Hoping to escape clashes and pressure from other tribes, the Hidatsa Indians moved further up the Missouri River into North Dakota. Evidence shows they arrived at the Knife and Missouri rivers around 1525 CE, well before seeing their first Anglo visitors. The Hidatsa borrowed horticulture practices, pottery making methods and lodge architecture from the Mandan. Over time cultural differences between the tribes became almost indistinguishable. Their villages along the Knife River included nearly 120 lodges. These circular structures provided shelter from the area's extreme weather conditions.
   The Knife River Indian Village National Historic Site is found nearby Stanton on Route 18. The park preserves the remains of three village sites, accessed by hiking trails. The visitor center houses a recreated earth-lodge (pictured here), along with Mandan, Hidatsa and Awatixa exhibits, artifacts and decorative buffalo robes.

     Area Map