The History Book Club discussion

This is the thread for the discussion of the November Book of the Month - Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People by Elizabeth A. Fenn.

BOOK OF THE MONTH - NOVEMBER - ENCOUNTERS AT THE HEART OF THE WORLD: A HISTORY OF THE MANDAN PEOPLE by Elizabeth A. Fenn

by Elizabeth A. Fenn (no photo)

Synopsis:

Winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for History

Encounters at the Heart of the World concerns the Mandan Indians, iconic Plains people whose teeming, busy towns on the upper Missouri River were for centuries at the center of the North American universe. We know of them mostly because Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1804-1805 with them, but why don't we know more? Who were they really? In this extraordinary book, Elizabeth A. Fenn retrieves their history by piecing together important new discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, geology, climatology, epidemiology, and nutritional science. Her boldly original interpretation of these diverse research findings offers us a new perspective on early American history, a new interpretation of the American past.
By 1500, more than twelve thousand Mandans were established on the northern Plains, and their commercial prowess, agricultural skills, and reputation for hospitality became famous. Recent archaeological discoveries show how these Native American people thrived, and then how they collapsed. The damage wrought by imported diseases like smallpox and the havoc caused by the arrival of horses and steamboats were tragic for the Mandans, yet, as Fenn makes clear, their sense of themselves as a people with distinctive traditions endured.

A riveting account of Mandan history, landscapes, and people, Fenn's narrative is enriched and enlivened not only by science and research but by her own encounters at the heart of the world.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Anyone who has seen the sensitive portraits of Mandan chiefs painted in the 1830s by George Catlin and Karl Bodmer will be captivated by Fenn’s exhaustively researched history of the tribe that once thrived on the upper Missouri River in present-day North Dakota—at one time the center of northern Plains commerce. Peaking at a population of 12,000 by 1500, and still a vital presence when Lewis and Clark visited in 1804, the Mandans were besieged by a daunting succession of challenges, including Norway rats that decimated their corn stores, two waves of smallpox, whooping cough, and cholera, reducing their numbers to 300 by 1838. Piecing together the journals of white visitors to this then unmapped land—from the French explorers Lahontan in 1688 and de la Vérendrye 50 years later, to Lewis and Clark, and later Prince Maximilian accompanied by Bodmer, the Swiss painter—and the annual reports to the commissioner of Indian Affairs, Fenn weaves the historical fabric of this proud people, enhanced by archaeological and climate studies tracing their migrations, food sources, and intertribal conflicts. Simultaneously scholarly and highly readable, Fenn’s contribution enriches our understanding of not just Mandan history but also the history and culture of the pre-reservation northern Plains as well. --Deborah Donovan --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Reviews

“Encounters at the Heart of the World shows readers that there is much more to Mandan history than merely their suffering at the hands of Euroamerican epidemiology . . . Fenn relies upon deep archival research and a felicitous prose style to bring this forgotten world to life, starting with the Mandans' ancestral migrations from places south and east before their coalescence around the year 1400 in a fifty-mile stretch along the Missouri between the mouths of the Knife and Cannonball rivers. And what a rich and vibrant culture it was. Some of Fenn's best work concerns the material and social life of the Mandans . . . Perhaps the most compelling portion of the book is Fenn's recreation of Mandan cosmology and religious life, particularly the Okipa ceremony, an elaborate and intricate ritual performed every summer . . . The Mandan story is a reminder that even the most flourishing societies can be brought low, in virtually an instant, by the unpredictable workings of the natural world (to say nothing of human foes). But Fenn's account tells us also that cultures can persist and even recover in the wake of such awful devastation.” ―Andrew Graybill, The Daily Beast

