Nu`Eta Festival Celebrates Indian Culture | Video

Michelle San Miguel | 8/25/2012

Hundreds of years before Lewis and Clark traveled up the Missouri River, the Mandan Indians had made it their home. This weekend, Mandans are sharing their culture at the On-a-Slant Village at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park.

Guests are invited to make dolls out of corn husk. It became a popular pastime for kids when their fathers were out hunting and their mothers were tending to the garden.

Guests are also welcome to try traditional Mandan food and enjoy music and dancing.

"I get to meet a lot of my elders and I get to learn about all my ancestors and stuff," said Tierra Kinden, a Mandan Indian.

"The legacy of our people is that we are giving. We are sharing. We are knowledgeable. We respect who we are. We respect the way we lived and we just want to share the history and culture of this village with everyone who comes out here," said Amy Mossett, a cultural interpreter.

The Mandan occupied the On-a-Slant Village from the mid-1500s through 1781. The Nu`Eta Festival continues Sunday at Fort Abraham from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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