Could you accept "Sakakawea?" It may not be the most authentic spelling, but it is the spelling of North Dakota's largest lake, which is named after the historical figure in question.
Would it be possible to change it to "the Dakota people are ..." instead of "the Dakota people were ..."? They're absolutely still around and still living in ND.
Norway's not really that frigid from the perspective of North Dakota. Oslo's annual mean temp is 6.8 degrees C and Bismarck's is 6.2. Record low in Oslo is -26.0, whereas in Bismarck it's -43.0. The country of Norway has a record low of about -51 degrees C, almost identical to North Dakota's. Of course North Dakota also gets much hotter summers than Norway, due to one having a heavily ocean-moderated climate and one being extremely continental, but in general I'd say the experience of winter for most North Dakotans is much harsher than that for most Norwegians.
Although we should learn how to spell things properly, could you add another spelling suggestion for Saskatchewan? I kept getting stuck with "Sasketchawan." But thank you for teaching me how to spell it lol.
spelt sacawea
The capital is even called 'Bismarck'!