Before the 1500‟s, the western plai

Before the 1500‟s, the western plains of North America were dominated by farmers. One group, the
Mandans, lived in the upper Missouri River country, primarily in present – day North Dakota. They
had large villages of houses built close together. The tight arrangement enabled the Mandans to
protect themselves more easily from the attacks of others who might seek to obtain some of the food
these highly capable farmers stored from one year to the next.
The women had primary responsibility for the fields. They had to exercise considerable skill to
produce the desired results, for their northern location meant fleeting growing seasons. Winter often
lingered; autumn could be ushered in by severe frost. For good measure, during the spring and
summer, drought, heat, hail, grasshoppers, and other frustrations might await the wary grower.
Under such conditions, Mandan women had to grow maize capable of weathering adversity. They
began as early as it appeared feasible to do so in the spring, clearing the land, using fire to clear stubble
from the fields and then planting. From this point until the first green corn could be harvested, the crop
required labor and vigilance.
Harvesting proceeded in two stages. In August the Mandans picked a smaller amount of the crop
before it had matured fully. This green corn was boiled, dried and shelled, with some of the maize
slated for immediate consumption and the rest stored in animal – skin bags. Later in the fall, the
people picked the rest of the corn. They saved the best of the harvest for seeds or for trade, with the
remainder eaten right away or stored for alter use in underground reserves. With appropriate banking
of the extra food, the Mandans protected themselves against the disaster of crop failure and
accompany hunger.
The woman planted another staple, squash, about the first of June, and harvested it near the time of
the green corn harvest. After they picked it, they sliced it, dried it, and strung the slices before they
stored them. Once again, they saved the seeds from the best of the year’s crop. The Mandans also
grew sunflowers and tobacco; the latter was the particular task of the older men.
Source (TOEFL reading)