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The Atsina called themselves: A'ani or A'aninin ( White Clay People ) |
| The
Atsina (Gros Ventre) Tribe is a tribe of the Northern
Plains Indigenous group, located in Northcentral Montana.
They live on the Fort Belknap Reservation, which is
shared with the Assiniboine tribe. The Atsina (Gros
Ventre) live primarily in the south end of the
reservation, near the Little Rocky Mountains. The Atsina (Gros Ventre) call themselves A'ani or A'aninin, meaning the White Clay People. Gros Ventre ( Big Belly ) is a name that was given to the people by the French who misinterpreted their sign language. The Atsina (Gros Ventre), as far as anyone can tell, were once closely affiliated with the Algonquin speaking Arapaho and Cheyenne. It is said that all three tribes together were among the last to migrate into Montana. After they migrated to Montana, the Arapaho moved southwards to the Wyoming and Colorado area. The Cheyenne who migrated with the Atsina (Gros Ventre) and Arapaho also migrated on. Some went to the Oklahoma area, and some stayed in the Tongue River valley. Late 1600's Atsina's (Gros Ventres) split from the Arapaho tribe. By late 1700s, they allied with the Blackfeet. After joining up with the Blackfeet, the Atsina (Gros Ventre) roamed north central Montana and southern Canada. Around this time, and again in early 1800s, smallpox decimated the Atsina (Gros Ventre) tribe. |
