In the morning, Cathy, another of Doug's sisters, taught Aron how to play “Cat & Mouse”, which is like the Hankerhauser we learned at the Renaissance Faire, where two people stand on tree stumps holding the ends of a long rope between them, and try to pull or unbalance each other until one falls off the tree stump.
Well, as I said, cows had come back to our site during the night, so after a yummy breakfast where Aron helped make the Indian Fry Bread and rebuild the fire, Aron and Cathy went off to to the sandbar to round up the cattle.
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Birdwoman canoe trip, Washburn, ND: Aron Cowen helps Cathy make Indian fry bread
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Birdwoman canoe trip, Washburn, ND: Arthur Luehrmann scrambles eggs
Dear Journal,
Today we woke in our tepee and learned from Doug's sister, Kathy, that cows had scratching on the trees right next to our tepee. Then we got dressed, and I revived the fire from live coals. After that, I helped stretch the dough for the Indian Frybread, Scrambled Eggs, and Strawberries in cream. Then I played some cat-and-mouse, but I always lost. After that, I went with Kathy to the sandbar (see page 27) to get the cows off the sandbar and back into their pasture, but when we had gotten them to the very tip, we saw the farmer's horse and went back. After that, I got in a bullboat, which was cool! Then we packed up and, sadly, left. Then we went to Ft. Mandan-see map page 32. Then we went to an interpretive center, but it was pretty boring. After that, we went to Bismarck and went to the North Dakota state heritage center and learned about the whole settler's life. Then we went to our B+B, had dinner, and went to sleep.
Aron
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Birdwoman canoe trip, Washburn, ND: Aron Cowen likes Indian fry bread
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Birdwoman canoe trip, Washburn, ND: Aron Cowen in a bull-boat
When Aron and Cathy came back from the round-up, there were two guys, an archeologist and a geologist, who brought a “bull-boat” that they were going to use in the Missouri. A “bull-boat” is made of a single large buffalo hide, hair out, stretched over a round frame of bent wood. It was used, usually in tandem or trains of 3, to ferry goods a short way on the rivers. After awhile you have to dry it out because it gets waterlogged and unmanageable. In fact, since it is round, it is very difficult to paddle, because anywhere you paddle it tends to just go around in a circle. That is why they were often used in trains of 2 or more, to give them some directionality. A bull-boat must be paddled from the very front of the boat or the boat will just spin instead of moving forward.
We drove to Double Ditch historic site, where there was little to see besides the site itself, the two ditches that protected the Mandan village, and some depressions where tipis or earthlodges must have been.
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Double Ditch Historic Site near Bismark, ND: Martha Luehrmann and Aron Cowen
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Double Ditch Historic Site near Bismark, ND: Martha Luehrmann and Aron Cowen
Went to the North Dakota Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center.
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ND L&C Interpretive Center: Mandan earth lodge
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ND L&C Interpretive Center: Mandan tipi
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ND L&C Interpretive Center: Mandan earth lodge
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ND L&C Interpretive Center: Mandan earth lodge village
We then drove to Fort Mandan, where Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1804-5, and visited its interpretive center. Fascinating displays about the earth lodges the Mandans and Hidatsa built. Fort Mandan itself had a guide in 1800s dress who showed us around the reconstituted fort.
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Fort Mandan, ND: docent in 1800s garb
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Fort Mandan, ND: Arthur Luehrmann
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Fort Mandan, ND:
Drove to Bismark, North Dakota, to the ND State Heritage Center right next to the state capitol. Super displays of Indian and settler life. We all tried on a buffalo skin as a robe.
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North Dakota State Heritage Center, Bismark, ND: placard showing Indian trading networks pre-1800
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ND State Heritage Center, Bismark, ND: Martha Luehrmann in a buffalo robe
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ND State Heritage Center, Bismark, ND: Arthur Luehrmann in a buffalo robe
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ND State Heritage Center, Bismark, ND: Aron Cowen in a buffalo robe
Back to the interpretive center in Washburn, North Dakota, to take a picture of the statues out front.
Drove to our Bed and Breakfast, Missouri River Lodge, in Stanton, ND. It is run by a very sweet lady who made me decaf Earl Grey tea and actually did our laundry for us.
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Interpretive Center, Washburn, ND: Aron Cowen with statues of the meeting of the Chiefs