On The Road With Etravelogue

Special Announcement: You could win a free GPS system just by sending us your photo! Check out http://www.eTravelogue.com for more information!The history of land and vegetation use in the vicinity of Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site begins with the Native American occupation. This occurred about 10,000 years ago when big game hunting and berry/nut gathering people traversed the area. For nearly a millennium this area was a trading hub established by the earthlodged Hidatsa and Mandan tribes with the primary commodity being Knife River flint. In addition, it is important as a place where Indian culture and agriculture developed. It should be noted that there were more people living along the Knife and Missouri Rivers in the 18th and early 19th Century than there are today. After the small-pox epidemic in 1837, the Hidatsa and Mandan tribes abandoned their villages here and moved approximately 60 miles up river to establish Like-a-Fishhook village.During the second half of the 19th Century s