Feeding the River

Archeological evidence shows how the Hidatsa fished. Villagers first used bone fishhooks, and metal hooks began to appear after the 1790s as a result of trade with Europeans. Catfish spines and fish scales found in middens show that the villages caught catfish, goldeneye, and suckers. Fishing required more than dropping a line in the river, because one had to be spiritually prepared. Before fishing, women and old men of the Bear Society said certain prayers and performed ceremonial songs to attract the fish. These prayers and ceremonies were not isolated events but part of everyday life.

Stanton, North Dakota · United States