“Elizabeth Fenn's Encounters at the Heart of the World is a book about those scraps--and about the author's personal encounters with them. It is a book of fragments or, as Ms. Fenn describes it, ‘a mosaic . . . pieced together out of stones from many quarries.' . . . Somehow the fragments cohere into a more compelling portrait than a more linear brush, and a less personally visible artist, could have painted . . . Ms. Fenn is most compelling when she applies her detective skills to things scientific, medical and ecological . . . Ms. Fenn's mosaic brilliantly overcomes the shortcomings of her written and archaeological sources . . . Readers who follow her toward, but never quite into, the heart of the Mandans' world will be richer for the journey.” ―Daniel K. Richter, The Wall Street Journal

“Relying on fragmentary documentary records, discoveries by archaeologists, imaginative detective work, evidence uncovered by anthropologists, geologists, climatologists and nutritional scientists, plus paintings and drawings by frontier artists George Catlin, Karl Bodmer and others, Fenn pieces together a rich and remarkably detailed history of this nearly forgotten tribe . . . The product of her work is this wonderfully interesting book that should finally help the Mandans claim their rightful place in history.” ―Steve Raymond, The Seattle Times

“Anyone who has seen the sensitive portraits of Mandan chiefs painted in the 1830s by George Catlin and Karl Bodmer will be captivated by Fenn's exhaustively researched history of the tribe that once thrived on the upper Missouri River in present-day North Dakota--at one time the center of northern Plains commerce. Peaking at a population of 12,000 by 1500, and still a vital presence when Lewis and Clark visited in 1804, the Mandans were besieged by a ‘daunting succession of challenges,' including Norway rats that decimated their corn stores, two waves of smallpox, whooping cough, and cholera, reducing their numbers to 300 by 1838. Piecing together the journals of white visitors to this then unmapped land--from the French explorers Lahontan in 1688 and de la Vérendrye 50 years later, to Lewis and Clark, and later Prince Maximilian accompanied by Bodmer, the Swiss painter--and the annual reports to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Fenn weaves the historical fabric of this proud people, enhanced by archaeological and climate studies tracing their migrations, food sources, and intertribal conflicts. Simultaneously scholarly and highly readable, Fenn's contribution enriches our understanding of not just Mandan history, but the history and culture of the prereservation northern Plains as well.” ―Deborah Donovan, Booklist (starred review)

“Historians thought this book could not be written--a history of a world far from document producing Europeans. Elizabeth A. Fenn has done it, and she has made it a page-turner. Her breathtaking accomplishment will make us see American history in an entirely new way.” ―Kathleen DuVal, University of North Carolina; author of The Native Ground

“In this innovative and illuminating book, Elizabeth A. Fenn reorients early American history toward the geographic center of the continent. There, long before the arrival of colonists on the Atlantic coast, the Mandan people built one of the most important and enduring trading centers in America. Using tools from archaeology, anthropology, and epidemiology, Fenn reconstructs their remarkable story and recounts it in absorbing and transparent prose.” ―Claudio Saunt, University of Georgia; author of West of the Revolution

“We have been conditioned to view early American history from coastal places inward, but what if we did the opposite and viewed developments from the deep interior outward? Elizabeth A. Fenn's engrossing new book does just that--and to stunning effect. The seemingly isolated Mandan villages in the center of North America emerge as pivotal places where many life-altering forces converged--from European trade and epidemics to the Lewis and Clark expedition. The Mandan history of struggle and resilience is filled with drama.” ―Pekka Hämäläinen, University of California, Santa Barbara; author of The Comanche Empire

“Following the Mandan people from their precolonial independence through their adaptation and survival against fierce odds, Elizabeth A. Fenn presents new dimensions of American life all the way from the fifteenth century to our own time. Her book offers a spectacular demonstration of how much is needed to understand just one place and one people, and how that understanding can then illuminate a very large world. Any reader with an interest in colonial, western, and Native American history will gain from reading Encounters at the Heart of the World.” ―Edward Countryman, Southern Methodist University; author of Enjoy the Same Liberty

