Mato Tope (chief)
Mato Tope, known as Four Bears, refers to two prominent Mandan chiefs from the early 19th century, a father and son duo. The elder Mato Tope, born around 1795, served as the second chief of the Mandans during a significant period of cultural interaction and upheaval, particularly when he was visited by artists George Catlin and Karl Bodmer in the early 1830s. His leadership coincided with the devastating impact of a smallpox epidemic, which claimed the lives of a vast majority of the Mandan population. Despite the challenges, he is remembered for his passionate response to the crisis, which included a call to action against the encroaching white settlers, although the authenticity of this speech is debated among historians.
After the elder Mato Tope's death from smallpox in 1837, his son took on leadership responsibilities. Under his guidance, the Mandans sought to navigate the pressures of westward expansion without launching a major campaign against white settlers. The younger Mato Tope played a key role in signing the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty, which was significant in the context of Native American relations with the U.S. government. The story of Mato Tope reflects both the resilience and struggles of the Mandan people during a transformative era in their history.
Mato Tope (chief)
- Born: c. 1795
- Birthplace: Unknown
- Died: July 30, 1837
- Place of death: Unknown
Category: Chief
Tribal affiliation: Mandan
Significance: Mato Tope accused whites of genocide when an epidemic of smallpox decimated his tribe
There were two Mandan leaders known as Mato Tope, or Four Bears; they were father and son. Mato Tope the elder was born around 1795 and died in 1837; his son, who became chief after his father’s death, died in 1861.
Mato Tope the elder was second chief of the Mandans when George Catlin visited in 1832 and painted his portrait. Catlin said at the time that the elder Mato Tope was one of his favorite artistic subjects and Native American friends. Karl Bodmer also painted the elder Mato Tope when he visited the Mandans two years after Catlin, and the portraits by the two men were widely reproduced.
The elder Mato Tope was selected head chief in 1837 just as a smallpox epidemic was sweeping in with an influx of transient whites. Smallpox descended on the Mandans with a virulence that ultimately killed all but thirty-one of some sixteen hundred people. Mato Tope succumbed to the disease on July 30, 1837. On the day he died, he is said to have raged against the smallpox epidemic that was killing him and his people and to have called upon his people to rise up and kill all white people. (Whether he actually made this speech has been debated by historians.) After the younger Mato Tope assumed tribal leadership, the Mandans attempted to find a strategy to resist further white encroachment, but they did not launch a major campaign against whites. The younger Mato Tope was a signatory of the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty.