Four Bears was a renowned second chief of the Mandan people.
Instructions:
How many activities do I need to do?
11 activities are available, but you won't need to do them all. Check your age group to see how many are required to get the digital badge, although you can always do more if you wish! Answers are available in a link at the bottom of the page!
Age?
Ages 7 and under: Five activities
Ages 8 to 12: Seven activities
Ages 13 and up: Nine activities
Some activities will have special requirements depending on your age.
How do I complete it?
Right click and then click "Print" to print or "Save As" to save to your computer. A PDFis also available to download. You can complete the program on a physical copy or digitally. Keep this page open to access helpful links!
History
The Second Chief of the Mandans, Mato-Tope, or Four Bears, was born in 1784 at On-A-Slant-Village and was widely known, loved, and respected. Since the Mandan village was known for being welcoming, he became friends with many people who passed through the area, and he amazed them with the recollections of his courageous exploits.
Among many of the travelers he met, painters George Catlin and Karl Bodmer separately captured Four Bears' image on the canvas. Thanks to these two artists, Four Bears' pictures and stories remain to this day.
Experience what Four Bears' life was like by learning about the Mandan lifestyle and culture!
Hunting
Hunting was a necessary part of life. Animals provided meat to eat, hides for clothing, bones for tools, and so much more! Hunting was a job for the men, so Four Bears would have needed to learn how to hunt at a young age.
Read and Compare
the Plains Indian Games. After reading, follow the instructions for your age group!
Ages 7 and under: Tell a friend or family member something you learned.
Ages 8 to 12: Write or draw something you learned about.
Ages 13 and up: Write about the similarities and differences between the Plains Indian Games and modern games.
From top to bottom, left to right: Dish Raised Up, Hoop and Stick, hacky sack, and double ball. Double ball was a Plains Indian game, though not often played by the Mandan tribe.
NPS Staff
Games played in the village were not just for fun! As a young boy, the games that Four Bears played would have trained him for adult responsibilities which included hunting and protecting the Mandan Village. These games taught hunting skills and built up strength at a young age!
Hoop and Stick was a hunting game. A round, wheel-like "Hoop" was rolled along the ground or tossed into the river nearby, and then a group of boys would try to spear the hoop with a stick. This was a great way to learn how to hunt from a young age.
Balance was important! Boys and girls sledded down the sides of their earthlodge home on a sled made of bison rib bones. When they grew bigger, sometimes a bison robe would be used instead.
Almost all tribes had dice games with varying names such as Dish Raised Up, Dice Games, and Plum Stone. These were competitive games. Mandan used 5 sets of bone dice with designs filled with red paint. The players tossed the bone dice and counted points according to what symbols landed up. Whoever reached the designated score first won.
Once older, men would engage in vigorous Foot Racing or Running Races to build strength and speed. A three-mile flattened track was raced by six pairs of runners, and the runners often ran the track three times to determine the winner between each pair. Many prizes were won, but the main purpose of these races were to prepare hunters for the upcoming winter hunts.
Now that you know a few games, compare modern games to the Plains Indian Games! How are they different and similar?
Hidatsa children played many games. Here are just a few!
Hoop and Stick taught hunting skills and could be played in the river or on land.
Young girls made tiny tipis for their dolls.
"Maa-iráagahge" is the Hidatsa name for doll.
Double Ball was a game for older kids and adults.
Sleds were made from bison ribs tied together.
Here are some examples of ways to make the native games with modern materials!
NPS Staff
Activity
Now that you know about the different games the Mandan played, using a little creativity, you can make these games to play with your friends or family. See the photo for some examples.
Cut a hole in a plastic coffee can lid and use a crayon or a pencil as a lance for a Hoop and Stick game
Roll aluminum foil in a ball and use it as a hacky sack (Hand and Foot Ball).
Tie two balls together and find a forked stick to play double ball.
Color one side of beans, seeds, or popsicle sticks cut in half to make Dish Raised Up.
Rules for a modern version of Dish Raised Up/Dice Games/Plum Stone:
Take 5 wooden chips. Paint only one side per chip, leaving the other side blank. Take turns tossing the chips and score according to what lands face up.
If all chips land painted side up OR all chips land blank sides up = 2 points and the player goes again. Four up or four down = 1 point and the next player tosses.
The weather on the plains is wild! Animals had to adapt to weather as cold as -40°F and as warm as 120°F!
The Hidatsa learned to survive in harsh conditions. How would you handle these extreme temperatures?
Wild animals on the plains are plentiful! Millions of bison used to roam the land!
Take the words above and match them to the correct blank space on the left!
NPS Staff
Match
the HORNS, HAIR, HOOVES, HIDE, MUSCLES, and TAIL from the bison to the space below!
