institution pulled archeological and paleontological remains from several sites prior to losing access to the sites due to flooding. The Smithsonian Institution calls this project the Inter-Agency Archeological Salvage Program.
Paper number 9 focuses on excavation of the Koehler site, directed by Paul L. Cooper during the field season of 1948. Cooper posits that this area was likely a site of “aboriginal activity,” but he does not indicate which tribe(s) had likely occupied the Koehler site. The site is named for August Koehler who was identified as the landowner at the time of the excavation. Cooper offers a summary of other sites in the Heart Butte area and indicates that the Mandan, Hidatsa, and possibly the Crow tribes had inhabited the area. Excavation of the site revealed pottery shards which were not likely coil pots, along with works in stone and bone. No cache pits were found at the site. Cooper concludes that the site was likely occupied during the 18th century. The forward to this bundle of papers indicates that the Heart Butte area was not fully investigated prior to being flooded due to lack of funding. The paper includes illustrations, text figures, and maps.
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River Basin Surveys Papers, No. 11: The Spain Site (39LM301), a Winter Village in Fort Randall Reservoir, South Dakota
Carlyle S. Smith, Roger T. Granger Jr., Smithsonian Institution, and Bureau of American Ethnology
Published as a series sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, the “River Basin Surveys Papers” are a collection of archeological investigations focused on areas now flooded by the completion of various dam projects in the United States. The River Basin Surveys Papers (numbered 1-39) were mostly published in bundles with 5-6 papers in each bundle. In collaboration with the United States (US) National Park Service and the US Bureau of Reclamation, the US Department of the Interior, and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Smithsonian Institution pulled archeological and paleontological remains from several sites prior to losing access to the sites due to flooding. The Smithsonian Institution calls this project the Inter-Agency Archeological Salvage Program.
Paper number 11 discusses the excavation of an earth-lodge village located in South Dakota that is known to this report as “The Spain Site.” The site is named after a former owner of the land named Abraham Spain. The site is near the mouth of the White River on Bull Creek. Excavation of the site took place in the summer of 1953 and yielded one complete house, one partial house, and many various artifacts, including pottery, chipped-stone artifacts, iron ware, stone artifacts, shell artifacts, copper artifacts, bone and antler artifacts, plant and animal remains. The author estimates that this site was occupied between 1550 and 1650 A.D. This site was flooded by construction of the Randall dam. This paper contains photographs, illustrations, text figures, and maps.
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Anthropological Papers, No. 51: Observations on Some Nineteenth-Century Pottery Vessels from the Upper Missouri
Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, and Waldo R. Wedel
Published as a bundle of anthropological works sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, paper number 51 is an analysis of 25 pottery specimens from the Upper-Missouri area. These specimens are attributed to the Lewis and Clark expedition, to army personnel, and to other travelers. The origin of the pottery is uncertain, though there are indications that some pieces may have originated from Fort Berthold, Fort Buford, and Fort Stevenson. The paper offers background on pottery making in the Upper-Missouri, noting that the Arikara, Mandan, and Hidatsa tribes made paddle-and-anvil pottery rather than coil pottery. Further background observations help illuminate the possible history of the pottery specimens found. The paper includes illustrations and a map.
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To change the name of the reservoir above Garrison Dam and known as Garrison Reservoir or Garrison Lake to Lake Sakakawea
United States Congress, US House of Representatives, and Usher L. Burdick
This bill, dated January 3, 1957 proposes to change the name of the reservoir behind the Garrison Dam on the Forth Berthold Reservation in North Dakota to "Lake Sakakawea".
See also:
To change the name of the reservoir above Garrison Dam and known as Garrison Reservoir or Garrison Lake to Lake Sakakawea
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An Act Relative to Employment for Certain Adult Indians on or Near Indian Reservations
United States Congress
This United States (US) public law, also known as the Indian Relocation Act or Adult Vocational Training Program passed on August 3, 1956, allowed for the Secretary of the Interior to establish vocational training programs for Indigenous people aged 18-35 with the expressed goal of increasing employment opportunities. The law additionally aimed to encourage Indigenous people to leave reservations and “assimilate” into more urban populations. The program resulted in many Indigenous people being moved off their land and into cities where they did not have the resources or support to establish themselves.
