BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A $3 million construction project aimed at stopping erosion that was threatening hundreds of burial sites at a historic Native American village in central North Dakota is mostly complete.
Crews erected pylons within the banks of the Missouri River to help protect the Double Ditch Indian Village Historic Site, The Bismarck Tribune reported . Some pylons went as deep as 95 feet.
Double Ditch is an earth lodge village that housed thousands of Mandan people from 1490 to 1785. It began seriously eroding following floods in 2011.
The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation Tribal Historic Preservation Office and archaeologists from State Historical Society of North Dakota’s Archaeology and Historic Preservation Division oversaw the construction process to ensure proper preservation techniques were used when burials were exposed. Burials exposed during construction will be reburied at the site in private ceremonies conducted by the MHA Nation this spring.
A drone will be used for biannual inspections to monitor for further slumping, said Fern Swenson, director of the State Historical Society of North Dakota’s Archaeology and Historic Preservation Division.
A path to the water as well as a launch site for kayaks and canoes were also added during the construction process.
Prairie grasses have been reseeded to maintain the area’s natural look. The plantings will be rechecked in the spring to ensure their proper growth. Benches and interpretive materials will also be installed.
A celebration will be held in the summer to mark the project’s completion.
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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com
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