River-Centered

Built close to the river, Awatixa Village and other nearby sites reflect a vital link between Hidatsa culture and the riverine environment. The Missouri River and its tributaries provided fish, fertile soil for crops, and a green world of berries and wild game below the semi-arid prairie. While the river made permanent settlement possible, it also brought inexorable change as Europeans and Americans used the Missouri River as their primary trade route, Mandans and Hidatsas began to be absorbed into the Euro-American economy, and were exposed to disease from which they had no immunity.

Stanton, North Dakota · United States