Three Affiliated Tribes

Mailing Address

404 Frontage Road
New Town, ND 58763

Contact Information

701-627-4781

Website

http://www.mhanation.com/main/main.html

Casino(s)

Cultural History

The Three Affiliated Tribes is a group of three Native American groups that consist of Mandan, Hidatsa and the Arikara Nation. These three groups that form the Three Affiliated Tribes spreads across North and South Dakota along the Missouri River. 

The three tribes were not like your normal Native Americans. They did not live in tipi's, they lived just like the white settlers did. Most of them were farmers, they lived in lodges, and got their food by hunting buffalo, which is very popular in the region. The tribes were actually very popular in the region. All of them would work with each other, and many other tribes in trading and as well helping each other. 

The three tribes were brought together in the late 1800's when all three of the tribes were forced to relocate, so as you can imagine, they were all going through a pretty hard time. 

The Three Affiliated Tribes is still in existence today, they are located at the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota and is ran by chairman Marcus D. Wells, Jr., Vice Chairman Nathan Hale, and Tribal Treasurer Frank Whitecalfe. 

Believe it or not, the Three Affiliated Tribes run multiple businesses. So you can bet that they have a decent amount of income that come in. They run a small loans department, Twin Butters Custom Homes, Figure 4 Ranch, Mandaree Enterprise, Elbowoods Works, MHA systems INC., and of course a casino called 4Bears casino and Lodge. So you can bet that being the chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes is like being the CEO, you have a lot of business to take care of.  

The Three Affiliated Tribes are also very active in the community. In 1994 there was a group started called Unity Riders. Unity Riders main purpose is to help the use say no, and get away from drugs and alcohol on their reservation. The way they do this is by the horse, because as Native Americans, they see the horse as a sacred animal. They use the horse to try and teach about life, and help get rid of drugs and alcohol in their life. 

So unlike most tribes, these three tribes are still alive, and they are making a difference in the world. They run multiple businesses, so there is always a stream of income that is coming. Then not only do they care about the tribe, but they care about the community. They are always trying to help people, especially the youth, like the ones that are making mistakes early on. Their goal is to turn their life around, and help them make better choices. 

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