Preserving heritage and educating visitors
By Daniel Arens
As the Knife River winds its ever-shifting course through Mercer County toward the Missouri River, its variable nature is raising concerns of erosion for the Knife River Indian Villages (KRIV) as well as nearby landowners.
In response to the potential threat this erosion has for the national park, an ambitious project is taking place this summer to determine the risks, as well as learn more about the site.
Three organizations – the Paleocultural Research Group from Colorado, the Midwest Archeological Center out of Nebraska and a group of students and teachers from Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM), with support from the Northern Plains National Heritage Area, recently completed a research and documentation project at the Awatixa, or Sakakawea, Village.
