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  # Entered Union  Year Settled 39th     Nov. 2, 1889       1812  Nickname  Rank     Population 48th      641,481  Rank     Square Miles 19th      70,700  State Bird  State Flower  State Tree  State Motto Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable  Both rural and agricultural, with grain farms and cattle ranches, North Dakota gets its name from the Dakota division of the Sioux Indians who lived on the plains before the Europeans arrived. "Dakota" means "friend." French-Canadian soldier and fur trader Pierre Gaultier de Varennes was the first known white explorer to visit the home of the Dakota in 1738.  North Dakota was one of the last areas of the frontier to be settled by non-Native Americans, and even today, it's not a highly populated state. North Dakota, whose capital is Bismarck, joined the Union in 1889 as the 39th state.  After controversy over the location of a capital, the Dakota Territory was split in two and divided into North and South in 1889. Later that year, on November 2, North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted to the Union as the 39th and 40th states. This vast territory was one of the last American regions to be settled.  The first European explorers entered the region in 1742. At that time, at least eight Native American tribes populated the area, including the Crow, Cheyenne, and Dakota (Santee Sioux). The Native influence still characterizes many parts of the states.  Other than fur trappers, explorers didn't venture much into the Dakotas until the land came under the possession of the United States with the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. The Lewis and Clark expedition spent the winter in present-day North Dakota in 1804.  With the 1832 arrival of the steamboat and the 1862 creation of the Homestead Act, a few people migrated to the area, but tension between the settlers and the Sioux discouraged many. It was the 1874 discovery of gold that brought prospectors pouring into the sacred Black Hills of the Sioux Reservation. That meant trouble.  After an armed resistance, the Sioux surrendered the Black Hills to the U.S. in 1877. By 1881, even the powerful chief Sitting Bull had surrendered. The end of the "Indian crisis" and the completion of the Northern Pacific Railway brought more than 100,000 settlers between 1879 and 1886.  These new citizens became divided over the location of the capital. Northerners named Bismarck their capital in 1883, while Southerners created their own constitution that year, selecting Pierre as their capital. Congress did not push the matter. Instead, Congress passed a law that officially divided the territory before declaring both North Dakota and South Dakota states of the Union.  Do you know the story of Sacagawea, the woman who is on the $1 gold-colored coin?  Sacagawea belonged to the Shoshone tribe. In 1800, when she was 12 years old, Hidatsa warriors raided her tribe and captured many young people, including Sacagawea. The Hidatsa, an American Plains Indian tribe related to the Sioux, were traditionally a sedentary people, meaning they established villages rather than travel around from place to place. They lived in earthen lodges and traded with other Plains tribes and English and French traders.  Hidatsa men and women each had clearly defined tasks and responsibilities. Men hunted bison and other game and went to war. Along with maintaining the lodges, women did most of the farming and grew corn, squash, and beans. During the 19th century, Hidatsa warriors often went on raiding parties like the one where they captured Sacagawea.  Sacagawea lived with the Hidatsa for a few years, but, by 1804, she had been sold or gambled away to a French-Canadian trapper and trader, Toussaint Charbonneau. Sacagawea became one of Charbonneau's wives and gave birth to their son, Jean Baptiste.  When explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark passed through what is now North Dakota in 1805, Charbonneau and Sacagawea joined their expedition. Sacagawea went on to become the explorers' celebrated guide and interpreter on their journey to the Pacific Ocean.  Powwows are a way for Indian tribes to preserve their culture and hand down traditions. They are Indian ceremonies or social gatherings that include dance competitions and music. The United Tribes Powwow in Bismarck, North Dakota, has been held every year since 1969. The United Tribes are the five tribes in North Dakota: the Spirit Lake, the Sisseton-Wahpton Sioux, the Standing Rock Sioux, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold. Performers wear colorful outfits of their tribe.  More than 1,500 traditional dancers perform to more than 40 drum groups at the United Tribes Powwow. Women might perform the fancy shawl dance. Dancers wear beautifully decorated shawls as they do kicks and twirls. This dance is challenging because it requires fast movements. Male dancers might perform the grass dance. A grass dancer wears an outfit with long strands of fabric hanging off it. He would also wear a roach, a kind of headdress with two feathers that rock or twirl as he dances.  There is also an Indian Art Expo and Market at the powwow where Indian artists gather to show their traditional work, such as pottery, jewelry, beadwork, and paintings.  Fort Seward Wagon Train Do you know what a wagon train is?  During the 19th century, settlers in the United States who wanted to move out West usually traveled by covered wagons in large groups. People would meet in the early spring to hire guides, elect leaders, and gather supplies before leaving on their journey as a wagon train.  Every summer, more than 100 people meet at Fort Seward, near Jamestown, North Dakota, to re-enact the wagon train experience and live like pioneer families. For a week, they travel in canvas-covered wagons pulled by mules or workhorses. A "chuck" wagon provides their meals.  Everyone dresses in late-19th century-style clothing. Women wear long dresses, aprons, and bonnets, and men wear vests and suspenders. Every night, the wagons circle around a campsite, and trail riders share stories, music and crafts, just as the early American pioneers did over a century ago.  Are you a member of a club? If you were interested in farming and agriculture, you might want to join the Future Farmers of America or a local 4-H Club. Since the early 20th century, kids from rural or farming communities have often joined one of these organizations. Even if you didn't know anything about farming, you would learn a lot in these clubs because they believe in "learning by doing." This means that students learn about agriculture through doing such activities as growing a crop, raising a calf, and using a tractor.  Members of 4-H Clubs and Future Farmers of America participate in state fairs and other events and agricultural shows. The North Dakota Winter Show started in 1937. The show is a major event in the state -- 70,000 people attend each year. There are livestock shows, competitions, and sales, as well as home-grown food and home-made crafts. The North Dakota Winter Show is a great place for students to learn about agriculture. |