Ages 7 and under: Draw lines from the word to its definition.
Ages 8 to 12: Draw lines between the word and its definition OR write the correct word.
Ages 13 and up: Write the correct word in the matching blank space.
Hunters like Four Bears hunted bison herds for more than just the meat. Every part of a bison had a practical use!
________ : Pillow and Saddle Pad Stuffing
________: Cups, Ladles, Powder Horns
________: Glue, Rattles, Doorbell
________: Flyswatter/ Switch
________: Shields, Moccasin Soles, Rope, Drumheads, Bullboats, Clothes, Tipi Covers, Robes/ Blankets, Bags/Pouches, and Dolls
________: Sinew for Sewing, Glue
*See our answer key at the bottom of the page for the correct solutions!
Spot
the animals hidden in the image below! Can you find all 6?
Men had the important and often dangerous job of hunting animals. Animals like white-tailed deer and bison would provide both meat and hides. Bald eagle feathers were sacred and used to decorate regalia. Smaller animals like field mice and gray squirrels were more of a nusance that might have tried to steal harvested crops. Finally, fishing was common since walleye swam in the Knife River near where the tribes lived.
Think like a hunter! Circle the 6 animals hidden in the picture!
NPS Staff
Battle and Trade
Match
the name of each weapon to its photograph. You can draw a line to it or write the name beside to the image.
As you have already learned, boys played games that would prepare them to be fierce warriors and skilled hunters. The villages needed warriors for protection and hunters for food. Below, draw a line to match the definition to the picture of the weapons.
Images of weapons used in battle and hunting.
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A Gunstock Warclub is so named because they were made from the gunstock of a flintlock gun. Every plains warrior carried some type of club.
Stone-Headed War Club: A stone tied to a handle.
Bow, Arrows and Otter Quiver: A bow is a curved strip of wood with the ends attached by a tight string used to launch arrows. An arrow is a shaft sharpened at the front and with feathers at the back. A quiver is a bag that holds arrows. This weapon was preferred for buffalo hunting.
A Lance is a long wooden shaft with a pointed flint or metal head.
A Shield was used for protection against blows and in ceremonies. Made from buffalo rawhide, it was held by straps on one side.
Knife: A flint blade fixed to a bone handle.
Atlatl: A spear-thrower tool used to gain more speed and distance.
The Four Bears Exploit Robe decorated with painted images of Four Bears' exploits.
NPS Staff
Draw or Write
what your Exploit Robe story and/or Winter Count will look like!
Stories about battle and trade were told proudly in the villages. However, these tribes didn't write books; instead, their books were painted on bison robes! A Winter Count could be considered a history book for the tribe. Each year, a very important person was chosen to paint one image that represented the major event or events that occurred that year.
An Exploit Robe is a robe that illustrates extraordinary events throughout one person's life. In this way, it could be considered an autobiography. Four Bears owned several Exploit Robes depicting his amazing battles and experiences throughout his life, and he gifted or traded these robes to his visiting friends.
Draw your own exploits! If you prefer words, write down what yours would look like!
NPS Staff
Once finished, write your name in the blank!
Watch and Write
Watch a video about flint and then write something you learned!
Ages 7 and under: Watch the video and tell a friend or family member something you learned.
Ages 8 to 12: Watch the video and tell a friend or family member something you learned OR write or draw something new you learned.
Ages 13 and up: Write something new you learned.
Warriors used flint to hunt and defend the village.
Arrowheads and flint blades for their weapons were formed through a process called flint knapping.
Striking flint and steel created sparks, which made flint an important trade item.
The Trade Game board!
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Activity
Play our Trade Game with friends and family!
Four Bears was a chief of a Mandan village. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Villages were major trade centers. Just like shopping malls where we exchange goods for money, they traded with other tribes for hundreds of years before the Europeans traders arrived. They would trade horses, flint, corn braids, buffalo robes, and other goods. Once the European traders arrived in the new world, they would trade for colorful beads and other items such as iron pots and knives.
Go back in time and trade with your family and friends with the Trade Game. Click on the links below and follow the instructions.
These were the final recorded words that Chief Four Bears ever spoke, documented by fur trader A. R. Bouis at Fort Clark. Four Bears died shortly after. However, there are conflicting reports of what he died from.
One theory states that Four Bears died due to smallpox. Another theory based on George Catlin's writings says that Four Bears recovered from smallpox, but his grief and self-inflicted starvation was the cause of his death.
After the smallpox epidemic, Four Bears' final speech became famous, and he is remembered to this day.
Congratulations!
You have completed the Online Junior Ranger Program for Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site!