“By recovering the history of a set of native villages at the very heart of our continent, Elizabeth A. Fenn brilliantly shows how we can rethink the past. Working from the native center rather than the colonial and coastal periphery, Fenn deftly reveals the haunting interplay of nature, humanity, loss, survival, and memory in the lives of the Mandans and their neighbors, who both shared and violently contested a demanding yet beautiful land.” ―Alan Taylor, University of California, Davis; author of American Colonies

“For almost three centuries, the Mandans' society of farmers and traders dominated one of North America's greatest networks of exchange, hosting and bartering with the French, English, and Spanish; with the Hidatsas, Arikaras, Assiniboines, and Lakota Sioux; and, later, with the hustlers, soldiers, hunters, and artists of the new United States. The Mandan saga is, like all human stories, replete with joy and tragedy, triumph and despair. Drawing on a staggering range of sources, Elizabeth A. Fenn has recovered it and brought this very American story to life.” ―Charles C. Mann, author of 1491 and 1493

About the Author

Elizabeth A. Fenn is an American historian whose book Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for History. She serves as the Walter S. and Lucienne Driskill chair in Western American History at University of Colorado-Boulder. Fenn received a bachelor of arts degree in history (with honors) from Duke University in 1981, then attended Yale University, finishing her masters in 1985. Fenn left her doctoral program at Yale to enter the auto mechanic program at Durham Technical Community College and worked as a mechanic around the Durham, North Carolina area. She wrote her dissertation, Pox Americana, while working part time, and graduated in 1999. Pox Americana covered the 1775–82 North American smallpox epidemic. Fenn was interviewed on multiple national news outlets about biological warfare after the September 11 attacks.

Prior to joining the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2012, Fenn taught at George Washington University from 1999 to 2002 and Duke from 2002 to 2012.

Remember the following:

Everyone is welcome but make sure to use the goodreads spoiler function.

If you come to the discussion after folks have finished reading it, please feel free to post your comments as we will always come back to the thread to discuss the book.

The rules

You must follow the rules of the History Book Club and also:

First rule of Buddy Read:
Respect other people's opinions, no matter how controversial you think they may be.

Second rule of Buddy Read:
Always, always Chapter/page mark and spoiler alert your posts if you are discussing parts of the book.

To do these spoilers, follows these easy steps:

Step 1. enclose the word spoiler in forward and back arrows; < >

Step 2. write your spoiler comments in

Step 3. enclose the word /spoiler in arrows as above, BUT NOTE the forward slash in front of the word. You must put that forward slash in.

Your spoiler should appear like this:
(view spoiler)

And please mark your spoiler clearly like this:

State a Chapter and page if you can.
EG: Chapter 24, page 154

Or say Up to Chapter *___ (*insert chapter number) if your comment is more broad and not from a single chapter.

Chapter 1, p. 23
(view spoiler)[I know everything now about chapter one and I am going to post it here - oops I better place this in a spoiler alert so I do not ruin the book for others (hide spoiler)]

If you are raising a question/issue for the group about the book, you don't need to put that in a spoiler, but if you are citing something specific, it might be good to use a spoiler.

By using spoilers, you don't ruin the experience of someone who is reading slower or started later.

Thanks.

You can copy and paste below to get your spoiler right:

<spoiler>Put Text Here</spoiler>

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

Part I: Discovering the Heart of the World
Chapter 1. Migrations: The Making of the Mandan People 3
Chapter 2. Contacts: Villagers and Newcomers 33
Chapter 3. Earthwork: The Substance of Daily Life 51
Chapter 4. Connections: Sustained European Contact Begins 79

Part II: Inventions and Reinventions
Chapter 5. Customs: The Spirits of Daily Life 99
Chapter 6. Upheavals: Eighteenth-Century Transformations 132
Chapter 7. Scourge: The Smallpox of 1781 154

Part III: The Heart of Many Worlds
Chapter 8. Convergences: Forces beyond the Horizon 177
Chapter 9. Hosts: The Mandans Receive Lewis and Clark 205
Chapter 10. Corn: The Fuel of Plains Commerce 229

