Fort Berthold Reservation

Native American reservation, North Dakota, United States

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July 20, 2026

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The Fort Berthold Reservation is a Native American reservation in North Dakota, United States. It is home to the Three Affiliated Tribes, which include the Arikara, Hidatsa, and Mandan peoples. These tribes historically lived in semipermanent earth-berm villages along the Missouri River, cultivating crops like corn, beans, and squash, and also hunting bison.

The Hidatsa and Mandan tribes consolidated due to a smallpox epidemic in 1837 and later moved near Fort Berthold for defense, with the Arikara joining them in 1862. In the mid-20th century, a significant portion of the reservation was lost to the Garrison Dam, impacting tribal members who were relocated. By the late 20th century, the tribes had established buffalo ranching and a casino to improve their economy.12

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Arikara
…was created for them at Fort Berthold, North Dakota. By 1885 the Arikara had taken up farming and livestock production on family farmsteads dispersed along the rich Missouri River bottomlands.
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…was created for them at Fort Berthold, North Dakota. By 1885 the Arikara had taken up farming and livestock production on family farmsteads dispersed along the rich Missouri River bottomlands.
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Hidatsa
…on what is now the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota.
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…on what is now the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota.
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Mandan
… to a new settlement near Fort Berthold in 1845; others followed later, as did members of the Arikara tribe. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara eventually became known as the Three Affiliated Tribes (also called the MHA Nation).
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… to a new settlement near Fort Berthold in 1845; others followed later, as did members of the Arikara tribe. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara eventually became known as the Three Affiliated Tribes (also called the MHA Nation).
Read More