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An Act to Provide for the Segregation of Certain Funds of the Fort Berthold Indians on the Basis of Membership Roll Prepared for Such Purpose
United States Congress
This United States (US) public law, also known as US Public Law 84-553, passed on June 4, 1956 allowed for the allocation of funds to enrolled members of the Three Affiliated Tribes from the settlement with the United States Government for the taking of their land for construction of the Garrison Dam.
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A Bill to Provide for the Acquisition of a Site and the Erection Thereon of a Permanent Museum Building to House the Relics and Other Items of Historical Value of the Fort Berthold Indians
United States Congress and US House of Representatives
This bill, dated February 29, 1956, proposes the acquisition of a site for, and construction of, a museum in which to house "the relics, records, and other items of historical value of the Fort Berthold Indians," to be administered by the United States National Park Service, further proposes "the appropriation of such sum, not in excess of $100,000, as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act."
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Providing for the Segregation of Certain Funds of the Fort Berthold Indians of the Basis of a Membership Roll Prepared for Such Purpose
United States Congress and US House of Representatives
This report from the United States (US) House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, dated May 10, 1956, was written to accompany US Senate Bill 2151 which made specifications for the allocation of funds to members of the Three Affiliated Tribes, provided as compensation for the taking of their land for the Garrison Dam project. The bill proposes that enrolled tribal members receive a per capita payment of $500 with an additional 3.9 million dollars distributed pro rata. The bill also specifies that $218,354.52 be allocated to the tribal administration and government. The specifications for the allotment of funds were approved by the tribal business council on March 25, 1955. Senate Bill 2151 became US Public Law 84-553 on June 4, 1956.
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A Bill to Provide for the Segregation of Certain Funds of the Fort Berthold Indians on the Basis of a Membership Roll Prepared for Such Purpose
United States Congress, US House of Representatives, and Otto G. Krueger
This bill, dated March 27, 1956, proposes to authorize and direct the Secretary of the Interior "to segregate the funds on deposit in the Treasury of the United States titled 'The Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota' on the basis of a membership roll prepared for that purpose and approved by the Secretary.
"The segregated shares. of adults, including interest accruals thereon, shall be subject to expenditure in accordance with plans prepared and submitted by such adult and approved by the Secretary. The segregated shares, including interest accruals thereon, of persons who are minors or non compos mentis shall be subject to expenditure in accordance with procedures approved by the Secretary. The Secretary may require any segregated share of a member to be used to pay a debt that is owed by such person to the Tribes or to the United States and that is due and payable."
See also:
An Act to Provide for the Segregation of Certain Funds of the Fort Berthold Indians on the Basis of Membership Roll Prepared for Such Purpose
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Authorizing Enrolled Members of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, N. Dak to Acquire Trust Interests in Tribal Lands of the Reservation
United States Congress and US Senate
This report from the United States (US) Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, dated March 9, 1956, was written to accompany Senate Bill 1528 which primarily proposed to authorize enrolled members of the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold Reservation to acquire trust interests in the tribal land of the Fort Berthold Reservation. Many who were relocated due to the construction of the Garrison Dam did not have adequate funds to reestablish themselves in their new location. Since it is prohibited to sell the tribal lands of an organized tribe, US Senate Bill 1528 would allow for individual tribal members to purchase tribal land to establish farms or ranches. This report includes an explanation of US Senate Bill 1528 and proposed amendments to the bill. This bill did not become law.
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Juvenile Delinquency Among the Indians. Report of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Made by Its Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency Pursuant to S. Res. 62 as Extended (84th Congress, 1st session)
United States Congress and US Senate
This report, dated February 16, 1956, from the United States (US) Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a detailed report on what the committee identifies as the “special problem” of juvenile delinquency among Indigenous children. The report aims to identify what contributes to delinquency, what can be done to correct it, what legislative or administrative changes could improve it, and how can the public be better informed about it. The report summarizes several hearings that were held with different tribes, including tribes inhabiting North Dakota and Minnesota; the report also includes comparative studies, statements, speeches, statistics, and reports on different tribes located across the US.
