Knife River Indian Villages

https://www.nps.gov/knri/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife_River_Indian_Villages_National_Historic_Site The Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site preserves the historic and archaeological remnants of bands of Hidatsa, Northern Plains Indians. This area was a major trading and agricultural area. Three villages were known to occupy the Knife area. In general, these three villages are known as Hidatsa villages. Broken down, the individual villages are Awatixa Xi'e (lower Hidatsa village), Awatixa and Big Hidatsa village. Awatixa Xi'e is believed to be the oldest village of the three. The Big Hidatsa village was established around 1600. Earthlodge people hunted bison and other game, but were in essence farmers living in villages along the Missouri and its tributaries. The site was a major Native American trade center for hundreds of years prior to becoming an important market place for fur traders after 1750. Plane: Closest Commercial Airports are Bismarck (60 miles) Minot (85 miles) Dickinson (102 miles). Hazen, ND (15 miles from site) has an airport for small planes. Car: One-half mile north of Stanton, ND on County Road 37. One hour northwest of Bismarck, ND and one and a half hours southwest of Minot, ND. Public Transportation Charter and tour bus parking available at Visitor Center parking lot. Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site Visitor Center The Visitor Center is located off Highway 37 just north of the city of Stanton, ND. The Visitor Center’s entrance is in the shape of a giant eagle welcoming visitors. Once inside, visitors can view the movie, tour the exhibits or shop in our bookstore. Outside and behind the Visitor Center is a reconstructed earthlodge (furnished with replica artifacts in the summer) and the beginning of one of the three trails located at the park. One-half mile north of Stanton, ND on County Road 37. One hour northwest of Bismarck, ND and one and a half hours southwest of Minot, ND. Earthlodge Summer view of Earthlodge Summer view of Earthlodge Interior View of Earthlodge Interior View of Earthlodge Interior View of Earthlodge Winter Earthlodge Winter Earthlodge Winter Earthlodge Garden Garden Garden Sakakawea Village Sakakawea Village Sakakawea Village NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, North Dakota Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. earthlodge Subsistence: Tribal Nutrition & Health This historical background information explains women's influence, plant watchers, processing foods, food storage, food preparation, men's contributions, hunting and foraging, and subsistence today. square container with cylindrical opening on top filled with corn, beans, and squash. Big Hidatasa Village Site The Big Hidatsa Village Site is part of the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. Settled from 1740 until about 1850, Big Hidatsa Village is the largest of the Hidatsa communities near the Knife River. It was comprised of approximately 120 circular earth lodges that housed 20 to 30 individuals each. They were set close together, allowing for communal interaction among the inhabitants. 1836 painting of a hidatsa village Plant Community Monitoring at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site contains 1,758 acres of upland mixed-grass prairie and riparian forest habitats, much of which has a long history of human use. Plant community monitoring is critical for understanding the current health of ecosystems and can provide an early warning of undesirable changes. white flowers with many small oval petals and a yellow center growing up green leafy stems Arts, Crafts, Clothing and Appearance This historical background information explains arts, crafts, and clothing traditions for the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes. It details flint, pottery, basketry, painting, parfleche, quillwork, clothing, footwear, appearance, and singing and dancing. It also explains activity in a modern Hidatsa or Mandan home. Illustration of the underside of a turtle shell and a cylindrical bone piece. Housing This historical background information explains housing traditions for the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes. It details planning, locating, and constructing an earthlodge. It also discusses how the tribes used a tipi. Adult stands inside wood structure of earth lodge. Bat Projects in Parks: Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Across six Northern Great Plains parks, education and outreach for bats was conducted. View of Badlands National Parks unique rock formations in the distance Outside Science (inside parks): Fire at Knife River Indian Villages Middle school students learn about the role of fire in prairie restoration. two young people plant seeds on the prairie Bat Acoustic Monitoring at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site protects upland woodlands and cottonwood forests along the Knife and Missouri rivers that provide foraging and roosting habitat for bats. The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network monitors bats at the park to detect long-term trends in bat populations. Bat acoustic recorder on a tripod next to an earthen mound house Transportation This historical background information explains how the Hidatsa and Mandan tribes traveled. It details the bull boat, horse, and dog travois. Illustration of a bull boat History of Hidatsa: Post-1845 This historical background information explains the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA), pre and post Garrison Dam, health, education in boarding schools, impact of the schools, treating historical