Tribe’s Earth Lodge village has first Native American training for tourist guides

By Dorreen Yellow Bird, Press Secretary

“We are still here,” is the motto for the new Native American tourist guides who began training in June.  This is the first cultural interpretive guide program for Native people in the nation, said Karen Paetz Sitting Crow, Tourism Development and Cultural Specialist for the Three Affiliated Tribes at New Town.  It’s appropriate because tribes are unique.  It is our own story we are telling, she said.

The classroom for the trainees is prairie, hills and lake - to the south Lake Sakakawea, to the north prairie grass and hills.  Five earth lodges nestle against the hills with one very large earth lodge in the middle, similar earth lodges and villages of years ago.  The earth lodge is big enough to accommodate a classroom with room to spare.  It contains artifacts, buffalo robes, large replica of pony, and other items.  This large earth lodge will also be classroom for the trainees.

Students will be learning from elders, special speakers and, of course, Sitting Crow herself.  It’s also a “hands on” project where they will also learn crafts like beading, sewing and traditional singing with the drum. 

Before doors are open for tourists, trainees will attend 30 minute classes each day where they will learn more about the tribe and culture.  They will gradually become experts in the culture and history of the Arikara, Hidatsa and Mandan. 

The students will also have assignments like gardening, digging wild turnips, working with livestock and learning how to maintain the earth lodges, said Sitting Crow.

In addition to all those activities they will sell lunches, she said.

This summer, she said, they are preparing four lodges for rentals for tourists.  Two will be more contemporary with floors and more modern conveniences while two will be like the earth lodges that Lewis and Clark slept in on their expedition in 1804 to 1806.

Karla Sigala, Interpretative Specialist, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, attended this first training and was very pleased with the Interpretative training.  She is from Omaha, NE.

Staff for this project include:  Karen Sitting Crow, Rebecca “Tookie” Brady, Marketing/Media Specialist;  Ted Lone Fight III, Director; Murphy Sitting Crow, Cultural Events Coordinator and Delvin Driver Jr.

Front row, left to right: Brandi Halvorson, Israel Gillette, Rocky Avery, Caroline Hankinson (team leader),
Shylo Baker (team leader),Tiara Taueetia, Laurel Lattergrass
Back row, left to right: Caley Fox, Murphy Sitting Crow, Karen Sitting Crow, Krisannda Wells,
Kolvin Fox, Glen Yellow Bird, Tedsena Lone Fight, Rylon Gwin, Stanford Sitting Crow,
Patrick Dubois, Karla Sigala, National Parks Service.

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Three Affiliated Tribes, 404 Frontage Road, New Town, North Dakota,58763
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