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Providing for the Segregation of Certain Funds of the Fort Berthold Indians on the Basis of a Membership Roll Prepared for Such Purpose
United States Congress and US Senate
This report from the United States (US) Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, dated March 9, 1956, was written to accompany US Senate Bill 2151 which made specifications for the allocation of funds to members of the Three Affiliated Tribes, provided as compensation for the taking of their land for the Garrison Dam project. The bill proposes that enrolled tribal members receive a per capita payment of $500 with an additional 3.9 million dollars distributed pro rata. The bill also specifies that $218,354.52 be allocated to the tribal administration and government. The specifications for the allotment of funds were approved by the tribal business council on March 25, 1955. US Senate Bill 2151 became US Public Law 84-553 on June 4, 1956.
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Return to Former Owners of Mineral Interests Acquired in Connection with the Garrison Dam Project
United States Congress and US Senate
This report dated May 7, 1956, also known as United States (US) Senate Report 1955 was submitted by the US Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, to accompany US Senate Bill 746 (S. 746). In this report, the committee recommends passage of the bill, with a number of amendments, which are listed in this report.
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Providing for the Segregation of Certain Funds of the Fort Berthold Indians on the Basis of a Membership Roll Prepared for Such Purpose
United States Congress, US Senate, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, and Joseph C. O'Mahoney
This report, dated March 6, 1956, submitted by Joseph C. O'Mahoney on behalf of the United States Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs to accompany US Senate Bill 1251 ("A Bill to Provide for the Segregation of Certain Funds of the Fort Berthold Indians on the Basis of a Membership Roll Prepared for Such Purpose").
This report begins with an explanation of the previous distributions of principal and interest from the $12,608,625 received by the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Forth Berthold Reservation, North Dakota, in compensation for lands taken for the construction of the Garrison Dam and corresponding reservoir ($5,105, 625), and for other damages related to this taking ($7,500,000), and explains the need for Senate Bill 1251 to authorize the segregation of the remainder of these funds and retain them in the US Treasury until they are disbursed to tribal members pursuant to individual or family plans approved by the US Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Following this explanation are favorable reports from the US Department of the Interior and the US Bureau of the Budget, along with the text of the resolution passed by the Tribal Business Council laying out the terms of the distribution of the remaining funds.
See also:
An Act to Provide for the Segregation of Certain Funds of the Fort Berthold Indians on the Basis of Membership Roll Prepared for Such Purpose
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Juvenile Delinquency: Interim Report of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Eighty-third Congress, Second Session, Pursuant to S. Res. 89 and S. Res. 190 (83d Congress, 1st and 2d sessions) to Study Juvenile Delinquency in the United States
United States Congress and US Senate
This report, dated March 14, 1955, from the United States (US) Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a study of juvenile delinquency in the US. The study aimed to define and characterize juvenile delinquency, to determine its cause and contributing factors, to study sentencing and corrective measures in use, and to determine if juveniles are breaking Federal narcotics laws. The study took place over a 17 month period. Under the subheading "Special problems" is a section on "Juvenile delinquency among Indian children." In 1956, the committee released a report focused exclusively on "Juvenile Delinquency Among the Indians."
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Lower Heart River and its Tributaries in the Vicinity of Mandan, N. Dak. Letter from the Secretary of the Army Transmitting a Letter from the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army, Dated March 18, 1955, Together with Accompanying Papers and Illustrations, on a Review of Report on the Missouri River with Respect to Control of Floods on Lower Heart River and its Tributaries, Particularly in the Vicinity of the Mandan, N. Dak., Requested by a Resolution of the Committee on Public Works, United States Senate, Adopted June 1, 1948
United States Congress and US Senate
This collection of letters and reports, dated April 1, 1955, contains correspondences from the Chief of Engineers of the Army and others regarding a review of flood control for the Missouri River with respect to flood control of the lower Heart River and its tributaries. These correspondences contain recommendations on flood control measures. The collection includes maps and tables.
