What Is Chief Looking’s Village?
This was one of the first old Mandan villages in Bismarck to be preserved for future generations!
What Makes It Historical?
Not much is known about who Chief Looking was; this park got its current name in 2002! What is pretty certain is that this village of 43 earthlodges named for him was inhabited by the Mandan people for about 50 years, from 1550 to 1600 CE! It was part of a community surrounding the Heart and Missouri Rivers and part of a huge trade network reaching as far as the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico! This lasted until a devastating smallpox outbreak in the 1780s took out most of these ancestral villages and forced the survivors to move further north among the Hidatsas!
Bought by North Dakota legislator, Willam Ward, this village became property of the City of Bismarck in 1930 when it was called the Ward Earth Lodge Village. Three earthlodges were excavated and reconstructed by the CCC in 1934, but all have since been lost to fire. The majority of the village, though, remains unexcavated to be studied instead by ground-penetrating radar and other non-invasive techniques, making this one of the best preserved old Mandan villages in the North Plains!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with the State Historical Society of North Dakota!
- Donate to the State Historical Society of North Dakota!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
2023 Burnt Boat Rd
Bismarck, ND 58503
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
The park is open daily from 6:00 AM until 10:00 PM!
More Photos
