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Gros Ventre Tribe

By: Blake Goodman11217262805/05/06Hist.1543Sect.001Despain


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The Gros Ventre Tribe began as a part of the Arapaho Indians. They eventually

left their kinsman and started to journey toward the northern part of the country. The

Gros Ventre tribe began mingling with traders in the mid 1700s and that is where their

name came from. A French man was impressed by their seemingly large appetites and

called them Gros Ventre or big bellies. (Flannery, 1953) This name basically stuck with

them from their on. The Gros Ventre called themselves the white clay people or Aaninin.

The Gros Ventre was made up of really two different groups and they are the Hidatsa and

the Atsina. The Hidatsa are also considered Gros Ventre, but they are a completely

different tribe than the Atsina of the northern plains. The Gros Ventre language was part

of the Algonkian language family and has a slight dialect of their friends the Arapaho.

The Gros Ventre tribe really had an up and down type history as did all tribes. They

battled many other tribes for power, land, and food sources. The Gros Ventre stayed

pretty stationary considering the movement of most tribes. They were around the Tongue

River valley and in Montana where they would eventually spend the rest of their times on

a reservation at Ft. Belknap. Eventually they would begin fighting for some of their rights

and gain control from the government of parts of their reservation. Their reservation has a

total area of about 654,000 acres but only about a fifth of that is tribally owned.

(Flannery, 1953)

1. Regina Flannery, The Gros Ventre of Montana: Part I Social Life. (The Catholic

University of American Press, Washington D. C., 1953.)

2. Regina Flannery, The Gros Ventre of Montana: Part I Social Life. The Catholic

University of American Press, Washington D. C., 1953.


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History

According to Flannery, The earliest known contact with whites was around 1754

by French and Canadian traders. It was not until 1772 that we had our first noted

interaction and description of the Gros Ventre tribe by a man named Cocking. Cocking

was part of the Hudson Bay Company sent to develop trade relations with the Gros

Ventre. Gros Ventre is a French word that means big bellies and was given to the Gros

Ventre we believe by Canadian French traders. The Blackfoot nation called them Atsina

and the Cree called them Rapids Indians. Historians have come to call them the Gros

Ventre of the Prairies or the Gros Ventre of Montana. On December first to the sixteenth

of 1772, Cocking observed the Gros Ventre Indians and found them to be fairly wealthy

in horses compared to the surrounding tribes. He noted that the women had it easier when

traveling because they used pack horses and other small animals which were easier than

the other tribes like the Cree and the Assiniboine. (Flannery, 1953) These Indians were

the most northern part of the Arapaho tribe and remained for the most part north of the

Missouri River. There is no accurate number of how many Indians the Gros Ventre were

made up of. According to Flannery, between the time periods of 1754 up to the 1800s

the Gros Ventre got hit by the epidemic smallpox. It killed many of the Indians, but

compared to other tribes was not that devastating. You could easily tell though, that the

Gros Ventre may have been a descendent of the Arapaho tribe, but they had been apart








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American traders really had a great relationship. Later this year a fort had been built that

was called Ft. Piekan and later was renamed to Ft. McKenzie for better trade

opportunities and relations. By this time the Gros Ventre and white relations were

extremely good considering the Gros Ventres dependency on liquor for trade. (Flannery

1953 pg.19) While all this was happening times were changing and the Gros Ventre were

getting ready to take their downfall. In 1833, the Cree were raiding deeper and deeper

into Gros Ventre Territory and the Cree-Assiniboine cut off sixty lodges and killed all

400 people. Their long time nemesis the Crow were mad at these Cree Indians, but to

satisfy themselves they took their anger out on the Gros Ventre killing about 30 warriors.

In 1835, the Gros Ventres backs were against the wall and they began fighting back.

They attacked the Crow fiercely and killed about 40 warriors and months later they

defeated the Crow in another battle. (Flannery, 1953 pg. 19) Then again in 1837, another

smallpox epidemic struck the northern plains, but this time the Gros Ventre were

relatively untouched and once again the other tribes took major blows. Bradley stated that

the Gros Ventre only lost about 200 men or less. With all the epidemics and war that had

been going on many of the Gros Ventres enemies had died out. The only real enemy

they had now was the Crow. Even through all this and through time the Gros Ventre had

managed to keep really good relations with the white. (Flannery, 1953, pg. 20-21)


University of American Press, Washington D. C., 1953.) 19.




University of American Press, Washington D. C., 1953.) 20-21.