Part IV: New Adversities
Chapter 11. Sheheke: The Metamorphosis of a Chief 247
Chapter 12. Reorientation: The United States and the Upper Missouri 267
Chapter 13. Visitation: Rats, Steamboats, and the Sioux 290
Chapter 14. Decimation: "The Smallpox Has Broke Out 311

Epilogue 327

Suggested Syllabus

Week One - November 9th - November 15th

Preface and Part I: Discovering the Heart of the World: Chapters 1-4 pp. xiii-98

Week Two - November 16th - November 22nd

Part II: Inventions and Reinventions: Chapters 5-7 pp. 99-176

Week Three - November 23rd - November 29th

Part III: The Heart of Many Worlds: Chapters 8-10 pp. 177-246

Week Four - November 30th - December 6th

Part IV: New Adversities: Chapters 11-14 and Epilogue pp.247-336

Those of you who are going to read Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People. Use the spoiler html because this is a single thread discussion.

1. Read message three and that message shows you the rules for the buddy read discussion and how to do the spoiler html.

2. Message 4 actually shows you the spoiler html code. Use it on this thread.

3. Where is the Table of Contents and the reading syllabus? - Message 5 and 6.

All, we do not have to do citations regarding the book or the author being discussed during the book discussion on these discussion threads - nor do we have to cite any personage in the book being discussed while on the discussion threads related to this book.

However if we discuss folks outside the scope of the book or another book is cited which is not the book and author discussed then we do have to do that citation according to our citation rules. That makes it easier to not disrupt the discussion.

Summaries for Preface, Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4

(view spoiler)[Preface

The author gives a brief description of the Mandan people of the Missouri river valley of North Dakota. The Mandan are one of several tribes of First People in this area. The known information on the Mandan is at times sparse and the author decides to explore their history in this book.

Question: What do you know about the different tribes of this area, particularly the Mandan? Other tribes in the area include Lakota/Sioux, Crees, Crows, Blackfeet, Hidatsa, and Assiniboines.


North Dakota Indian Tribal Areas


Early Plains Migrations

Chapter 1. Migrations: The Making of the Mandan People

The author travels to the Double Ditch Indian village. She goes through the early history of the Mandan people starting as early as 1000 C.E., starting in their first known location in South Dakota and follows their migration up to North Dakota. The author also touches on the Mandan commerce, their hardships including drought and pestilence, and trade.

Question: Why did the population of the Mandan people decrease by such a large amount?


Double Ditch Indian Village


Cannonball River, North Dakota

Chapter 2. Contacts: Villagers and Newcomers

Covered are the nomadic people of the Northern Plains, the Calumet, the travels of French explorer Louis Armand de lom d'arce Lahontan, and the fur trading post of York Factory.

Question: Why was the calumet important to the Mandan and why was the red pipestone a problem?


Red Pipestone Calumet

Chapter 3. Earthwork: The Substance of Daily Life

The author discusses the Mandan home, an Earth Lodge. The Mandan family is a matriarchal society. A man will marry a woman and her sisters. They live together as a family and the women do most of the work around the home, along with farming and building. The author discusses Buffalo Bird Woman, a Hidatsas woman who discusses her life.

Question: What most surprised you about the Mandan way of life?


Buffalo Bird Woman


Scattercorn

Chapter 4. Connections: Sustained European Contact Begins

The author discusses the European connections to the Indians of the Missouri river area of North Dakota. We particularly follow the travels of Pierre de la Verendrye and the establishment of the "first" Mantanne town.

Question: How was bison dung used and what were its drawbacks?


Pierre de la Verendrye
(hide spoiler)]

Hello everyone. We are kicking off our discussion of Encounters at the Heart of the World today. For this week, we are reading/discussions the Preface and Chapter 1-4. I've posted some discussion questions above, or you can chime in with your thoughts so far. Looking forward to talking with you all.

