- THE GROS VENTRE (pronounced grow-VAHN-truh) They called themselves the White Clay People ; the Arapaho called them the Atsina , but it is the name given by the French traders that has stayed with this tribe of the northern plains throughout history. Thousands of languages and dialects among the Nations of North America made it necessary to develop a way to communicate among friends and enemies ...www.meyna.com/gros.html