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Governor Stevens held a council at the Milk River with the Gros Ventre in August

of 1855 guaranteeing the Gros Ventre a thousand dollars worth of goods from the

American Fur Company. This ended up hurting these Indians because they gave them

foods they were not used to and many got sick. In 1855 the Gros Ventre signed a treaty at

the Judith River where the United States agreed to spend 20,000 dollars a year for 10

years on provisions and another 15,000 dollars to teach them trades like agriculture.

(Flannery, 1953 pg. 22) In 1862, the Gros Ventre tribe ranged from the Milk River

extending to the Cypress Mountains and from here to the Marias River. They also at this

time had to deal with Jesuits coming in and trying to change their religion to Catholicism.

When winter would come around they would stay stationary along the banks of the Milk

River. In 1874 the Gros Ventre and the Assiniboine, now allies, were caught between a

rock and a hard place because they were in the middle of the Sioux and the Blackfeet. On

January 20, 1874 a battle broke out between the tribes and many were killed. (Ewers,

1974 pg.148-49) On May 1, 1888 congress passed an act forming the Fort Belknap

Reservation in present day Montana. The Gros Ventre were living in the Milk River area

when this treaty was signed and they were living off of rations the government provided.

The act forced these Indians to move farther south near the Little Rocky Mountains.

(Ewers, 1974, pg.154-155) The Gros Ventre population had always been relatively small,



2. John C. Ewers,Blackfeet Indians: Ethnological Report on the Blackfeet and Gros Ventre Tribes of Indians. (Garland Publishing

Inc., New York and London, 1974.) 148-149.

3. John C. Ewers,Blackfeet Indians: Ethnological Report on the Blackfeet and Gros Ventre Tribes of Indians. (Garland Publishing

Inc., New York and London, 1974.) 154-155.


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but by this time there were only about 850 of them left. (Eggan, 1955, pg.36) In 1922

when land started being allotted the Gros Ventres rolls were based on cultural definitions.

The Gros Ventre determined how you participated in the community and that determined

how much Indian you were. In many cases people that were half and half would be

considered full blood, and because of this their population went up a little. (Fowler, 1987

pg.128)

Social Life and Religion

There is not a lot known of the Gros Ventre political organization and how it was

made up. The Sun Dance and other types of ceremonies were very important in how the

social structure was set up. (Eggan, 1955, pg. 38) The religious part of the Gros Ventre

tribe really guided the Gros Ventre way of life. The Sacrifice dance or as whites know it

the Sun dance was the most important dance in the Tribe. This dance was used during

hard times to help the Buffalo return or used for battle to help them succeed. (Cooper,

1956, pg.183-184) According to Hatton, the ceremonial aspects of these dances were

followed through by the elders. They dealt with the permanence and the supernatural

parts. They were the ones in control of how things went and they were the ones that took

care of all the sacred objects. (Hatton, 1990, pg. 35) The most important objects in the

1. Fred Eggan, Social Anthropology of Native American Tribes. (The University of Chicago

Press, Chicago, 1955.) 36.

2. Loretta Fowler, Shared Symbols, Contested Meanings: Gros Ventre Culture and History 1778-1984.(Cornell University Press,

Ithaca and London, 1987.) 128.

3. Fred Eggan, Social Anthropology of Native American Tribes. (The University of Chicago

Press, Chicago, 1955.) 38.

4. John M. Cooper, The Gros Ventre of Montana: Part II Religion and Ritual. (The Catholic University of American Press,

Washington D. C., 1956.) 183-184.

5. Orin Hatton, Power and Performance in Gros Ventre War Expedition Songs.

(Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1990.) 35.


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Gros Ventre society were the two Chief Medicine pipes. They were known as the Flat

pipe and the Feathered pipe. The Flat pipe belongs on the ground or on earth and the

Feathered pipe belongs in the air or above earth. The plant that they use to with the

ground and water association is peppermint. In the Feathered pipe they use different types

of pines and things that come from the high altitudes. (Cooper, 1956, pg.77) When they

brought out these pipes they had sacred songs which a boy talked about in Coopers book.

The boy said these songs had been around since the time of origin when earth maker was

riding around on the raft with the Flat pipe. While Earth maker was sitting he sent the

animals to dive down to the bottom of the earth. The turtle and hell-diver began bringing

up parts of the earth and while earth maker created land he sang these songs very loudly.