Folks - a special thank you for Teri setting up the Encounters Book of the Month link

Teri has just been awesome with these botm discussions, thanks to you Teri :)

Betty wrote: "Teri has just been awesome with these botm discussions, thanks to you Teri :)"

You're welcome, and Thank You! I've enjoyed the discussions and getting to know others in the group. Glad you'll be joining us for this one.

Yes Teri is doing great with these discussions.

Hi everyone. I hope some of you are digging into the details of the Mandan people. Bentley has set up a glossary thread as well. Peruse it as you have time:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Chapter 1 - Double Ditch Indian Village

(view spoiler)[Came across this short video showing the landscape of Double Ditch Indian Village. Have a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqIjw...

(hide spoiler)]

Thanks Donna - all is well that ends well (smile)

Thanks Teri

Hi everyone! Just a reminder that we're are still in Week 1 of Encounters At the Heart of the World. We'll move on to Week 2 on Monday.

Question: Were there any traits about the Mandan people that surprised you as you started learning about them?

Just a reminder to use your spoiler tags when commenting. See msgs 3 and 4 above for help.

We are moving into week 2 of our discussion of the Mandan people.

Question for Part II of Encounters at the Heart of the World
(view spoiler)[In Part II we learned a lot about the customs of the Mandan, as well as some of the things (diseases included) that the Europeans introduced to them. What overall affect did the Europeans have on the Mandan? (hide spoiler)]

I am really learning alot about the Mandan people. Their farming practices, earthworks, the migration patterns, etc. Highly entertaining. I never learned much about Indian life in the past so am learning alot in this book.

Helga wrote: "I am really learning alot about the Mandan people. Their farming practices, earthworks, the migration patterns, etc. Highly entertaining. I never learned much about Indian life in the past so am le..."

Glad you are joining us Helga! I studied a lot about the Oglala Lakota people. Mainly centered around the Pine Ridge Reservation/Wounded Knee II and Indian Industrial school. But I had never heard of the Mandan. I have to say, Part II has been most interesting to me.

I am just getting started. I want to read it slowly so I may not exactly keep up. My hubby is reading it also and we are sharing one book. I am interested in native peoples but the Mandan are new to me, too.

Donna wrote: "I am just getting started. I want to read it slowly so I may not exactly keep up. My hubby is reading it also and we are sharing one book. I am interested in native peoples but the Mandan are new t..."

No need to rush it. We keep these threads open indefinitely. It's great that your husband is reading with you.

Summaries for Chapters 5, 6, and 7

(view spoiler)[Chapter 5 - Customs: The Spirits of Daily Life

The author begins Part II discussing the ceremonies that revolved around the daily life of the Mandan. Pierre de la Verendrye visited the Mandan when they were celebrating Okipa, a religious ceremony about the creation of the earth that lasted four days.

Question: Why was ceremonial life important to the Mandans?


Mandan Medicine Man dressed for Okipa ceremony

Chapter 6 - Upheavals: Eighteenth Century Transformations

A discussion of the introduction of horses and guns to the Mandan.

Question: How did horses change the Mandan's way of life?


Mandan Brow Band for a horse

Chapter 7 - Scourge: The Smallpox of 1781

Disease comes to the Mandan villages.


Mandan Villagers die of smallpox

Question: The author mentions that smallpox destroyed more than individuals. What other effects did this disease have on the Mandan? (hide spoiler)]

Very interesting! Most happy to be reading this book. The Mandan people were evolved. It is always interesting to read about lost civilizations which were not the savages we all believed they were.

Glad you are joining us, Gwennyth!

Teri wrote: "Glad you are joining us, Gwennyth!"
Thank you,Teri! Thank you also for a great job moderating!

Chapter 5 - Okipa Ceremony

(view spoiler)[Found this great site that discusses the Okipa ceremony.

