Arikara garden village site
Dear New Friends,
I have been researching and working to preserve an Arikara
garden village site on the north side of our city.
We have had an Elder of
the Arikara Sahanish Society to walk the grounds. She is convinced it is
real. This site includes a one hundred twenty ft. diameter ceremonial circle
with a forty ft. diameter chiefs circle in its center. An eighty five ft.
diameter Chiefs lodge, three or four sizable gardens, several irrigation
pooling dams, a four hundred ft. terrace which appears to direct the water
drainage to an outlet above the largest garden, elaborate fish trap with a
rocked wall for washing clothes and for stabilizing the bank from erosion,
and two walkways across the creek which also served as access around a
deeper bathing and swimming pool.
From the research we've done, it appears
the site was abandoned in a very dry period, thus the many efforts toward
irrigation for their gardens.
The location is in Beadle county, in east central South Dakota
This may have been the site of the Dakota Rendezvous which was spoken of in
"The Five tribes of the Upper Missouri", and told about to Lewis and Clark.
This ground has never been plowed and is in beautiful shape.
Three creeks which are now known as the Upper, Middle and Lower Pearls
Creeks are listed on the Nicollet and Fremont Survey map as "Where the
Pawnee Died". The Pawnee were considered the first to trade horses in
Eastern South Dakota. The Pawnee and the Arikara were both Caddo speaking
tribes. Rendezvous were often hosted by the Arikara because of their
expertise at gardening.
If anyone is interested in knowing more about this precious site, or would
have any information about such a site, It is begging to be preserved for
the future. Funding has never been available to procure it or to Preserve
it.
Please contact Ivan L. Loesch, Pres. Heartland Region Historical Society
at Ivan L. Loesch
Sincerely
Ivan L. Loesch
Special thanks to Gina Boltz Native Village for passing this on!
Contents
February 2006 Reports
Last updated on February 15, 2006