We’re Still Here, the Xo’shga ride again
By Jerry W. Kram
Two years ago, Benjamin Goodbird III led a group of riders from the Watford City area to the TAT Indian Village in Four Bears to commemorate the forced march of his ancestors, the Xo’shga (pronounced Hushka or Hooshga) to settle them on the Fort Berthold Reservation.
Good Bird is riding with the ancestors of the Xo’ghsa once more this week. However, this time the riders will make a loop from New Town to near Pouch Point and then around to finish at Crow Flies High Butte to celebrate the victory of band over hardship.
Good Bird said the ride roughly outlines the borders of what remains of the Shell Creek area, where the Xo’shga settled after 1894. He said this year’s ride celebrates the fact that the band overcame the difficulties of the march, put down roots and thrived over the following generations. Good Bird’s Great-Great Grandmother was one of the tribal members who survived that forced march.
