Free Topo Maps of Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

Download free topo maps of Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. Use the adjoining 7.5 minute quadrangle legend to locate the North Dakota maps you need.

Adjoining 7.5' Quadrangle Legend

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site in North Dakota is close to the Missouri River. This Monument was established to preserve the historic remnants of the Northern Plains Indians that once roamed this region. The Plains Indians settled here centuries ago, circa 1200; the remains of the largest of the three villages at the Monument date back to approximately 1600, while another is estimated to be older. The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara, usually referred to collectively as the Hidatsa were the center of trading activity between many tribes throughout the Plains; later Europeans also traded with the Hidatsa. Trade was diverse including garden produce, clothing, tools, furs and more. An agricultural people, they built villages, maintaining them for centuries. In 1804 the Lewis and Clark expedition traveling to the west came upon the Hidatsa, and subsequently were allowed to build a fort to house their men for the winter months. Here they encountered a French trapper living with his Indian wife Sacagawea. By spring they were able to travel again, the Frenchman had been hired, accompanied by his Indian wife and son. Sacagawea was an invaluable asset; as she spoke several Indian languages, was related to another tribe and helped lead the expedition safely across the Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately devastation came to the Plains Indians when Europeans introduced smallpox, almost destroying entire tribes with no natural resistance to this hitherto unknown disease. The worst epidemic occurred in 1837 reducing the Mandan population 90 percent, the Hidatsa by half, with the Arikara diminishing in essentially similar numbers. In 1845 the Hidatsa and remaining Mandan established Like-A-Fishhook upriver, away from those affected by smallpox. The Arikara joined them in 1862. The Visitor Center offers films, exhibits and history; self-guided or interpretive walks offer the opportunity to enter a reconstructed large earthlodge with artifacts, furniture, storage areas and more allowing a tangible experience rather than just pictorial. Lodges were the property of the women, constructed by them almost in their entirety. Interpretive programs during the summer weekends are geared at a fuller understanding of these early Americans. An archeological program concerns the seventeen sites that predate the Mandan and Hidatsa Indians. The landscape has trails, trees and native grasses home to many wildlife species. Permitted fishing and winter cross-country skiing are offered. In July the "Northern Plains Indian Culture Fest" offers activities including activities and demonstrations embodying the Northern Plains cultural traditions; some of which date back several thousand years.