Huff in Morton County, North Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Plaza and Ceremonial Lodge

Huff Indian Village State Historic Site

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 21, 2025

1. Plaza and Ceremonial Lodge Marker

Captions: (picture, middle left) Detail of plaza and houses. Illustration by Leon Basler.; (bottom left) Speculative reconstruction of an early Plains Village reticular lodge.; (middle top) Magnetic survey overlaid on an areal photo of Huff Village.; (middle bottom) The plan of maps of Houses 2 and 7 illustrate the size difference between the ceremonial lodge and other hoses.; ( bottom right) Aerial photo with ink drawing of houses and fortification system by W. Raymond Wood. The highlighted houses indicate the locations of Houses 2 and 7.

Inscription. Mandan villages had a central plaza where they held dances and other events. Mandans held ceremonies in a community structure or ceremonial lodge opening onto the plaza. Historically, a prominent male in the appropriate clan was designated as keeper of the ceremonial lodge and lived there with his family.
The magnetic data reveal a clear contrast between the central village plaza and surrounding areas. The plaza has no storage feature or hearth capable of providing a significant magnetic signature. This was an off-limits area for many activities, presumably reserved for only certain kinds of behavior.
The image below shows House 2. The house stands apart from the others because of its size and prominent placement. Its entrance faces toward the center of the village plaza. However, it was built the same way as other long. rectangular housed in the village. This house has a central hearth, auxiliary hearths, and several bell-shaped pits. These features contained common domestic trash, indicating House 2 was likely a residential dwelling of some kind.

Erected by State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Topics.

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This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.

Location. 46° 37.127′ N, 100° 38.536′ W. Marker is in Huff, North Dakota, in Morton County. It can be reached from State Highway 1806 near 11th Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5525 Highway 1806, Mandan ND 58554, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Missouri Plateau

and in Greater Bismarck Area.

It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Non-Destructive Ways to See Underground (a few steps from this marker); Houses and Architecture (within shouting distance of this marker); Remote Sensing (within shouting distance

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 21, 2025

2. Plaza and Ceremonial Lodge Marker

of this marker); Archaeological Excavations of Houses (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Archaeological Excavations of Houses (within shouting distance of this marker); The Cache Pit and Village Subsistence (within shouting distance of this marker); Animal Remains Found in Cache Pits (within shouting distance of this marker); Village Fortifications and Human Conflict (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huff.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 9, 2025, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 56 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 9, 2025, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.