The Past Beneath Our Feet

Part I
Introduction: Often stories have been used by Indians to teach truths
This story includes the names of two real people, Jeremy and Karina, University of Iowa students studying archeology.  They spent their summer learning by doing at the Prehistoric Indian Village dig in Mitchell, SD.  Two make-believe characters added to the story are Numankaki, 12 year old Indian girl, and Hidatsa, a 10 year old Indian boy.  We hope you enjoy our tale.  

Jeremy excitedly strutted from the Archeodome saying, “Hey Karina, come here.”  Just as Jeremy started to speak, they were surprised to hear voices nearby and looked to see two Indian children dressed in leather costumes talking near the path.   

Before Hidatsa could speak, Karina said, “That is a cool game.  You two have great costumes – where did you get them?”   Numankaki and Hidatsa looked surprised and for the first time really looked at the two students.

“Who are you and where are we?” asked Hidatsa.

Karina smiled, deciding to play their game and replied.  “Why, you have come to the place where a prehistoric Indian tribe lived a thousand years ago.   We are here to solve the mysteries of the people who lived here.   Do you want to know more?”

Hidatsa  and Numankaki looked at each other .  “Well, he said we would come to the time and place of the finding and things do look different here –  a thousand summers ago, huh?”   Numankaki turned to Karina, “Yes, we’d like to know more.  What do you do here exactly and what are you finding?  We were part of the people who lived here back then and have come here to find something we lost.  We only have until sundown.”

Jeremy smiled and said,  “Really, part of the people who lived here.  Where did you live?”  Jeremy and Karina exchanged knowing looks and decided to play along with the little game.  It would be a relief from the time they had spent digging in the dirt and cleaning objects found.  Later they knew they would have to go back and catalog their finds, but the tour guides had left for the day and this was, for now, entertaining.  “You two really look good for being over a thousand years old.  Now where did you live?”

“We lived right over there where that big thing is” stated Hidatsa and pointed toward the large concrete and glass structure beside them.  “Is that a lodge? How many people live in that?”

Karina answered, “No one lives there.  Come see the Archeodome.  This building was built to protect what we are digging.  It also is a place where we can clean and study what we find.  We are also careful to mark and record where everything is found because someday it may be important. ”

“Can we see what you are finding?”  asked Hidatsa. 

“Just follow us,”, said Karina  “You know, with you two being a thousand years old, you could probably help us to solve some things we don’t know – by the way, I love what you two are wearing – where did you get those clothes.”

As they walked down the walk, Numankaki explained how her mom had prepared and sewn the buffalo skins to make the outfits that both were wearing.

“Let's go explore,” said Jeremy as they entered the building. 

Part II

Both children seemed truly fascinated and were very quiet as they entered
the glass front door, and their eyes searched out the walkways, the stairs, and the floor.  Karina thought they were doing an outstanding job of acting and wondered how they could keep such innocent and amazed expressions.

“Can you see down there where we are digging up where a lodge once stood?  You can see how we have marked off areas.  Each of those areas is numbered and we keep track of what we find in each square,” explained Jeremy “Was this your house?”

“How can I tell?” asked Hidatsa. “It looks like it is facing about the right way and it is about the right size, but it is nothing but dirt” Tuning to Numankaki, he added in a hushed tone, “Is this really our house.  Has it really been 1000 summers?  Was it that long since I chased the buffalo away from our lodge? That long ago since we sat outside and ate pemmican for a snack?  Things have really changed!”

Karina sounded surprised as she asked, “Pemmican, what do you know about Pemmican?”

“Why, mom makes great Pemmican,” Numankaki said defensively, “and I help.  I even know our family’s recipe for special occasions.  I know how much of what kinds of  berries and seeds, how to mix it with fat…”

“Okay, okay,” said Karina, “I guess you really do know what Pemmican is.”

“Can we see what you have been finding?” asked Hidatsa suddenly.  “I’d like to see.”

“Let's walk around the walkway.  We’ll look at the artifacts that are at the top, and then we can go downstairs and see what we have  dug up.”  As they walked, Jeremy and Karina showed them bones, pottery, and tools. The two children quickly looked over everything and appeared only slightly interested as Jeremy explained that the tools were made of stone and bones of buffalo and showed them pieces of pottery.  When Jeremy explained what one of the bowls was probably used for, Hidatsa disagreed and said it was for cooking stew, to which Jeremy replied, " that is possible."

Down the stairs they went and Karina explained how a bone was found, carefully cleaned, studied, logged, marked and filed way.  The two children carefully looked through what was there, but both looked disappointed.  Hidatsa asked, “Do you ever find things that aren’t broken?” 

“Sometimes, although not often.  Some nice artifacts are on display in the Visitor Center.  Have you been there?” asked Karina?  

“No", said Numankaki, “we just got here.  What things do you have there?”

"Well, there is a model of what we think the village may have looked like, a real skeleton of a buffalo all put together,  a full size model of one of their lodges, some pottery, and other items,”  Jeremy said. 

“Let’s go,”  said Hidatsa.

Part III
As they entered the Visitors Center, Numankaki and Hidatsa seemed distracted by the gift shop, but soon were ready to continue looking.  They went through the full size mock up of the lodge.  “This looks a little like home,” said Numankaki, “and grandma and grandpa sleep on the bed, we sleep in that corner. It does smell and feel a lot different.  They went out the side door, looked for a minute at the buffalo skeleton in the corner,  then looked for a long time at the display on the wall. 

“That looks like our garbage pit,” stated Numankaki. “Why is that on display?” 

Karina explained, “That is what we call the cache.  We learn about your people from the cache.  In it we find what foods were stored and also garbage.  It includes corn, pemmican, broken pottery, and other trash.   This helps us find out what they ate.  You see, the people first dug the hole and used it to store food.  Later, mice and bugs found the storage hole.  It then became a garbage pit.  We sometimes find tools and pottery other places, but sometimes we find almost whole pottery bowls like the one we saw back at the dome.”   

“Where’s Hidatsa?” said a panicked Numankaki  “When did he leave?”

“I’m over here,” said a sad sounding Hidatsa, “All I see is this broken part of a buffalo, and it’s getting so late. ”

“Oh!” said Jeremy suddenly excited. “You should see the buffalo I found today, made out of stone and in perfect condition.  I was bringing it to show Karina today when you two showed up. “He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little stone buffalo that was nicely carved with some etching in the side.”

“That’s it!” shouted Hidatsa, and he quickly reached up and grabbed the buffalo. “This is mine. My grandpa made it, and it is why we came.”

“I’m sorry,” said Jeremy,  “but you can’t have the buffalo.  It is federal property now.  There is a stiff fine for taking anything from this site, and this is a pretty special find.”  No”, said Hidatsa. “It’s mine”. 

Jeremy glanced at Karina and then looked back, but to his amazement the children were both gone.   Looking back at Karina, he said in a hushed voice, “Where did they go?”

Karina stood quietly with her mouth open for a few seconds and then smiled slightly and said, “They said they could only stay until sundown.  I think they are probably back home telling stories that no one there will believe, and I think this is one story only you and I will talk about.  C’mon, lets go get something to eat.  It has been a strange day.” 

Back to Part 1