The State Historical Society of North Dakota's (SHSND) mission is to identify, preserve, interpret and promote the heritage of North Dakota and its people. These four objectives frequently co-align at our state historic sites, as we’ll see in this discussion about aerial photography at Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site.

The SHSND’s Archaeology & Historic Preservation Division, (among many other responsibilities) manages the 56 state historic sites in the state. These sites interpret many different stories about the history of North Dakota, and the people who call it home. Thousands of people from all over the world enjoy visiting these sites each year. As a research archaeologist working for the SHSND, part of my job is to assist with the identification, interpretation, and preservation of these sites.

Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site photographed by SHSND quadcopter – November 2013

Double Ditch Village State Historic Site is located eight miles north of Bismarck. The site marks the location of a large earthlodge village inhabited by the Mandan people from the late 1400s to 1785, and is recognized as one of the best-preserved earthlodge villages on the Northern Plains. The site name refers to the presence of two fortification ditches visible on the site surface. We know through geophysical and archaeological investigations that there have actually been four fortification ditches over the course of the site’s occupation. Perhaps 2000 people lived there at its peak, making it larger than many small towns in the state of North Dakota today. On-site interpretation includes signs with information about the site from past and recent excavations. The site is open year-round, and thousands of people visit annually.

Archaeologists have used aerial photography for over 100 years to help us visualize and understand archaeological sites. Aerial images collected at the prehistoric monument of England’s Stonehenge in 1906 are recognized among the first uses of aerial photography to map and interpret an archaeological site. Many different technologies have been employed to capture aerial images since that time. Balloons and kites were some of the earliest platforms used to acquire the images, while fixed- and rotary-wing wing aircraft (helicopters) are most frequently used today. Some of the first examples of aerial images of archaeological sites in North Dakota were those acquired by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1938.

Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site photographed by U.S.D.A. – June 16, 1938

Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site photographed by U.S.D.A. National Agricultural Imagery Program – June 2014

The U.S.D.A. still makes regular flights across the country for agricultural purposes. The two images above illustrate modern developments made in the vicinity of Double Ditch, among them the relocation of State Highway 1804 to the east side of the site and the creation of a visitor parking loop. Many site features can be seen in this image, including multiple earthlodge depressions, the two fortification ditches visible on the surface, and many of the large midden mounds present.

The technology associated with aerial photography continues to evolve. We’ve used a variety of aerial platforms to capture images of Double Ditch over the years. Planes, kites, and powered parachutes (sometimes called “parafoils”) have been used in recent years with a variety of film, digital, and thermal cameras. In 2010, an aerial remote sensing technology called LIDAR was used to acquire detailed elevation data on the ground surface.

I’ve recently used an unmanned aerial vehicle (or quadcopter) to monitor and document ongoing erosion issues at the site. Our quadcopter is a GPS-enabled, remote controlled vehicle that uses a small digital camera for taking images and video. This technology has allowed us to see the extent of the erosion at Double Ditch from multiple angles, and in greater detail than ever before. These images have also enabled engineers to identify specific erosional forces affecting the site and to propose solutions to the problem. Flights of the SHSND quadcopter occur only over property managed by the SHSND, and always observe guidelines established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the use of this technology.

SHSND quadcopter – 2014

Erosion at Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site photographed by SHSND quadcopter – May 2014

Erosion at Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site photographed by SHSND quadcopter – July 2014

The ongoing erosion at Double Ditch represents a significant threat to the site’s integrity, and North Dakota’s Governor has asked the State Legislature to address the issue in the 2015 legislative session. The aerial images captured with the quadcopter at Double Ditch will continue to provide documentable evidence of both the scale of this erosion, and the speed at which it is occurring.

Video of erosion at Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site – July 5, 2014

When we mention the Civil War in North Dakota, most people say, “What!?” North Dakota is so far from the area we associate with the Civil War. Were there Confederate troops here? The answer is “no.” However, events did warrant sending resources - men, equipment, and supplies - to the frontier as conflicts between Dakota tribes and Euro-American settlers became more frequent. The Dakota War of 1862 by Kenneth Carley, The Dakota War by Micheal Clodfelter, Brackett’s Battalion by Kurt Bergemann, Columns of Vengeance by Paul Beck, and Through Dakota Eyes edited by Clayton Anderson and Alan Woolworth give insight into the Civil War-era conflicts that occurred on the Northern Plains between 1862 and 1864.

There are five Civil War Battlefields in North Dakota, as defined by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission established by Congress in 1990. They are Big Mound near Tappen, Dead Buffalo Lake near Dawson, Stoney Lake near Driscoll, Whitestone Hill near Kulm and Edgeley, and Killdeer Mountain at Killdeer. The State Historical Society owns portions of Big Mound, Whitestone Hill, and Killdeer Mountain, while the others are privately owned. Other sites in the state associated with Civil War-era conflicts include Fort Abercrombie south of Fargo, Fort Dilts near Bowman, and the Badlands south of Medora along the Custer Trail, which is managed by the US Forest Service. Since 2012, a group of partners (including the SHSND) have been commemorating the 150^th anniversaries of the events that took place at these locations. In 2014 there were three commemorative events – Killdeer Mountain, Battle of the Badlands, and Fort Dilts, plus an overview of these events held here at the Heritage Center in June 2014.

People at the Fort Dilts site on September 7

As we came upon the 150^th anniversaries of these events, we received several phone calls and e-mails from people inquiring about our plans to “celebrate” these anniversaries. The word “celebrate” conjures up images of joyful exuberance. We felt that these anniversaries need to be remembered, but the word “celebrate” seems to be disrespectful to the soldiers and Native Americans who lost their lives defending their ways of life. “Commemorate” seemed to be the better choice to appropriately describe the anniversaries and gave us direction for planning.

Each community near these historic sites wanted to be involved in planning. Native Americans who have family stories about the conflicts were also eager to take part. This involves the Ocheti Sakowin or the Seven Council Fires of the Dakota; the Eastern or Dakota groups of Mdewakanton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton and Sisseton, the Middle groups of Yankton and Yanktonai, and the Western or Teton which include the Brule, Hunkpapa, Oglala, Two Kettles, Sans Arc, Minneconjou, and the Sihasapa or Blackfeet.

On paper, this event planning sounds so easy. Just call everyone and set a meeting date, right? To be inclusive and get the full story, everyone has to be at the table. The members of the Ocheti Sakowin live in Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana. There is no one spokesperson for the groups. And even now, 150 years later, emotions still run high about this era of history. Add in the pressures local communities are feeling with traffic and increased population in the western part of the state and you have some interesting (and enlightening) conversations. The US soldiers involved came from Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa, and military reports were used to tell that part of the story.

The commemoration events were quite successful. Those involved in the planning process were aware that the events had to be inclusive. In the three years of dialogue and planning for these commemorations, trust between all parties developed so that any concerns could be brought to the table and resolved.

The three sites that observed anniversaries this year are small in size. It’s difficult to get a large number of people on these sites, as there are no facilities such as restrooms or water. The events were hosted by the Dunn County Museum in Dunn Center, the City of Medora, and the Pioneer Trails Regional Museum in Bowman. Bus tours to the sites got all interested visitors to the right places. Feedback from attendees suggests that they learned something about that historic site next door.

Dakota Goodhouse giving the invocation on July 26 in front of the Dunn County Museum in Dunn Center

These events, and particularly the inclusion of Native American perspectives on this chapter of North Dakota history, seemed to help people realize that there are multiple and complicated stories associated with the sites that go beyond the historic site marker text. Our goal is to continue the conversations and research to bring a more balanced and culturally inclusive interpretation of this period of history to site visitors.