Focus on Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Culture of the Three Affiliated Tribes
By RJ Smith
New Town ND – In a collaborative effort by the Boys and Girls Club of The Three Affiliated Tribes, Fort Berthold Community College, the Three Affiliated Tribes as well as NDSU Extension Office and the TAT Agriculture Department, the Maakoti Summer Camp will again be held in the newly constructed Earthlodge Villages five miles west of New Town ND. The purpose of the camp is to generate an interest in math, science, engineering, and technology from a traditional holistic view. Traditional knowledge will be shared by elders from each of the three tribes.
The main objectives of the camp are to expose students to math and science by incorporating centuries old practices into modern day applications. Native American people have always adapted and worked with the environment and materials available to them in the area. Simple intuition has lead to the invent of painkillers, diuretics, antibacterial and different remedies for poison ivy, rashes, and mild maladies experienced. This trial and error method is proven with many home remedies still used to this day.
Language will also be a huge component. The Boys and Girls Club currently is looking to expand their efforts by using a holistic approach to life through language, culture, health and nutrition. The current program is called Administration for Native Americans. By implementing language into the current curriculum of the existing Ma-Adoo-Za-Gidz Alternative Education Program, the current efforts of language and culture revitalization will spread out to each of the outlying communities on the reservation. The Ma-Adoo-Za-Gidz Alternative Education Program provides schooling with high success rates for students struggling in contemporary school settings. Several students in the program have gone on to college, pageantry, the Armed Services, and rewarding careers.
The camp will be held in two segments, with K-5 going July 13th and 14th. Due to the age, these camps will be day camps with the family invited for evening activities. The 6th-12th grade will be July 15th – 17th. These will be overnight camps where students will be able to sleep in the Earthlodges and Tipis. For more information on the Maakoti Summer Camp or the Ma-Adoo-Za-Gidz Alternative Education Program, contact the Boys and Girls Club of the Three Affiliated Tribes at 701-627-4415.