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A Bill to Provide for the Segregation of Certain Funds of the Fort Berthold Indians on the Basis of a Membership Roll Prepared for Such Purpose
United States Congress, US Senate, William Langer, and Milton R. Young
This bill, dated June 6, 1955, proposes to authorize and direct the Secretary of the Interior "to segregate the funds on deposit in the Treasury of the United States titled 'The Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota' on the basis of a membership roll prepared for that purpose and approved by the Secretary.
"The segregated shares. of adults, including interest accruals thereon, shall be subject to expenditure in accordance with plans prepared and submitted by such adult and approved by the Secretary. The segregated shares, including interest accruals thereon, of persons who are minors or non compos mentis shall be subject to expenditure in accordance with procedures approved by the Secretary. The Secretary may require any segregated share of a member to be used to pay a debt that is owed by such person to the Tribes or to the United States and that is due and payable."
See also:
An Act to Provide for the Segregation of Certain Funds of the Fort Berthold Indians on the Basis of Membership Roll Prepared for Such Purpose
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Terminating the Existence of the Indian Claims Commission
US House of Representatives
This report from the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, dated July 27 1955, was written to accompany United States (US) House Resolution 5566 which proposed to terminate the Indian Claims Commission by April 10, 1962. This report recommends the bill to pass with some amendments. The report first recommends a statutory citation be replaced with a more detailed citation. The second recommendation of the report is to add a new section related to appointed attorneys and the Administrative Procedure Act. The report's final recommendation is that the title be changed to read "A bill to terminate the existence of the Indian Claims Commission, and for other purposes."
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River Basin Surveys Papers, No. 7: Archeological Investigations in the Oahe Dam Area, South Dakota, 1950-51
Donald J. Lehmer, Smithsonian Institution, and Bureau of American Ethnology
Published as a series sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, the “River Basin Surveys Papers” are a collection of archeological investigations focused on areas now flooded by the completion of various dam projects in the United States. The River Basin Surveys Papers (numbered 1-39) were mostly published in bundles with 5-6 papers in each bundle. In collaboration with the United States (US) National Park Service and the US Bureau of Reclamation, the US Department of the Interior, and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Smithsonian Institution pulled archeological and paleontological remains from several sites prior to losing access to the sites due to flooding. The Smithsonian Institution calls this project the Inter-Agency Archeological Salvage Program.
Paper number 7 focuses on the excavation of two sites: the Dodd site and the Phillips Ranch site. The Dodd site, located one half mile from the Oahe Damn on the west side of the Missouri River, yielded evidence of three separate occupations. The Phillips Ranch site, located one mile downstream from the Dodd site also on the west side of the river, yielded evidence of a single occupation of a fortified village. Both sites contained European trade objects and horse bones were found at the Phillips site. The author estimates that the earlier occupations of the Dodd site were likely pre 1600 A.D. The Dodd site discussion covers the fortification ditch, houses, cache pits, borrow pits, fire pits, hearths, and burials. The Dodd site yielded pottery and artifacts including chipped stone ware, ground stone ware, bone and horn ware, ornaments of bone, shell, glass, clay bead, and metal objects made of brass, iron, and copper. Phillips Ranch site discussion covers the fortification ditch, palisade, houses, cache pits, borrow pits, fire pits, hearths, and burials. The Phillips Ranch site yielded pottery and artifacts including chipped stone ware, ground stone ware, bone and horn ware, ornaments of bone, shell, glass, and metal objects made of brass, iron, and copper. The Dodd site and the Phillips Ranch site were destroyed by Oahe Dam construction. This paper is longer than most of the other River Basin Surveys Papers and was printed alone (rather than in a bundle). This paper includes photographs, illustrations, text figures, and maps.
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Providing for the Acquisition of Lands by the United States Required for the Reservoir Created by the Construction of Oahe Dam on the Missouri River and for Rehabilitation of the Indians of the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, S. Dak.
