Controversial Mandan AmerIndian Tribe

The Tribe Is Said to Have a Profound Welsh Influence

Apr 9, 2009

It's still a matter of debate that Celtic Prince Madog discovered America in 1170 CE and, with a group of his people, settled there and intermingled with the Mandans.

The Mandans, a peaceful Plains tribe, were culturally connected with the Arikara and the Hidatsa. By the mid-18th century, they had nine villages near the mouth of the Heart River in south central North Dakota.

The tribe was practically wiped out by a smallpox epidemic in 1837, but the belief in their Welsh heritage persists. There’s a plaque by Mobile Bay donated in 1953 by the Daughters of the American Revolution in memory of Prince Madog, a Welshman who landed on its shores.

Origins of Mandans: Legend or Reality?

The Mandan tribe was also known as the "White Indians." According to legend and some historians, including Richard Deacon, Prince Madog ab Owain Gwynedd was an illegitimate son of Owain Gwynedd, King of North Wales, and Queen Brenda, daughter of the Lord of Camo. He was born at Dolwyddelan castle in the twelfth century.

After the King died in December 1169, the brothers fought among themselves for the right to rule the kingdom. In 1170 Madog and his brother, Riryd, sailed from Aber-Kerrik-Gwynan on the North Wales Coast in two ships, the Gorn Gwynant and the Pedr Sant. They landed in Alabama. Prince Madog returned to Wales and persuaded others to return to America with him. They sailed from Lundy Island in 1171 and were never heard from again.

They are believed to have traveled up the Alabama River along which there are several stone forts, said by the Cherokees, to have been constructed by White People. These structures have been dated to several hundred years before Columbus and are of a similar design to Dolwyddelan Castle.

A fifteenth century Welsh poem tells how Prince Madoc sailed westward and found America. The account of the discovery of America by a Welsh prince, whether fact or legend, was used by Queen Elizabeth I as evidence to the British claim to America during its war with Spain.

Reports of the Mandans

Early explorers and pioneers found evidence of Welsh influence among the tribes of AmerIndians along the Tennessee and Missouri Rivers. In the 18th century an Indian tribe was discovered that seemed different to all others.

The Mandans were described as white men with forts, towns and permanent villages laid out in streets and squares. They fished using coracles, little skin covered boats with one oar that are still used in Wales. In 1799 Governor John Sevier of Tennessee wrote a report in which he mentioned the discovery of six skeletons encased in brass armor bearing a Welsh coat of arms.

Artist George Catlin and the Mandans

He spent many years living among the Mandans. Catlin wrote that the tribe had different shades of complexion and various colors of hair. He noticed hazel, gray and blue eyes. He painted pictures of their daily lives and wrote his observations.

Catlin finally came to the conclusion that the Mandan's were the descendents of the Madog Celts. Catlin postulated Welshmen had lived among the Mandans for generations, intermarrying, until the two cultures were indistinguishable. Some later investigators supported his theory, noting that the Welsh and Mandan languages were so similar that the Mandans understood when spoken to in Welsh.

Catlin had his thoughts, but some historians debunk it, while others believe that the tribe has a strong influence which supports the artist’s conclusions. Perhaps it will never be known if Prince Madog's legend is historical fact.