Mitchell Middle School
With the new school year underway, the Mitchell Site has received numerous bookings for school tours this fall—and one of the first was Mrs. Mebius’ Social Studies class from Mitchell Middle School. They were an exceptionally well behaved and curious class, and we had a great time showing them our amazing site & museum!
DWU Future Educators Tour
Education majors from Dakota Weslayan University came for a tour of the Mitchell Site; along with our discussions of the site itself, we used the tour as an opportunity to discuss pedagogy as it pertains to hands-on educational experiences like ours. We hope to see them leading their own classrooms soon, bringing them on (free) field trips to the Mitchell Site!
Mitchell High School Class of ‘75
The Mitchell Prehistoric Archaeological Site was honored to host a tour for the Mitchell High School Class of ‘75. Most remembered it as simply a field for walking around by the lake, and were amazed at the way it has transformed into one of the foremost archaeological sites in the Great Plains. We had a blast, and were so grateful that they chose us as the place to kick off their fun and nostalgic weekend!
Brad Tennant speaks on the Arikara
On August 21, Dr. Brad Tennant—a South Dakotan historian and educator—spoke at the Village about the history and culture of the Arikara (Sahnish), their role in intertribal trade, the impact of disease, their encounter with Lewis and Clark, and their conflicts with the U.S. government from 1807 to the 1820s. The Arikara are the descendants of the Coalescent cultural tradition, of which the Mitchell Site is a forbearer of. We are so grateful to Dr. Tennant for coming and giving such a fascinating and engaging talk!
Thank you to the Practical Church Leadership Program at DWU!
A great tour was had with the Practical Church Leadership Program from Dakota Wesleyan University; they are a collective of ministry professionals from across the U.S. who convene on campus as part of their year-long administrative studies program. We loved interacting and engaging with them, and are so proud of the great things happening at our local academic institutions!
Children’s Day at the Village!
Children’s Day at the Village!
Our Children’s Day here at the Village was a huge hit for the hundreds of visitors who stopped in. Along with face and gourd painting, artifact washing, corn husk doll making, and atlatl throwing, visitors were able to visit with two of our amazing board members—Peter Lengkeek and Belinda Joe—to learn traditional indigenous stories and games. We are so grateful to them for teaching such valuable knowledge, and thankful to everyone who came out to see us!
Summer Reading Program at the Mitchell Public Library
The Mitchell Public Library invited Executive Director Christian New to come give a presentation for their Summer Reading program; the theme of the program is “Color Our World,” looking at art in a variety of ways and mediums. Christian gave a presentation on the way art permeates all of culture, and specifically how the pottery found at the Mitchell site is both function and style before having the attendees making their own ceramic goods. It was a great time, and the Mitchell Site appreciates the great work the library does to keep the youth educated and involved!
Our Gardens are in Bloom!
With recent rains, Audrey’s Garden is looking as beautiful as ever!
With the recent influx of rain, we have seen an explosion of life in Audrey’s Garden. From Wood Lilly to Wild Geranium to Meadow Garlic to Milkweed, our plants have bloomed beautifully. With that comes pollinators, birds, bunnies, and more - all of which help us in our goal to foster an active, healthy, native ecosystem here at the Mitchell Site.
Archaeology Day at the Village a Success!
Archaeology Day at the Mitchell Site was a huge success!
More than 200 visitors participated in Archaeology Day 2025 at the Village on June 14th. Attendees got the opportunity to watch stone tools being made, visit with archaeologists, engage in atlatl throwing, and more. Along with the numerous tourists that were part of the crowd, we had great community engagement-with lots of Mitchellites coming to support us and have a great time!
Listen to Dr. Hannus Discuss the Mitchell Site
Dr. Hannus discussed the Mitchell Site on a recent podcast episode of SDPB.
South Dakota Public Broadcasting has recently released a podcast episode featuring the Mitchell Site’s head archaeologist, Dr. Adrien Hannus. In it, he discusses the achievements of the site’s inhabitants, the value of understanding these achievements, and other work he has participated in around South Dakota to further this goal. Listen here: https://www.sdpb.org/podcast/history-605/2024-03-25/history-605-s-4-ep-2-archeology-at-the-indian-village-near-mitchell
New Exhibit Installed in Archeodome
New native plant exhibit installed in the Archeodome!
What a way to start off our blog!
Jerry Gerry, who was part of the founding committee establishing our site in 1978 and has served as a board member since, is also a master woodworker. Over the past few months, he has constructed a beautiful display case with the assistance and input of Dr. Adrien Hannus, our site’s lead archaeologist. It shows off native plants and their multifaceted uses by the indigenous people of the past and present - including those at our site 1,000 years ago.