Pair of Moccasins

Three tribes, the Hidatsa, Neuida (Mandan), and the Sahnish (Arikara), historically lived along the Missouri River in what is now North Dakota, and played a major role in trade on the northern Plains. Now living on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, near their traditional lands, these tribes were influential because they inhabited a region where white traders, explorers, and tribes from the east, would visit and exchange goods; which would later be traded to the other tribes west. Because of their economic security, the Hidatsa devoted more time to develop their artistic style, and are known for creating some of the finest quillwork across the plains.