Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is gearing up for a colorful and thought-provoking showcase of Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara history and culture to mark the park’s 50th anniversary. The free event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 17, will feature storytelling, traditional music, educational programs, inspiring speakers and activities for the family to enjoy.

The event will begin with a ceremony at 10 a.m. Special guests from the MHA Nation will talk about their connection to the land and the importance of the site and preserving their history and culture. According to the event’s Facebook page, the ceremony will feature a special presentation of colors from the Fort Berthold VFW Post 9061, Young Hawk Bear Post 253 and Myran Johnson/Nathan Good Iron Post 271.

Photographer Shane Balkowitsch will be one of the featured speakers at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site’s 50th-anniversary celebration. He’ll give a demonstration of the glass plate process and talk more about his project, “Northern Plains Native Americans.” (Photo courtesy of Shane Balkowitsch)

The villages along the Knife River formed one of the key trading centers for the Mandan and Hidatsa in the 1700s. Once fur traders began selling in the 1750s, the area became a hotspot for commerce, surrounded by earth lodge villages. Visitors can still see some of the ground indentations where the round structures used to be. The National Park Service established the Knife River Indian Villages as a National Historic Site in 1974.

Emilee Franklin, the training specialist at the historic site, has been planning this event with staff since last August. In particular, she is looking forward to the opening ceremony. “There are a lot of neat speakers who have different direct ties to the site who are going to be speaking about their experiences with MHA culture,” she said.

Specialty programs in the afternoon will feature flute music by Keith Bear, a citizen of the MHA Nation, as well as local artist and photographer Shane Balkowitsch. Gerard Baker, the highest-ranking American Indian in NPS history, will talk about the history of the park and the importance of its location at 11 a.m. Ken Burns prominently featured Baker in his film, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.”

Balkowitsch’s work is showcased in the book “Northern Plains Native Americans, a Modern Wet Plate Perspective,” which chronicles his 15-year journey to create portraits of 1,000 American Indians using the 19th-century technique. Since he began the project, he’s had hundreds of people from the MHA Nation sit for photos.

Balkowitsch will bring his portable darkroom, box camera, and chemistry materials to demonstrate his work under a tent for all the guests at 1 p.m. He’ll also talk about the historic process of wet plate photography and his 15-year journey photographing Northern Plains Native Americans.

Knife River Indian Villages was established as a National Historic Site by the National Park Service in 1974. (Photo courtesy of Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site)

The photographer said he is honored to be invited to the 50th Anniversary of the historic site. “The tribe is important here,” he said. “They’re an important part of the community and the people that come from this area of North Dakota.”

The event will also offer cultural opportunities and partnerships. Local nonprofit, state, federal, and tribal organizations will offer activities for kids and resources and information for adults. The Northern Plains Heritage Area, the Knife River Indian Heritage Foundation, the Hazen Chamber of Commerce, MHA Tribal Park, Young Hawk Bear Post 253, and others are confirmed to be in attendance at the celebration.

Franklin encourages families to attend the celebration this weekend to explore, have fun, and learn more about the site’s history.

“If you’ve never been to the park, there’s not a better time than now to get a full cultural experience and see what’s in your backyard,” she said. “But even if you’ve been to the site before, getting the chance to celebrate 50 years is pretty incredible. We have a huge lineup of artists. All sorts of amazing musicians, photographers and historians. It’s quite the experience for anyone and it’s important, learning and remembering the MHA’s history.”

The Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site staff seeks volunteers to help with the event. Anyone interested in volunteering can email Training Specialist Emilee Franklin at emilee_franklin@nps.gov.

Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Culture