(Cooper, 1955, pg.79) The greatest rite in all Gros Ventre worship was the right to smoke

the Flat pipe. When the pipes were put away the pipe keeper and his wife sang the same

songs to wrap these pipes up and put them away. The pipes are not for personal use, even

by the pipe keeper. The pipe bundle is so sacred that it is treated as if it were a child and

taken with the up most care. When the pipe keepers time comes to pass it on it goes to the

pipe keepers first son unless he has no sons. The Flat pipe and its teachings represent the

Gros Ventres survival and life existence. (Hatton, 1990, pg. 45) Other dances that they

participated in were the Crazy dance, the Drum Dance, Kit-Fox dance, Dog dance, Fly

Dance, and the Ghost Dance. The Ghost Dance and peyote cult never really took off in


Washington D. C., 1956.) 77.


Washington D. C., 1956.) 79.

3. Orin Hatton, Power and Performance in Gros Ventre War Expedition Songs.

(Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1990.) 45.


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the Gros Ventre way of life because many of the Gros Ventre were scared of them. They

were under so much pressure from Jesuits and Catholicism that they were scared to try

these other ways. Another reason is that the elders did not believe that the dead would

rise or that the buffalo would return. (Cooper, 1956, pg.253) The Gros Ventre did believe

in certain supernatural powers and they used certain types of curing practices for illnesses

and such. (Cooper, 1956) The elders believed that religion was meant in respect for the

old people and sometimes that would not teach the youth the practices. One of the

practices they believed would help them live prominent healthy lives, was by being

generous. In order to maintain your position in life you gave things to people who needed

it with no regard. (Fowler, 1987)

The main way of life for the Gros Ventre people was hunting and especially the

buffalo. The women would process the animal down completely and use every aspect of

it. The mens purpose was to hunt and show how brave he was. Bravery really measured

your status as a man in the Gros Ventre society. The Gros Ventre ate primarily a meat

diet consisting of every part of the buffalo. They ate the liver raw, drank blood, and even

ate the food out of the stomach of the buffalo. (Flannery, 1953, pg.58) The household

were often made up of many buffalo hides and the size was determined by how many

hides you had to cover a place. The Gros Ventre really counted and lived off of the horse.

The horse helped them do everything from hunting to moving. Men made the weapons

1. John M. Cooper, The Gros Ventre of Montana: Part II Religion and Ritual. (The Catholic University of American Press, Washington D. C., 1956.)

253.

2. John M. Cooper, The Gros Ventre of Montana: Part II Religion and Ritual. (The Catholic University of American Press, Washington D. C., 1956.)

3. Loretta Fowler, Shared Symbols, Contested Meanings: Gros Ventre Culture and History 1778-1984.(Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London,

1987.)

4. Regina Flannery, The Gros Ventre of Montana: Part I Social Life. (The CatholicUniversity of American Press, Washington D. C., 1953.) 58.


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they used and hunted and took care of the animals and their families. Women did little

collecting, but they made all the household items and they processed the animals.

(Flannery, 1953, pg. 69) Horses were the real way a person would determine their wealth.

If you were fortunate enough to have many horses you would be considered very wealthy

and it was prestigious, but if you did not have very many you were seen as poor.

(Flannery, 1953) The kids jobs were to play and to take care of their property. Once they

got so old they started learning the ways of their gender and began performing those.

Since the Gros Ventre people were to be generous to one another they really did not so

much trading within the tribe, but they did do a lot with outside traders for horses,

weapons, and things that made life easier.

In 1934 under the Wheeler-Howard Act the Fort Belknap Indian Community

Council was formed and by 1935 they had a constitution and bylaws. The tribal

constitution had held up for many years, but was changed in 1995. The reservation has a

total area of about 654,000 acres and only 162,932 acres are tribally owned. There was

427,579 acres that were allotted to people and 25,535 of those went to non Native

Americans. The graduation rates are not that great at all with only 66% of people with a

high school diploma and about 6% of them have a bachelors diploma. The average family

income on the reservation is $4536.00. The unemployment rate is out the roof with 62%

of people not working. The total population of the Belknap reservation is 2,485 and

slowly growing. (Flannery, 1953)




University of American Press, Washington D. C., 1953.)




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Bibliography

Cooper, John M. The Gros Ventre of Montana: Part II Religion and Ritual. The Catholic


Eggan, Fred. Social Anthropology of Native American Tribes. The University of Chicago

Press, Chicago, 1955.

Ewers, John C. Blackfeet Indians: Ethnological Report on the Blackfeet and Gros Ventre

Tribes of Indians. Garland Publishing Inc., New York and London, 1974.

Flannery, Regina. The Gros Ventre of Montana: Part I Social Life. The Catholic


Fowler, Loretta. Shared Symbols, Contested Meanings: Gros Ventre Culture and History

1778-1984. Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, 1987.

Hatton, Orin T. Power and Performance in Gros Ventre War Expedition Songs.

Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1990.

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