Recently, a fellow blogger touched upon the important role that partnerships play within the SHSND mission to “identify, preserve, interpret and promote the heritage of North Dakota and its people” (see http://blog.statemuseum.nd.gov/blog/partnering-people-oh-possibilities). The SHSND is indeed fortunate to have many partners in this mission. I’d like to further elaborate on the benefits of our partnerships in support of heritage tourism, educational outreach and archaeological research via a couple recent examples from the Knife River region.

Heritage Outbound participants at Mih-Tutta-Hang-Kush village at Fort Clark State Historic Site – February 2016. The circular earthlodge depressions are clearly visible in this aerial view.

The Heritage Outbound program is a heritage tourism and educational program I’ve been fortunate to be involved with now for several years. The program engages participants in a day-long educational experience focused on the history and culture of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara peoples at Fort Clark State Historic Site and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site.

SHSND Education Curator Erik Holland points out the location of the former channel of the Missouri River to Heritage Outbound participants at Mih-Tutta-Hang-Kush village at Fort Clark State Historic Site – February 2016. Image courtesy of Doug Wurtz.

This program is a long-time favorite of mine. You just can’t beat spending a winter day talking about the archaeology, history, and natural history of the Knife River area with a group of people eager and excited to learn! This year’s program was held on February 20, and we had a great group of participants. The day included site visits and outdoor hikes at Fort Clark State Historic Site and Big Hidatsa Village within the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. Both of these earthlodge village sites are wonderfully preserved and simply beautiful to visit.

National Park Service Ranger Jeff Carlson and archaeologist Timothy Reed of the SHSND speaking with Heritage Outbound participants about the community at Big Hidatsa village at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site – February 2016. Image courtesy of Doug Wurtz.

For more information on Fort Clark State Historic Site: http://history.nd.gov/historicsites/clark/index.html

For more information on Big Hidatsa Village: http://www.nps.gov/knri/learn/historyculture/hidatsa-village.htm

One of the highlights of the Heritage Outbound day is a fantastic traditional meal of roast bison, squash, corn, beans and fry bread, and a very special evening program of music and cultural exchange in the reconstructed earthlodge at Knife River. From the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, we were fortunate to have Amy Mossett, Twyla Baker-Demaray, Allan Demaray, and the Demaray family with us this year for the sharing of oral history, traditional music, and song in the earthlodge.

Allan Demaray prepares to speak to Heritage Outbound participants in the reconstructed earthlodge at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site – February 2016. Image courtesy of Doug Wurtz.

The SHSND partnered for this year’s event with the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, the Knife River Indian Heritage Foundation, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, and the North Dakota Archaeological Association. The Heritage Outbound program is just one example of how partnering with people can bring about cultural exchange and a celebration of the diverse history of North Dakota.

I’m happy to announce that many of the groups involved with the Heritage Outbound program will also be partnering for an upcoming event in May 2016 called “ArcheoBlitz.” Major partners include the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, the Midwest Archeological Center, the Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, the State Historical Society of North Dakota, the Northern Plains Heritage Foundation, the PaleoCultural Research Group, the North Dakota Geographic Alliance and researchers from across the nation. The ArcheoBlitz event will take place May 5-7 at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, and celebrates both the National Park Service centennial and the Hidatsa history preserved at the park. The first two days will give 7^th and 8^th grade students the opportunity to conduct supervised archaeological field research. The final day is open to the public and will include Native performing arts groups and research presentations, with other events planned throughout the day.

Further information on the ArcheoBlitz event can be found at http://www.nps.gov/knri/index.htm.

The first part of the year is generally a busy time at the North Dakota State Archives because we see an influx in photograph and manuscript donations to the collections. This year was no exception. An especially noteworthy collection of 69 photographs and postcards recently came in which were collected and used by the Turtle Mountain Star newspaper (Rolla, North Dakota).

The Turtle Mountain Star photograph collection (2016-P-007) dates from 1893-1988 and consists of images of businesses, fires, people, and buildings, primarily in Rolla and Rolette, North Dakota. There are several images in Cando, Dunseith, Butte Saint Paul, Bottineau County, the International Peace Garden, and Fish Lake (near St. John, Rolette County).

One of my favorite things about working with historic photographs is the ability to visually compare the past with the present. In this collection in particular, it is fascinating to see how businesses, technology, advertising, people, clothing and transportation have changed.

Photographs of Main Street facilitate comparison between early twentieth century Rolla and the present. This image dates from about 1900-1910 (2016-P-007-00050).

A great photographic example of an early Rolla business. A man with a trumpet stands in the doorway of the J. R. Ashman music store as two girls look on, circa 1900-1910 (2016-P-007-00046).

Students and teachers are gathered outside the Rolla public school during the fire of 1920 (2016-P-007-00026).

An exterior view of the Rolla public school (called the high school in this image) before the fire of 1920 (2016-P-007-00025).

The Turtle Mountain Star began in November 1888, published by Parsons and Fritz. In 1917, the Star merged with the Rolette County Herald to form the Turtle Mountain Star and Rolette County Herald. The collection contains several early photographs of the Star office and another of the office and its workers from about the 1980s.

Back room of the Turtle Mountain Star printing office, between 1900-1910 (2016-P-007-00066).

Staff at work in the Turtle Mountain Star and Rolette County Herald, circa 1980s (2016-P-007-00052).

In addition to historically significant photographs, the collection stands out because of the detailed descriptions of the persons, places, and often dates depicted in the photos. This information helps us as archivists describe the images and make them accessible to researchers and the public.

The collection can be accessed in the State Archives reading room. The finding aid for the collection is available here: http://www.history.nd.gov/archives/manuscripts/inventory/2016-P-007.html. Sixty-two items from the collection have been digitized.