White Shield (, ) is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) lying within the boundaries of the

Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation), also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan language, Mandan: ''Miiti Naamni''; Hidatsa language, Hidatsa: ''Awadi Aguraawi''; Arikara language, Arikara: ''ačitaanu' táWIt''), is a fede ...

. It is located on the

Fort Berthold Indian Reservation The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is a U.S. Indian reservation in western North Dakota that is home for the federally recognized Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes. The reservation includes lands on ...

in McLean County,

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

, United States. The population was 363 at the 2020 census. It is considered the primary community of the

Arikara The Arikara ( ), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011) ...

(Sahnish) people and is named for Chief White Shield. White Shield was founded in 1954 to replace the town of Elbowoods (

Arikara The Arikara ( ), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011) ...

: hiswíkAt (), which was inundated by the creation of

Lake Sakakawea Lake Sakakawea is a large reservoir in the north central United States, impounded in 1953 by Garrison Dam, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam located in the Missouri River basin in central North Dakota. Named for the Shoshone- Hidatsa woman S ...

. The name honors White Shield, an Arikara chief and a scout for General

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point ...

Geography

White Shield is in western McLean County, north of Lake Sakakawea, west of

Garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

, and southeast of Parshall. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the CDP has a total area of , all land.

Culture

As of 2014, White Shield's

Arikara language Arikara is a Caddoan language spoken by the Arikara Native Americans who reside primarily at Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. Arikara is close to the Pawnee language, but they are not mutually intelligible. The Arikara were appare ...

speakers are active in

language revitalization Language revitalization, also referred to as language revival or reversing language shift, is an attempt to halt or reverse the decline of a language or to revive an extinct one. Those involved can include linguists, cultural or community group ...

. The Arikara language is taught at Fort Berthold Community College, White Shield School, and at the Arikara Cultural Center.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 348 people, 100 households, and 79 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 108 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 1.15%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 98.56% Native American, and 0.29% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 11.78% of the population. There were 100 households, out of which 52.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 33.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.48 and the average family size was 3.89. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 43.1% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $15,625, and the median income for a family was $15,625. Males had a median income of $15,625 versus $12,159 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the CDP was $6,603. About 45.7% of families and 56.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 68.8% of those under age 18 and 53.3% of those age 65 or over.

Public safety

In 2020 the nearest fire station was in

and the nearest police station was in

New Town New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...

. In 2020 there were plans to establish a joint police and fire station.

Education

It is served by White Shield School District.

Notable people

* Carol Juneau, former member of

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House In the event that the parti ...

and

Montana Senate The Montana State Senate is the upper house of the Montana Legislature, the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Montana. The body is composed of 50 senators elected for four years. Half of the Senate is up for election every two years. ...

; born in Elbowoods

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in McLean County, North Dakota Census-designated places in North Dakota Populated places established in 1954 Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation 1954 establishments in North Dakota