trauma, education today, current culture, and native spirituality today of the Hidatsa, Mandan, and Arikara tribes after 1845. Portrait of Chief Bad Gun in headress History of Hidatsa: Pre-1845 This historical background information explains early villages, early explorers, Sacagawea, oral history, education and societies, and tribal origins of the Hidatsa and Mandan tribes before 1845. This is before the tribe moved to Like-A-Fishhook Village. Portrait of Chief Four Dance in full headress Hidatsa Women & Earthlodges of the Upper Missouri River In traditional Hidatsa society, women constructed, owned, and maintained the earthlodge, or awadi. The elaborately designed structure was home to between ten and twenty people, often sisters and their families spanning several generations. Today, shallow depressions mark the locations of the earthlodge villages at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site in North Dakota. An aerial view of a collection of circular depressions in an open landscape beside a river Alisha Deegan: 19th Amendment Centennial Superintendent of Knife River Indian Villages, Alisha Deegan describes her journey with the NPS for the 19th Amendment Centennial. A ranger sits in front of a gray wall. Series: Plant Community Monitoring in Northern Great Plains Network Parks Plant communities are essential components of all major ecosystems. Plants are the ultimate source of food for other organisms and the main source of organic material in soil and water. They also influence climate and provide the scenery that park visitors enjoy. The NPS Northern Great Plains Network monitors the number, identity, and relative abundance of plant species, as well as their horizontal cover and vertical structure, to determine the health of park ecosystems. Two people sitting on the ground looking at plants Imagining the Lewis and Clark Expedition competing in the Olympics The different members of the Corps of Discovery came from varied, unique backgrounds, and because of those backgrounds brought a variety of useful skills to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Many of the skills and abilities possessed by Corps members translate well to the different events of the modern-day Olympics. As such, we’ve compiled a list of Olympic events, and which members of the Corps of Discovery had the best shot at bringing home gold! Olympic Training Center. Large building with American Flad Things to Do in North Dakota Find things to do in North Dakota. View of seven bison on on a ridge with ridges stretching into the distance behind. Series: Things to Do in the Midwest There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below. Hidatsa Flintknappers, Potters, and Smallpox At Sakakawea, archeologists discovered hundreds of stone tools. The Hidatsa who manufactured them, however, were not the eighteenth-century villagers, but people who lived several decades earlier. The smallpox epidemics in 1781-1782 and 1837-1838 devastated the Hidatsa artisans, leading to new ways of making ceramic and metal objects and passing along the methodologies to the next generation. Base of a hafted point Successful Spring Burn at Knife River Indian Villages NHS Spring prescribed fires at Knife River Indian Villages NHS were conducted on May 15, 2023. Prescribed fire is an integral tool in managing prairie ecosystems. Knife River management staff has determined that the preferred alternative for the restoration of native prairie in these areas is to use prescribed fire in conjunction with re-seeding of native grass species. Smoke rises from a field of short grasses in the distance. Plan Like a Park Ranger: Top 10 Tips for Visiting Knife River Indian Villages A winding path at the Knife River Indian Villages NHS leads to a replica of a traditional Hidatsa Earthlodge. A winding grey path leads to a brown earthlodge. The sky is a blue with white clouds and a rainbow. Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park System To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. Cenozoic Era The Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago [MYA] through today) is the "Age of Mammals." North America’s characteristic landscapes began to develop during the Cenozoic. Birds and mammals rose in prominence after the extinction of giant reptiles. Common Cenozoic fossils include cat-like carnivores and early horses, as well as ice age woolly mammoths. fossils on display in a visitor center Project Profile: Restore Mixed Grass Prairie Ecosystems Through Leveraged Conservation Actions in Central United States The National Park Service will restore mixed grass prairie in parks in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska through planting native species on lands once used for agriculture. Restoration will include the control of invasive plants, prescribed fire, and the development of new seed sources for plants that are currently scarce in the region. Brown, rocky mountain formation against a blue sky Project Profile: Produce Seed for Central Grassland Ecosystems The National Park Service will increase native seed availability for plants in the mixed grass and tallgrass prairie of the Central U.S., advancing the National Seed Strategy priorities. The project will support established relationships with academic, interagency, and Tribal partners, as well as other stakeholders for seed production. Close up view of a rye plant in a green grassland field. “Cracking the code” on mercury bioaccumulation Read the abstract and get the link to a published paper on a model to predict mercury risk park waterbodies: Kotalik, C.J. et al. 2025. Ecosystem drivers of freshwater mercury bioaccumulation are context-dependent: insights from continental-scale modeling. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c07280 A person stands in a field looking at a bug through a magnifying lens. Series: Geologic Time—Major Divisions and NPS Fossils The National Park System contains a magnificent record of geologic time because rocks from each period of the geologic time scale are preserved in park landscapes. The geologic time scale is divided into four large periods of time—the Cenozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Paleozoic Era, and The Precambrian. photo of desert landscape with a petrified wood log on the surface

