The Arikara (Sahnish) were a Caddoan-speaking agricultural people living in earth-lodge villages along the Missouri River in present-day South Dakota. When the expedition passed through in October 1804, the Arikara occupied three villages near the Grand River.
The Arikara had been severely weakened by smallpox epidemics in the late 18th century, reducing their population from perhaps 30,000 to approximately 2,000. Despite this devastation, they maintained their agricultural villages and trade networks.
Relations between the expedition and the Arikara were cautiously friendly — the captains held councils, distributed gifts, and attempted to broker peace between the Arikara and the Mandan. One Arikara chief agreed to travel to Washington, D.C. but died during the journey.
In 1823, Arikara warriors attacked William Ashley’s fur trading party, killing or wounding many men in one of the most significant armed conflicts between Americans and Plains Indians. This attack was partly motivated by the death of the chief who had gone to Washington and by perceived broken promises from the American government.
