The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-01-26
Mandans Mysterious Indians of Upper Missouri River Cultivated
Pleasant Gardens and Made Pottery: Reduced from 5000 $50 Souls

outer side are placed split wood
pieces, seven feet long, in slant
ing direction; one end resting on
the ground and the other leaning
against the cross-logs or beams.
Upon these beams rest rafters
about the size of mans leg and
II to Is feet long, slanting enough
to drain off the rain, and laid SO
close to each other as to touch.
The upper ends of the rafters are
supported upon stout pieces of
squared timber, which last are sup
ported by four thick posts about
five feet in circumference, Is feet
out of the ground and Is feet
asunder, forming square. Over
these squared timbers others of
equal size are laid, crossing them
at right angles, leaving an opening
about four feet square. This serves
for chimney and windows, as there
are no other openings to admit
light, and when it rains this open
ing is covered. The whole roof is
we'll matched with willows, laid on
to a thickness of six inches or
more, fastened together in a very
compact manner and we'll secured
to the rafters. Over the whole is
spread about one foot of earth. ;"
Village Well Fortified
The Mandans were not warlike
tribe, fighting only defensive bat
ties. That they fortified their vii
lagos strongly is told by Catlin as
follows:
"The ground on which the Man
dan village is at present built was
admirably selected for defense, be-
ing on a bank forty or fifty feet
above the river bed. The greater
part of this bank is nearly per-
pendicular and of solid rock. The
river, suddenly changing its course
to a right-angle, protects two sides
Of the village, which is built upon
this promontory or angle; they
have therefore but one side to pro-
.ect, which is effectually done by
/ strong piquet (stockade), and a
hitch inside it of three or four feet
n depth. The piquet is composed
If timbers of foot or more in dia-
meter, and Is feet high, set firmly
n the ground at a sufficient dis
ance from each other to admit of |
Weapons to be fired between. Their
arlier Notifications were much |
tronger and more complete.
"The village has a most novel
ppearance to the stranger; their
odges are closely grouped toge-
her, leaving just room enough for
talking and riding between them,
nd appear from without to bel
uilt entirely of dirt. The floors
f these dwellings are of earth, but
} hardened by use and swept so
can and tracked by bare and moe
asined feet that they have almost
polish and would scarcely soil y
lie whitest linen. The Mandans Z
eep on bedsteads similar in form q
ours, but generally not quite SO ]
gh; made of round poles rudely c
shed together with thongs" a
DR.. Washington Matthews, who r
Jed among these Indians on the B
ort Berthold reservation in North z
akota from 1866 to 1872, and b
no, through exhaustive investiga-
ms, is an authority on the sub P
It, states that the earth lodge, in P
nilar forms, has been found from b
orth Dakota to Kansas, in the W
issouri valley, and that, at very s.
rly date, they undoubtedly exist h
in the Mississippi river valley II
far south as Louisiana, and as =
: east as Tennessee. The only
es in existence 20 years ago were
3se found on the Fort Berthold
A Picturesque Village