United States Congress and US Senate
This report from the United States (US Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, dated August 17, 1954, was written to accompany US House Resolution 2233 which recommended that the United States acquire additional lands for construction of the Oahe Dam. Construction of the Oahe Dam required that the US Government take lands from the Cheyenne River Sioux, similar to the taking of lands from the Three Affiliated Tribes. This report recommends amendments to US House Resolution 2233, including a recommendation that the contract with the Cheyenne River Sioux require only a majority vote of enrolled adult tribal members, as a three-quarter majority vote would be too difficult to attain. The report reaches this conclusion citing the ratification provisions utilized under the “Taking Act” (US Public Law 81-437) with the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold. US House Resolution 2233 became US Public Law 83-776 on September 3, 1954.
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Anthropological Papers, No 45: Archeological Materials from the Vicinity of Mobridge, South Dakota
Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, and Waldo R. Wedel
Published as a bundle of anthropological works sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, paper number 45 is a description of findings from an excavation of four burial sites which are presumed to be associated with village sites from Grand River and Elk Creek (located north of Morbridge, South Dakota). Excavation was completed by Matthew W. Sterling in 1923, described here by Waldo R. Wedel. These sites are documented as Arikara territory. The paper begins with an overview of Arikara history from 1717 forward as documented by European explorers, followed by a description of the graves excavated and the artifacts found. The report contains illustrations, tables summarizing excavation contents, and a map.
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An Act to Confer Jurisdiction on the States of California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin, With Respect to Criminal Offenses and Civil Causes of Action Committed or Arising on Indian Reservations Within Such States, and for Other Purposes
United States Congress
This act, dated August 15, 1953, also knows as United States Public Law 83-280, confers jurisdiction on the States of California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin, with respect to criminal offenses and civil causes of action committed or arising on Indian reservations within such States, and for other purposes, except where noted.
This act also gives the consent of the United States to the people of any State "to amend, where necessary, their State constitution or existing statutes, as the case may be, to remove any legal impediment to the assumption of civil and criminal jurisdiction in accordance with the provisions of this Act . . . Provided That the pro-visions of this Act shall not become effective with respect to such assumption of jurisdiction by any such State until the people thereof have appropriately amended their State constitution or statutes as the case may be."
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Omnibus Judgeship Bill
United States Congress and US House of Representatives
This excerpt from a report dated July 28, 1953, from the United States (US) House Committee on the Judiciary was written to accompany US Senate Bill 15 which provides for the appointment of additional circuit and district judges. The bill approves the addition of one temporary district judge in North Dakota's northern district to assist with an increased caseload. The report indicates that the increase case load is due in part to an increase in land condemnation cases due to the Garrison Dam project. US Senate Bill 15 also provides for the appointment of one additional fifth circuit judge and two additional ninth circuit judges. US Senate Bill 15 became US Public Law 83-294 on February 10, 1954.
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Attorney Contracts with Indian Tribes
United States Congress and US Senate
This report, dated January 16, 1953, from the United States (US) Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs provides the findings from an investigation of attorney contracts and other contracts with Indigenous nations in the US. One section of the report addresses the actions of James E. Curry who had dealings with the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation when they were seeking representation over the construction of the Garrison Dam.
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Providing that no further funds shall be appropriated for the further construction of the Garrison Dam until an investigation be made by a special committe of the House of Representatives
US Congress
This resolution, dated April 20, 1953, begins by outlining the complaint that the US Corp of Army Engineers, acting on its own and in violation of several stipulations of the original act authorizing the construction of the Garrison Dam, has decided to increase the water pool area by 6,000,000 acre-feet and the raise the surface height of the pool by twenty feet. This has required the construction of dikes that were not part of the authorized project, and led to the acquisition of more land around the reservoir, which the Corp has been acquiring using tactics that deprive the owners of those lands of their constitutional right to due process.
Given the above complaints, the resolution proposes that all appropriations for further construction of the Garrison Dam be halted until a committee appointed by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives has investigated the complaints mentioned above and presented their report before July 1, 1953.
See also:
Congressional Record Regarding Amendment Proposed by Representative Burdick to Reduce Appropriation to Corps of Army Engineers, May 27, 1953
Drafts of Resolution by Representative Burdick Regarding Pool Level of Garrison Dam Reservoir, Undated