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Fort Berthold Reservation - Mandaree, ND
American Indians Mission Trip
June 13 to June 20, 2009
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| Ministry Detail |
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Project Overview:
Mandaree is a Native community of 787 people, mostly Hidatsa, located on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. The people are warm and friendly, but also cautious with visitors. Honesty and integrity mean a lot to them. Your sincere desire to listen and to get to know the people will make a great impact.
Few in Mandaree have a clear picture of the Gospel. Most have heard of Jesus, but are confused about who He is, what He offers, and what He expects of us. It requires initiative to share Jesus here. Ministry will demand sacrifice, perseverance in difficult conditions while under spiritual attack, and a genuine love for the lost. Field experience and spiritual maturity are a plus.
Ministry Description:
Since we began bringing mission teams to Fort Berthold in 1996, we have developed ministry from an evangelism approach to a focus on discipleship. Ability to communicate one-on-one to share God's love is essential.
Since 2003, we’ve served alongside Pastor Ron Sahr and wife Darlene of Mandaree Church to bring the love and hope of Jesus through children’s ministry, teen outreaches, and men’s and women’s Bible studies. Your group may plan a Women’s Dinner Night complete with fun activities, songs, crafts, testimonies, prayer, and encouragement to make the ladies feel special and appreciated. It’s an opportunity to lavish them with love and remind them of how the Father sees them. You might sponsor a horseshoe tournament for the men, with time to talk at a picnic afterward. You might also do a few work projects at the church or for elder services.
You could take the teens to the lake for swimming, fellowship, and a cookout. You might hike together in the Badlands, host a guitar jam or art camp, or just hang out while star gazing at midnight. Sometimes you may see the Northern Lights! There will be opportunities for sports outreaches, so plan to bring basketballs and lots of energy.
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| Trip Requirements |
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Newcomers to the world of missions can grow and make a difference among the Hidatsa, Mandan, and Arikara. But proven, spiritual maturity and prior field experience in missions away from home really helps. So, bring some veterans to help newcomers get to the next level.
You are going to be living among the people on the Fort Berthold Reservation, so you may share the discomfort they sometimes experience. The power may fail, leaving you for a time without air-conditioning. The plumbing may fail, leaving you without showers for a day or two. Your ministry may be outside in a hot, dusty environment.
Relational ministry here can be challenging. People are often resistant to your message of hope. You may struggle to connect with people you are hoping to find. Please come determined to break through the emotional walls you will encounter. And you’ll be tired – relationship building and sharing Christ often carries into late-night hours.
You’ll need to exercise initiative to reach the lost and disciple those who struggle with their faith. Participants with developed social skills and the ability to engage people in conversation, sometimes at deeper, spiritual levels, will do well.
This is very much a cross-cultural experience, and it will stretch you. Spiritual warfare is waged regularly in Indian Country. Maintain plenty of prayer cover and let the Lord run the mission.
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| Food & Lodging |
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Food is prepared on site by local cooks. Typically, you will sleep on the floor of Mandaree Church or in tribally-owned teacher trailers that are vacant during the summer. Please bring single-sized air mattresses, bedding, and towels.
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| Dress Code & What to Bring
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Dress Code:
Please refer to AIM's training manual, Missions 101.
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| Travel Information |
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Airport & Transportation:
Groups may drive to Mandaree or fly to Bismarck, ND (166 miles southeast) or Dickinson, ND (70 miles south). Vans are available to rent at either airport, but must be reserved well in advance. We suggest getting price comparisons on airfare and van rentals.
Groups must provide their own ground transportation. Extensive travel is common on the rez, so at least two vans will better facilitate travel for activities with local kids.
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Shots & Vaccinations:
An updated Tetanus shot is strongly recommended for ALL projects.
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Suggested Travel Agency:
- Donna Booth, CTC Domestic and International Travel
Consultant
MTS Travel
9440 Philips Hwy, Ste 3
Jacksonville, Fl. 32256
Phone (800) 888-8292 ext 208
Email donnab@mtstravel.com
- Karol Fleming, CTC Domestic and International Travel
Consultant
MTS Travel
9440 Philips Hwy, Ste 3
Jacksonville, Fl. 32256
Phone (800) 888-8292 ext 208
Email karolf@mtstravel.com
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Suggested Travel Insurance:
We highly recommend that all program participants have health insurance coverage.
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| Location Information
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Location Description:
Mandaree, a town on the Fort Berthold Reservation, is located 166 miles northwest of Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota. The Missouri River runs diagonally through the reservation, and the landscape varies from grasslands to rocky bluffs. Mandaree is 118 miles south of the Canadian border.
Weather:
Summer highs range from 80 to 100, dropping to the lower 50s at night. Isolated thunderstorms are common.
Area Attractions:
• The Three Affiliated Tribes Museum is located 35 miles northeast in New Town, the tribal headquarters. Nearby, Crow Flies High bluff overlooks Lake Sakakawea, formed by Garrison Dam on the Missouri River. Local crafts, jewelry, and music may be purchased at Wolf Trading Post just outside of town.
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s North Unit, 75 miles south, is located on the Little Missouri National Grassland.
• The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, and several 1800s army forts are about a two-hour drive.
• Bismarck’s Heritage Center has extensive exhibits and a well-stocked gift shop featuring local items. Space Aliens is a favorite eating spot.
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| People, Culture and Religion
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The Fort Berthold Reservation is comprised of Three Affiliated Tribes: Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara. The Mandan and Hidatsa were originally village dwellers and lived in large, earth-covered lodges. They hunted and also cultivated fields of beans, corn, squash, sunflowers, and tobacco. During the 1700s, they began to trade with European explorers and traders.
The tribes sheltered the Lewis and Clark expedition during the winter of 1804. In October, the expedition reached the villages of the Mandan and Hidatsa and established its winter camp. There Lewis and Clark updated their diaries and maps, and wrote about the Native people. Their journey west resumed on April 7, 1805.
In 1837, a smallpox epidemic nearly wiped out the Mandan. The survivors found refuge in the nearby villages of the Arikara and Hidatsa tribes.
While Native customs remain strong in Mandaree, traditional language is weak. Spiritual warfare is very real on this reservation because of active traditional religion.
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| Government and Economy
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Reservations are sovereign nations, and as such have their own tribal governments, clinics, schools, and police force. There are few jobs and widespread unemployment.
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| Statistics
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Population:
5,915 - Fort Berthold Reservation |
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