The Hidatsa and Mandan Indians lived along the Knife River just before its conjunction with the Missouri from about 1600 to 1845. Their presence in the area is the reason Lewis and Clark built Fort Mandan in this area.
We didn’t stay at the park long — just long enough to watch a video, poke our heads into the reconstructed earthlodge and walk out to the first village site.
And there wasn’t much to see — just a field dotted with round depressions. But I thought it was fascinating. I could imagine a village with people going about their daily lives — working, playing, relaxing.
Here’s an aerial view of one of the villages.
A park ranger was doing a live video chat with a classroom full of elementary students in the earthlodge. We sneaked in the door and looked around, but we couldn’t wander about inside.
