Lewis and Clark
lived near a Mandan town during the winter of 1804. The Mandans were a
small peaceful tribe. At one time, they also lived along the Missouri
River in what is now South Dakota. Their villages were the trading centers
for all the tribes of the upper Missouri River. They used boats made of
branches and buffalo hide to cross the river. The boats were called bull
boats. Their homes were large round huts called earth lodges or mounds. The earth
lodges were made from tree trunks, willow branches, dirt, and sod. Ten to
thirty people lived in each lodge. They planted corn, beans, tobacco,
pumpkin, sunflowers, and squash.
