SLOTS STILL OPEN FOR LEWIS AND CLARK WINTER CAMP AT FORT MANDAN, KNIFE RIVER INDIAN VILLAGES SITE FEBRUARY 1-2

Registration slots are still open for adventure seekers and history enthusiasts wanting to enjoy a winter weekend that replicates some of the experiences of the famous American explorers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The overnight winter camp takes place February 1-2 at Fort Mandan and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                Contact: Claudia Berg or Rick Collin
January 16, 2003                  (701) 328-2666

SLOTS STILL OPEN FOR LEWIS AND CLARK WINTER CAMP
AT FORT MANDAN, KNIFE RIVER INDIAN VILLAGES SITE FEBRUARY 1-2

             BISMARCK -- Registration slots are still open for adventure seekers and history enthusiasts wanting to enjoy a winter weekend that replicates some of the experiences of the famous American explorers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The overnight winter camp takes place February 1-2
at Fort Mandan and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site.

   The journey will begin Saturday morning, February 1 with a drive along the Missouri River at sunrise to Fort Mandan near Washburn, North Dakota. During the drive, participants will learn about the earthlodge villages that once populated the banks of this mighty river and served as the hub for an extensive trade network that extended across the continent. At Fort Mandan, participants will hear about the fort and the daily lives of the men who lived there during the seven months of Lewis and Clarks camp in 1804-05. How was William Clark able to make those accurate maps while forging his way through unknown lands? Participants will experiment with the same techniques and instruments that these men used, and map their own section on the Missouri River.

   Participants in Heritage Outbound: Lewis and Clark Missouri River Adventures in North Dakota will follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark and their men as they experienced life at Fort Mandan and along the Missouri River in the winter of 1804-05. As the men of Fort Mandan often did, participants will also travel to the Knife River Indian Villages site near Stanton, North Dakota, the home of Sakakawea, the Indian woman who became a valuable member of the Corps of Discovery. Hosted by members of the Three Affiliated Tribes, activities there will include art, science, history and culture wrapped around a stunning natural environment that was home to the Mandan and Hidatsa. Participants will also enjoy traditional games, nature walks and charcoal drawing along the Knife River, and learn about traditional crafts and food ways. They will spend an evening around a roaring campfire in an earthlodge, enjoying a traditional buffalo meal and listening to music and stories of the Mandan and Hidatsa. The day will end with a return to Fort Mandan, where the night will be spent sleeping under the stars, listening for the hoot of an owl and the howl of a coyote.

   Sunday morning, February 2 will begin with a black powder salute at Fort Mandan. Re-enactors will be on hand to talk about the fur trade and daily life at the fort. Participants will start their own fire with the techniques and tools of the time. They will also learn about the animals encountered on the journey and hear stories about the cottonwood trees. The morning will end exploring nature on snowshoes along the banks of the Missouri River. The weekend adventure concludes with a visit to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, where the story of Lewis and Clark in North Dakota is told in vivid detail.

   Participants will meet at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on Saturday, February 1 at 8 a.m. and return Sunday, February 2 by 5 p.m. A registration fee of $250 is required, which covers all meals and transportation from Bismarck, as well as all winter camping gear, tents and snowshoes. Participants are responsible for their own winter clothing. Conditions are primitive and some activities will be strenuous. Space is limited to 20 people. To register, call Kiri Stone, administrative assistant at the State Historical Society of North Dakota, at (701) 328-2799 or email at kstone@state.nd.us .

   The camp is part of the Heritage Outbound series of adventure trips sponsored by the State Historical Society of North Dakota, North Dakota Commerce Department Tourism Division, North Dakota Geological Survey, the Three Affiliated Tribes Museum at New Town, North Dakota Council
on the Arts, North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, the North Dakota Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Foundation, and the National Park Service – Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site near Stanton.

   Future Heritage Outbound Lewis and Clark Missouri River Adventures in North Dakota include summer canoe trips August 9-10, 2003, August 14-15, 2004, and August 13-14, 2005, and winter camps January 24-25, 2004 and January 22-23, 2005.

   For more information, call (701) 328-2799, email Kiri Stone at kstone@state.nd.us or visit the State Historical Society of North Dakotas web site at DiscoverND.com/hist .

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