HIDATSA. A native American people of Siouan family, one of three agricultural "village tribes" on the upper Missouri, the others being the Mandan (q.v.) and Arikara (q.v.); the sur rounding groups were buffalo hunting nomads of the plains. Cul turally, the Hidatsa resembled the Mandan; in speech, the Crow (q.v.). They are also known as Minitari and Gros Ventre of the River. Five hundred remain of the 2,100 estimated in 1804.