The Big Hidatsa site, occupied between ca. 1740 and 1850, is an earthlodge located in the 1,758 acre

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site The Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, which was established in 1974, preserves the historic and archaeological remnants of bands of Hidatsa, Northern Plains Indians, in North Dakota. This area was a major trading and agricultural ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

, United States.National Park Service Journal of Lewis and ClarkKnife River Indian Villages This National Historic Site was established in 1974 “to focus on the cultures and lifestyles of the Plains Indians”.National Park Service

National Parks Conservation Association The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is the only independent, nonpartisan membership organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks System. Its mission is "to protect and enhance America's National Pa ...

Location

The Big Hidatsa site is located near the junction of the Knife and Missouri Rivers close to Stanton, North Dakota. This location was a stop on the expedition of Lewis and Clark. Big Hidatsa was the largest village of the three on the site, with about 120 round earthlodges. Fort Mandan was built about 2 miles away from Big Hidatsa by the Lewis and Clark expedition.

History

The Big Hidatsa site and its neighbors are the villages at which Lewis and Clark and the

Corps of Discovery The Corps of Discovery was a specially established unit of the United States Army which formed the nucleus of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that took place between May 1804 and September 1806. The Corps was led jointly by Captain Meriwether Lew ...

were assisted by Sacagawea during their expedition. When the explorers arrived in winter 1804, between 4,000 and 5,000

Hidatsa The Hidatsa are a Siouan people. They are enrolled in the federally recognized Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. Their language is related to that of the Crow, and they are sometimes considered a parent ...

and

Mandan The Mandan are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains who have lived for centuries primarily in what is now North Dakota. They are enrolled in the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. About half of the Mandan still re ...

lived in this area, and there were more than 200 lodges. Each of these earthlodges could hold 20 to 30 people. After Fort Mandan was erected by the Discovery Corps, trading was conducted between the men of the expedition and people of Big Hidatsa. In fact, some artifacts from the inhabitants of the nearby site and its neighbors were sent to President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

. Communications with the

and

people here provided invaluable information about the culture and history of the people in the west.

Today

Depressions in the ground can be seen where the lodges once stood because the dirt surrounding the structures collapsed after it was abandoned. Several invasive species, harmful tree fungus, and the

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is dis ...

of the riverbank threaten the site. The park has a rich collection of artifacts from the people who lived at the site. The Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is also a destination for canoeing and

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

.North Dakota Water Science Center Canoeists who frequent the Knife or Missouri rivers can pass through the park.

Notes

References

# “Big Hidatsa Village Site�

National Park Service Journal of Lewis and Clark, Retrieved 2012-11-18 # “Knife River Description�

North Dakota Water Science Center, Retrieved 2012-11-18 # Knife River Indian Villages, “History and Culture�

National Park Service, Retrieved 2012-11-18 # “Knife River Indian Village National Historic Site�

National Park Service Journal of Lewis and Clark, Retrieved 2012-11-18 # “Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site�

National Parks Conservation Association, Retrieved 2012-11-18 # “Knife River Indian Villages National Historical Site North Dakota�

Knife River Indian Villages, Retrieved 2012-11-18 {{NRHP in Mercer County, North Dakota National Historic Landmarks in North Dakota Former Native American populated places in the United States Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in North Dakota National Register of Historic Places in Mercer County, North Dakota Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation Lewis and Clark Expedition Knife River Native American history of North Dakota