Indigenous Peoples of North Dakota

The name North Dakota is from a Sioux word meaning "friend" or "Allies"

About 6,000 American Indians lived in North Dakota in 1910. By 1970 there were over 25,000. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs records of births, marriages, deaths, adoptions, censuses, schools, land allotments, probates, and miscellaneous records. They are available from about 1872 to 1952 for the agencies at Turtle Mountain, Standing Rock, Fort Totten, and Fort Berthold. The originals are at the National Archives—Central Plains Region. Internet: http://www.archives.gov/central-plains/

Records of various American Indian tribes are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under NORTH DAKOTA - NATIVE RACES and in the Subject Search under the name of the tribe, such as "Sioux" or "Chippewa."

Tribes and Bands of North Dakota
Arapaho, Arikara, Assiniboin, Atsina, Cheyenne, Chippewa, Dakota, Hidatsa, Mandan, Ojibaway, Siouan, Sioux

Santee - Sioux, Wiciyela-Sioux, Teton-Sioux, Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux, Devils Lake Sioux

The Affiliated Tribes: Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara

Reservations
The following reservations whose name appear in bold are current, federally-recognized Indian reservations in North Dakota.

Fort Berthold Reservation - Federal, under jurisdiction of Fort Berthold Agency, Tribes: Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara

Fort Totten Reservation - Federal, under jurisdiction of Fort Totten Agency, Tribe: Devils Lake Sioux

Devils Lake Reservation

Lake Traverse Reservation -- Located mostly in South Dakota

Sisseton Reservation

Spirit Lake Reservation --

Standing Rock Reservation -- located mostly in South Dakota

Turtle Mountain Reservation - Federal, under jurisdiction of Turtle Mountain Agency, Tribe: Chippewa

White Earth Reservation

Agencies
Fort Berthold Agency, P.O. Box 370, New Town, North Dakota 58763

Devils Lake Agency

Grand River Agency

Fort Totten Agency, P.O. Box 270, Fort Totten, North Dakota 58335

Standing Rock - prior to 1875 known as Grand River Agency

Turtle Mountain Agency, P.O. Box 60, Belcourt, North Dakota 58316

See Also:

North Dakota-History for a calendar of events

North Dakota-Military Records for a list of forts