OKIPA

The Okipa was the most powerful religious ceremony of the Mandan people of North Dakota. The four-day ceremony was performed every year during the summer. It retold the history of the creation of the Earth and all living things. The main characters are the Okipa Maker, or Lone Man, who created the Mandan and gave them their rituals; Hoita, or Speckled Eagle, who created the animals; and Oxinhede, the Foolish One, who did not believe in the power of Okipa and was cast out of the village at the end. These three dancers are joined by others impersonating buffalo, bald eagles, holy women, swans, snakes, grizzly bears, night, day, wolves, coyotes, meadowlarks, and antelopes. They are supported by drummers playing sacred turtle drums.

The dancers performed inside the Okipa lodge, which was filled by men fasting, praying, and seeking visions. Sacred bundles, containing objects such as buffalo hair, a stuffed raven, a porcupine headdress, buffalo teeth, and a warbonnet of raven and swan feathers, were also presented. These objects represented key elements in the history of the people. The younger men generally underwent torture to demonstrate their bravery. Long wooden skewers were pushed through cuts in the skin on their backs or chests, and they were hung by ropes from beams. Their bodies were weighted down with buffalo skulls hung from other skewers thrust into their thighs and calves. The torment was extreme, but crying out was a sign of cowardice, and those best able to stand the pain became Mandan leaders. Women were not allowed inside the lodge, although some would sit on the roof, where they would fast.

The purpose of the ceremony was to rea. rm the bond between the people and the natural world and to unify the Mandans through a ritual of suffering and bloodshed. The Okipa had been performed for hundreds of years when the artist George Catlin witnessed the ceremony in 1832. The Okipa was probably last held on Fort Berthold Reservation in 1889 or 1890, after which it was suppressed by the United States.
(Source: Encyclopedia of the Great Plains | University of Nebraska - Lincoln) (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 7 - Smallpox and the Mandan - Video

(view spoiler)[Here's a great video discussing smallpox and the Mandan:

Small Pox Outbreak of 1781 | Tribal Legacy Project

Questions: What factors contributed to smallpox spreading among the Mandan and other tribes of the Great Plains? How did the Mandans treat/nurse the ill? (hide spoiler)]

Hi everyone! We're about to finish up week 2 of our adventure with the Mandans. Here's a couple of questions for you to ponder/respond on Chapter 7:

(view spoiler)[How did life continue for the Mandans after the smallpox epidemic? How did the disease affect the the Mandan as a tribe? (hide spoiler)]

Summaries for Chapters 8, 9, and 10

(view spoiler)[
Part III takes us into trade and exploration with the Mandans

Chapter 8 - Convergences: Forces Beyond the Horizons

This chapter focuses on trade between Europeans and the Mandans. We spend some time learning about the British and Spanish trading companies that visit the villages throughout the year, sometimes in extreme weather, as well as learning about clashes between the tribes.

Questions: How did the Mandans view the traders? Were they good to their visitors?


James McKay - Fur Trader

Chapter 9 - Hosts: The Mandans Receive Lewis and Clark

Chapter 9 focuses on Lewis and Clark's expedition through the Missouri River plains and their visit with the Mandans and neighboring tribes.

Questions: What is your impression of the visit from Lewis and Clark? Did they help relations between the Mandans and other tribes? Between Mandans and the US government?


Lewis and Clark

Chapter 10 - Corn: The Fuel of Plains Commerce

Chapter 10 continues to discuss trade, and specifically around corn as payment. The Mandans rely heavily on corn for trade and as a food source.

Questions: How did corn affect the Mandan way of life? How did it affect their diet?


Mandan Corn
(hide spoiler)]

Posting last week's summaries late due to the holidays. I'll have this weeks posted soon. We are in our final week of discussion.

Thank you Teri.

Chapter Summaries and Discussion Questions for Chapters 11-14 and Epilogue

(view spoiler)[Chapter 11 - Sheheke: The Metamorphosis of a Chief

Whooping Cough hits the Mandan village. Sheheke, the Mandan leader and his wife Yellow Corn, along with White Painted House, travel to Washington City to visit the President. Continued clashes with the Sioux and Hidatsas.
Question: What is your impression of Sheheke's visit to Washington City?