Knife River Indian Villages Sakakawea Village site along the Knife River Traditional corn from 200-year-old seeds NPS Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site North Dakota Hidatsa Village, Earth-Covered Lodges, on the Knife River, George Catlin, 1832 NPS / DARIAN KATH Compilation of map by Sitting Rabbit (Mandan), ca. 1906–7, showing the five villages Bison shoulderblade hoe SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM That’s how Buffalo Bird-Woman remembered her home, in a bustling earthlodge settlement perched on a bluff above the Knife River. For over 300 years these villages thrived, full of Hidatsa families living with the land, trading their products, and welcoming travelers of all backgrounds. Things began to change in the mid-1800s. Reduced in number by devastating smallpox outbreaks the big Missouri near my birthplace. In the shadows, I can still see the Indian villages, with smoke curling upward from the lodges, and in the river’s roar, I hear the yells of the warriors, the laughter of little children as of old. Maxìdiwiac (Buffalo-Bird Woman), early 1900s Garden plots Mandan village Hidatsa village Missouri River Visitors Cottonwoods STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH DAKOTA SHSND 673 & 800 NPS Sometimes I come here to sit, looking out on National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior and forced out of their villages by unfair government policies and actions, the people moved. But still they remain connected to this place, to their home. What makes a home? Is it the people you live with? The place where you live? For members of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation—the descendants of the people who once lived here—a home is that and more. It is the connection to this land, to the sacred place where their people originated. Part of the National Park System since 1974, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site protects their home and offers opportunities to study and learn about life in the earthlodge villages. MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY / GILBERT B. WILSON Fancy Shawl Dance NPS This map shows the course of the Missouri River in the 1890s with the historical location of MéɁchiɁaashish Awadí, “the five villages.” The Tribal language is Hidatsa unless indicated by M (Mandan) or A (Arikara). Sacagawea, here with son Jean Baptiste, became a symbol of peace for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Sacagawea, 1805. © MICHAEL HAYNES Life in the Villages Meeting of Cultures Big Hidatsa Village Mirahací Awadísh “willow village” ca. 1600–1845 Hidatsa, Mandan, and Arikara opened their villages, their homes, to visitors. From the mid1700s on, explorers like David Thompson and Prince Maximilian of Wied and artists like Karl Bodmer and George Catlin brought news and exposure to new cultures and traditions while documenting village life. Point made of Knife River flint The Lewis and Clark Expedition spent winter 1804–5 at nearby Fort Mandan (map, far right ). Sacagawea was living among the Hidatsa when she was asked to accompany the expedition along with her husband Toussaint Charbonneau, hired as a guide and interpreter. Sacagawea’s experience with the people, languages, and lands farther west made her a valuable member of the expedition. Visitor records add important detail to our understanding of the history and culture of Northern Great Plains peoples. But the interactions also led to tragedy. Smallpox outbreaks in 1780 and 1837 devastated Hidatsa and Mandan populations and caused residents to abandon several villages. In 1845 they moved to Like-a-Fishhook Village, their last traditional earthlodge village, on the present-day Fort Berthold Reservation. They were joined in 1862 by the Arikara, who had suffered another smallpox outbreak in 1856. © EUGENE M. GRYBA Big Hidatsa Village was located west of the Missouri River and north of the Knife River. Sakakawea Village Awadixáá “elongated village” 1790s–1834 Knife River MéɁchiɁaashish Mááhį Pash (M) neesihUsAhaánuˀ (A) Sakakawea and Lower Hidatsa villages were located south of Big Hidatsa Village and the Knife River and along the river. Missouri River Awáàdhi Máátah (M) čiinaaNIšíšuˀ (A) “river” Amahami Village was located south of Sakakawea and Lower Hidatsa villages and west of and along the Knife River. Lower Hidatsa Village Awadixáá Xíe “lower elongated village” ca. 1525–1780 Ruptare Village was located northeast of and along the Missouri River, at a point where Knife River flows into the Missouri River. Amahami Village AwaxáɁwi “mountain (butte) village” 1790s–1834 Communities were forever changed as people adjusted to life in a new home. Deapolis Village MíɁti Ų́ų́tahąkt (M) “east village” 1790s–1850s Eh-toh’k-pah-she-pée-shah, Black Moccasin, aged Chief [Hidatsa], George Catlin, 1832 Mih-Tutta-Hang-Kusch [MíɁti Ų́ų́tahąkt], Mandan Village, Karl Bodmer, 1834 JOSLYN ART MUSEUM the village of MíɁti Ų́ų́tahąkt (Awatinataka, or “end village,” in Hidatsa). First Mandan and then Arikara lived in the village. Both