Fort Abraham Lincoln - On-A-Slant Indian Village

On-A-Slant Indian Village

On-A-Slant Mandan Village (Mandan: Miti-ba-wa-esh) was established in the late 16th century and was inhabited until 1781. During those years the Mandan tribe had between seven and nine villages, all located along the Missouri River, with an estimated total population of approximately 10,000 to 15,000. On-a-Slant was the furthest south of all the villages and consisted of approximately 86 earthlodges. Its population was about 1,000-1,500. It was located near the point where the Heart River and the Missouri River come together and was named so by the Mandan because the village was built on ground that slopes towards the river valley. It was fortified with a ditch and palisade, to protect its wealth of food and trade goods. The women of the Mandan tribe were responsible for building the earthlodges, which were held up by a frame of cottonwood logs and covered with layers of willow branches, grass, and earth. These thick walls insulated the lodge effectively in both summer and winter. The top center of the earthlodge contained a hole to let out smoke from the firepit and to let in sunlight. The earthlodges were placed close together with all entrances facing towards the village plaza in the center. Each lodge housed about ten to fifteen members of the immediate and extended family. The Mandan tribe lived on farming and hunting. The village became a center of trading because the Mandan were known for their ability to make pottery and prepare animal skins. In 1781, a smallpox epidemic infected the Mandan tribe, killing off a majority of the villagers. The remaining tribe members moved north to join the Hidatsa tribe along the Knife River.