Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site

11/03/2025

Monitoring Erosion and Slumping at Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site

Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site is one of the most spectacular archaeological sites preserved on the northern Plains. The village was occupied for nearly 300 years (1490-1785) by the Mandan people and was a regional trading center. The site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its historic significance. It’s an amazing place to visit!

Visited by thousands of people annually, Double Ditch has been a North Dakota state historic site since 1936. The village has a deep cultural connection to the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. Following the catastrophic 2011 flood of the Missouri River, the State Historical Society of North Dakota became increasingly concerned about the impact of erosion at the site. Large sections of river terrace edge had shifted in a process called rotational erosion. This erosion destabilized the bank, threatened a large portion of the site, including parts of the public walkway, and exposed numerous burials.

Read the full blog article at https://blog.statemuseum.nd.gov/monitoring-erosion-slumping-double-ditch-indian-village-state-historic-site.

11/01/2021

Talk about living history! This corn varietal was regrown from seed that archaeologists found in a cache pit in what is now Stanton, ND.

06/08/2021

The North Dakota Passport is now on sale, and we are one of the featured destinations! Be sure to pick one up on your next trip, or order before you go: bit.ly/buyNDpassport.

Packed with insider fun facts and must-see activities at 37 featured destinations, the North Dakota Passport is your all-in-one guide to making this summer memorable. Plus, it comes with a bonus drawstring backpack and crayons. Where will you explore first? Tag a friend you will bring with!

Learn more: parkrec.nd.gov/passport

State Historical Society of North Dakota North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department

03/11/2021

There are several interesting garments related to the Three Affiliated Tribes on display in this new exhibit, open starting today at the Heritage Center in Bismarck!

We have very exciting news! Fashion & Function: North Dakota Style is opening tomorrow!!

02/25/2021

The new MHA Nation Interpretive Center is opening this year in New Town. At this impressive facility, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation will tell their stories from their own perspectives and help carry on their traditional cultures.

01/20/2021

If you're an expert at a traditional folk art, or maybe you're a novice but want to learn more, the Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program through the ND Council on the Arts is taking applicants now. This is the program that has helped pass on many musical, art, dance, craft, etc. traditions ranging from Native American cultures to immigrant cultures from early ND history to today. Check it out!

https://www.arts.nd.gov/grants/individual-artists/folk-and-traditional-arts-appenticeship-program

08/27/2020

The mini bison from Chateau De Mores State Historic Site are having a grand adventure this summer, discovering the incredible variety of sites and stories at North Dakota's state historic sites.

08/21/2020

A Hidatsa hunting camp in the Black Hills in 1885.

08/06/2020

Big bluestem is often associated with the tallgrass prairies to the east, but it can also thrive in the relatively moist low ground along the Missouri River.

Big Bluestem (Lakota: pȟeží šašá ókhihe
tȟaŋkíŋkiŋyaŋ) is currently in bloom at Whitestone Hill. Towering over neighboring grasses, it can be easily identified by its height and distinct "turkey foot" flowers. Historically, it was an essential food to bison and other grazers in the mixed-grass prairie, and the stalks were used by Dakota and Lakota boys as fake arrows for war games. At Whitestone Hill, the grass is found at the base of the hill in large clusters near the beginning of the stone path.

Traditional use and translation were obtained from Linda Black Elk's "Culturally Important Plants of the Lakota" which can be found at:https://puc.sd.gov/commission/dockets/HydrocarbonPipeline/2014/HP14-001/testimony/betest.pdf

07/16/2020

We’re delighted to see our site featured on the National Park Service’s Instagram page. J Campbell captured this photo of our iconic stone shelter while Comet Neowise streaks across the sky.

Although we’re a state historic site, NPS officially recognizes Double Ditch as a cultural resource that contributes to the Northern Plains National Heritage Area.

07/13/2020

Probably a familiar site at Double Ditch for hundreds of years.