Before the smallpox epidemic of 1781, there was no single, unified Mandan language. Instead, four or five equally important dialects were spoken across six or seven towns and villages, primarily located along the Missouri River in what is now the southern half of North Dakota. The differences between these dialects were mostly superficial, and speakers could readily understand one another.

Following the 1781 epidemic, a brief period of turmoil ensued, but the surviving Mandan eventually consolidated into two towns north of present-day Washburn, where Nuptare and Nueta dialects prevailed. It was during this period that the first extensive wordlists of both Mandan varieties were compiled. However, in 1837 smallpox struck again, further reducing the population. The remaining survivors relocated the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, where Nueta Mandan continued to be spoken natively until the 21st century.

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Although Nuptare Mandan still had a few speakers into the 20^th century, by then, the last generation of native speakers spoke the Nueta dialect (Nuu’etaare, or Nuu’eta), which eventually became synonymous with the Mandan language. However, there are still a few families today who identify as Nuptare rather than Nueta and continue to refer to their ancestral language accordingly.
In 1900, there were an estimated 200 to 250 Mandan speakers. By the late 1960s, this number had fallen to fewer than 20. By 2006, only three speakers remained, and the last fully fluent Mandan speaker, Dr. Edwin Benson, passed away in 2016. However, even after his passing, there remained a number of elders retained passive fluency, meaning they could still understand the language. Additionally, many community members regard Mandan as a heritage language. Today, many heritage speakers still know words, set phrases, songs, and prayers, and there is an active, community-based language program working to preserve and revitalize the language.
The reasons for Mandan becoming dormant are not unique. Many children sent to boarding schools were unable to speak English and were severely punished for using their native language. To protect their own children from similar psychological and physical trauma, many parents chose to speak only English at home. Additionally, due to the small Mandan population in the 20th century, intermarriage with other tribes and non-Indians was common. In such cases, families needed to settle on a common language, which was almost always either English or Hidatsa—both universally spoken by the Mandan. As a result, many present-day Hidatsa speakers on the Fort Berthold Reservation are, in fact, primarily of Mandan ancestry.

Most [Mandans] also speak the language of the Hidatsas, although the latter do not speak that of the Mandans. (Prince Maximilian of Wied, II 201)
All the Mandans speak Hidatsa; Mató-Tópe and others, fluent Arikara; but the Hidatsa only seldom speak the Mandan language. (Prince Maximilian of Wied, III 68)
The Hidatsa and Mandan have been so closely associated for two or three generations that tribal barriers are nearly broken down, except perhaps in the matter of language. A child is reckoned as of his mother’s tribe, and speaks his mother’s language; and even husband and wife, if not of the same tribe, address each the other in his own language. Most of the Hidatsa on the reservation understand Mandan, and every Mandan understands Hidatsa. In council or preaching service, an orator of either tribe speaks his mother’s tongue, and no interpreter is necessary. If Arikara are present, an interpreter must be called. (Wilson 1908:101)

Dr. Edwin Benson (Ínuma’ks – The Man) was born in 1931 to John and Alice (Bearghost) Benson in Elbowoods, North Dakota. His paternal grandfather, Ben Benson (Werók Pá’ – “Buffalo-Bull Head”), was a full-blood Mandan, while his paternal grandmother, Brown Chest (Tahxáráxe Sííre), was Hidatsa. According to Edwin, his father was half Mandan and half Hidatsa, while his mother was Mandan and half Arikara.

When Edwin was one year old, his mother passed away, leaving him in the care of his grandfather, Ben Benson, a renowned custodian of Mandan traditions. From the ages of one to eight, Edwin was raised by his grandfather in a traditional log cabin without electricity or running water. His greatest source of entertainment was listening to his grandfather’s traditional stories and songs while learning Mandan ethics and customs.

Edwin possessed an extraordinary memory, enabling him to recall many of his grandfather’s stories verbatim. He accompanied his grandfather to traditional fish traps and learned to care for sacred medicine. Even into his 80s, he could still recite many of these stories word for word, a rare skill in the modern world. In many ways, Edwin was raised as a 19th-century Mandan, yet by a twist of fate, he survived into the 21st century.

By the 1960s, when Edwin was in his 30s, older Mandan speakers recognized his deep knowledge of the language. Despite his youth, he was described as a remarkable speaker who spoke Mandan as fluently as those 50 years his senior.

During the last 20 years of his life, Edwin collaborated extensively with linguists and anthropologists to document and preserve the Mandan language. He left behind a rich collection of traditional stories, which were audio-recorded, videotaped, or both. He also co-authored numerous Mandan language materials, many of which are still awaiting publication.

For the last eight years of his life, Edwin was the sole remaining fluent Mandan speaker. Though he was humble and modest, he often remarked that he never asked to be the last speaker—yet he did everything in his power to help younger generations learn the language and assist linguists in their efforts to document it for the future.

Dr. Edwin Benson passed away on December 9, 2016. Today, the people of Fort Berthold honor his legacy by celebrating Dr. Edwin Benson Day each year on this date, dedicating it to native languages and their speakers.