Sheheke

Chapter 12 - Reorientation: The United States and the Upper Missouri

Continued issues with Whooping Cough and Measles in the Knife River Villages. Drought caused hunger in the area so the Mandan moved to Mih-Tutta-Hang-Kusch. Trading increased in this area. The Treaty of 1825 addressed commerce for the area. Beaver was no longer the hot commodity it once was, as Bison became a bigger bargaining tool.
Question: How did the change demand for resources affect trading for the Mandans?


Mih-Tutta-Hang-Kusch

Chapter 13 - Visitations: Rats, Steamboats, and the Sioux

Rats moved in and became a concern for the area villages. Steamboats arrived as well. Tensions with the Sioux increase for area villages.
Question: Why did the arrival of steamboats change life for the Mandans and area villagers?


Norwegian Rat

Chapter 14 - Decimation: "The Smallpox Has Broke Out"

Smallpox makes its way into the Mandan village and the other Native American villages along the Upper Missouri River. It takes a toll on all, but for the Mandan it nearly decimates the tribe.
Question: Smallpox had a much bigger impact on the Mandan than many other tribes in the Upper Missouri River area. Why?


Replica of the ship Yellow Stone

Epilogue

The few Mandans that survived moved to Like-A-Fishhook Village and began to rebuild. After almost a century and a half, the Okipa ceremony is once again performed in remembrance of the Mandan ancestors.
Question: Final thoughts? Surprises you didn't expect or anything that stood out to you about the Mandans?


On-A-Slant Village today
(hide spoiler)]

If you've enjoyed this book and want to learn more about the Mandan, you may want to read:

by Cedric Red Feather (no photo)

I have enjoyed this book. Thanks for leading it and providing us with all the topic information.

Thank you, Helga! I'm glad you enjoyed the book. I thought it was quite informative.

I really enjoyed reading about the Mandan Indians and their way of life. (view spoiler)[I particularly enjoyed the Chapter 5, Customs: The Spirits of Daily Life. The description of the Okipa ceremony (Kindle Version Location 2013 through 2313) was extremely fascinating.

When reading this chapter, I was reminded of a scene from A Man Called Horse, which I have posted below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V4Fo... (hide spoiler)]

Francie wrote: "I really enjoyed reading about the Mandan Indians and their way of life."

(view spoiler)[I think that was my favorite chapter as well, along with 11 when Sheheke and his wife went to Washington City. There was a bit of humor about their trip. Fascinating details.

Great link, will you add it to the Glossary thread? ;-) (hide spoiler)]

I will do that.

Apologies for joining so late - I'd lost my Goodreads info and just now got back on. Imagine my surprise to see Encounters at the Heart of the World as an ongoing discussion - barely - it ends in a few days.

But I read this book last spring and enjoyed it so much I really tried to visit the area on my annual trip to North Dakota - I had it all mapped out and ready but time did not permit (I live near the northeast corner in the summer times.)

(view spoiler)[ I was fascinated with the smallpox epidemic and David Thompson and the Canadian history was totally new to me although I've read chunks of the Lewis and Clark journals.
by Landon Y. Jones editor (no photo). The march of history is always fascinating. All the maps and photos were good but of special note for me was the photo of a small boy with smallpox. I had no idea what it looked like. (view spoiler) (hide spoiler)]

Welcome, Becky! It's never too late to join in discussions here at the HBC. We continue to moderator/watch threads and many members join in when they get the chance to read a book.

How great it must have been for you to visit the area. I enjoy going on historical trips when I can.

(view spoiler)[I knew about the smallpox issues with Native Americans, but like you, maps and pictures bring things to life and helps us put things in perspective.

Thanks for the book recommendation. I've added it to my ever growing TBR pile. (hide spoiler)]