Hidatsa
/hɪˈdɑːtsə/noun
A member of a Siouan-speaking Indigenous people traditionally centered in the northern Great Plains, or their language.
Did you know?Hidatsa is commonly connected with the people’s own name, Hiraacá, while “Minitari” and “Gros Ventre” are historical names applied to them by outsiders.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact period
Hidatsa
Hiraacá
“A traditional self-designation of the Hidatsa people; often interpreted as “willow people,” though details of the analysis vary among sources.”
18th Century
French
Minitari
“A French rendering of a name used for the Hidatsa, also written as Minnetaree or Minnetari.”
18th–19th Century
English
Gros Ventre
““Big Belly” in French; an outsider name historically applied confusingly to both the Hidatsa and the distinct Atsina people.”
19th Century
English
Hidatsa
“The established English form used for the people and their Siouan language.”
Modern English
English
Hidatsa
“The standard modern name for the Indigenous nation, its citizens, and their language.”