Buffalo Bird Woman
Encyclopedia
Buffalo Bird Woman was a Mandan ]Hidatsa
who experienced the traditional life of her people in what is now the Fort Berthold Reservation
in North Dakota
. Her Hidatsa name was Maxidiwiac. She learned and practiced traditional Hidatsa skills such as gardening, the preparation of food, weaving and many others. Buffalo Bird Woman held to the traditional ways of her culture and generously shared them through her stories and teachings. Through oral tradition she described her own experience and the lives and work of women in Hidatsa culture. Edward Lone Fight
is descended from her.
Hidatsa
The Hidatsa are a Siouan people, a part of the Three Affiliated Tribes. The Hidatsa's autonym is Hiraacá. According to the tribal tradition, the word hiraacá derives from the word "willow"; however, the etymology is not transparent and the similarity to mirahací ‘willows’ inconclusive...
who experienced the traditional life of her people in what is now the Fort Berthold Reservation
Fort Berthold Reservation
The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is a U.S. Indian reservation in western North Dakota that is home for the federally recognized Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes...
in North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. Her Hidatsa name was Maxidiwiac. She learned and practiced traditional Hidatsa skills such as gardening, the preparation of food, weaving and many others. Buffalo Bird Woman held to the traditional ways of her culture and generously shared them through her stories and teachings. Through oral tradition she described her own experience and the lives and work of women in Hidatsa culture. Edward Lone Fight
Edward Lone Fight
Edward Lone Fight served as Chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation from 1986 to 1990. In 1988 Lone Fight met with President Ronald Reagan, a meeting which was the catalyst for the Just Compensation Bill, introduced based on the findings of the Joint Tribal Advisory Committee, which...
is descended from her.
Books by Buffalo Bird Woman
- Buffalo Bird Woman. Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden: Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0873512190.
- Buffalo Bird Woman. Waheenee, an Indian girl's story. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1991.