Arikara Lodge
West Whitlock Recreation Area, SD
In October, 1804, the exploreres spent several days at an Arikara Village. As the entourage approached, the villagers lined the shore to witness the curious sight. the captains discovered later that the Arikaras were facinated by York, Clark's servant and the expedition's only black man. Clark wrote in his journal that the Arikaras "flocked around him & examind. him from top to toe." Over the course of several days, the two groups held councils, shared meals and exchanged gifts. One Arikara chief gave the explorers 10 bushels of corn as well as beans and squash to take with them on their journey. The Arikaras were primarily farmers who tended crops such as corn, beans, squash and tobacco. They lived in earth-lodge homes along the upper Missouri.

At West Whitlock Recreation Area near Gettysburg, SD, you can step inside a full-size replica of an arikara lodge. The lodge is made of logs and branches, and it grass roff blends into the surrounding prairie. This is more information about this type of lodge in the North Dakota pages.