Bismarck in Burleigh County, North Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Hunting and Gathering
Photographed By Connor Olson, November 2, 2019
1. Hunting and Gathering Marker
Inscription.
Hunting and Gathering. . While the Mandans relied heavily on the cultivation of plants, they were also skilled hunters. Bison hunting was as important as farming and bison were vital to the Mandan diet. Before the arrival of horses, bison were stalked individually, or driven in large numbers over cliffs or into corrals to be killed. Bison that had drowned in the fall and winter were taken out of the river when ice break-up occurred in the spring. As the frozen carcasses came down river, they were pulled out and processed.
The important role of bison in Mandan life was expressed in material culture but also in religious practices and ceremonies.
The Mandan people gathered many wild plants. Plants such as juneberries, chokecherries, plums, grapes, buffalo berries, strawberries, and prairie turnips were important food sources. People gathered wood from the river's bottomlands for lodge construction. They used the willows lining the banks of rivers and creeks to make baskets, mats and lodges, and grass for insulating lodges and cache pits. Green ash was ideal as a hard wood for the mortar and pestle or for handles for hoes or other tools. Plants were gathered for medicinal and ritual purposes. Plant knowledge accumulated over several generations of experience and observation. It was held by few people in the community and was transferred to apprentices gradually, over long periods of time.
Captions: , Dance of Mandan women wearing regalia of the White Buffalo Cow Society. Hats of the White Buffalo Cow Society were made of rectangular pieces of hi e from the sacred white buffalo. , Buckbrush brooms were used to sweep the earthlodges. , Much wood was needed for lodge construction. Wood and willows were gathered from the bottomland. , Waterscreened material from each excavation unit dries on canvas cots. All material is bagged and sorted under laboratory conditions. Faunal experts identify remains such as bison, deer, fish, rabbit, and elk that provided meat and were sources of hides, furs, plumage, and other raw materials. , Prairie turnips were harvested using a digging stick. These starchy roots, when peeled, could be eaten fresh, or dried and stored. , Chokecherries were processed with a grinding stone and were an important source of nutrition.
While the Mandans relied heavily on the cultivation of plants, they
were also skilled hunters. Bison hunting was as important as farming
and bison were vital to the Mandan diet. Before the arrival of horses,
bison were stalked individually, or driven in large numbers over cliffs or
into corrals to be killed. Bison that had drowned in the fall and winter
were taken out of the river when ice break-up occurred in the spring.
As the frozen carcasses came down river, they were pulled out and
processed.
The important role of bison in Mandan life was expressed in material
culture but also in religious practices and ceremonies.
The Mandan people gathered many wild plants. Plants such as
juneberries, chokecherries, plums, grapes, buffalo berries, strawberries,
and prairie turnips were important food sources. People gathered wood
from the river's bottomlands for lodge construction. They used the
willows lining the banks of rivers and creeks to make baskets, mats and
lodges, and grass for insulating lodges and cache pits. Green ash was
ideal as a hard wood for the mortar and pestle or for handles for hoes
or other tools. Plants were gathered for medicinal and ritual purposes.
Plant knowledge accumulated over several generations of experience
and observation. It was held by few people in the community and was
transferred
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to apprentices gradually, over long periods of time.
Captions: Dance of Mandan women wearing regalia of the White Buffalo Cow Society. Hats of the White Buffalo Cow Society were made of rectangular pieces of hi e from the
sacred white buffalo. Buckbrush brooms were used to sweep the earthlodges. Much wood was needed for lodge construction. Wood and willows
were gathered from the bottomland. Waterscreened material from each excavation unit dries on
canvas cots. All material is bagged and sorted under
laboratory conditions. Faunal experts identify remains such as
bison, deer, fish, rabbit, and elk that provided meat and were
sources of hides, furs, plumage, and other raw materials. Prairie turnips were harvested using a digging stick. These starchy
roots, when peeled, could be eaten fresh, or dried and stored. Chokecherries were processed with a grinding stone and
were an important source of nutrition.
Erected by State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Location. 46° 56.325′ N, 100° 54.137′ W. Marker is in Bismarck, North Dakota, in Burleigh County. Marker can be reached from Double
Ditch Loop. Marker is on skids so location may vary slightly. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bismarck ND 58503, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . Double Ditch State Hist. Site. (Submitted on January 10, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 15, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 10, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 107 times since then and 5 times this year. Photo1. submitted on January 10, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
