Up North
14/06/13 04:27
It is easy for me to get a little disoriented about time these days. I think that mostly it is simply the fact that I am in the Central Time Zone instead of Western. One hour without going very far east and west means that it stays light later at night and the sun comes up later in the morning – that is if you are going by the clock. The time zones in our part of the world are a bit skewed. Because the point of change through most of the Dakotas is the Missouri River, there are places in Central Time that are actually west of other places in Mountain Time. It can get confusing. Our travel yesterday was mostly north, with a few jogs east and west.
This planet has a tilted axis and that means that there is more daylight the farther north you travel at this time of the year. Above the Arctic Circle they are nearing the season of 24-hour daylight. At any rate, the night seemed a bit short, but it is no problem for the birds. They are raising quite a chorus outside of our camper.
We are parked at Fort Stevenson State Park on the north shore of Lake Sacajawea. Here in North Dakota, the name of the Shoshoni woman who served as a guide to Lewis and Clark is pronounced with an emphasis on the hard “k” sound. It sounds a bit like “sa-cock-a-we-a.” In most of the other places I have lived, including Montana and Idaho, where she spend a lot of her time, it is pronounced “sack-a-ja-we-a.” I have no idea which pronunciation is more faithful to the original Shoshoni. Probably neither is very close.
The waters began collecting behind the Garrison Dam around the time I was born. That means that there are a few old timers who can remember what the Missouri Valley looked like before the giant lake began to fill up the coulees and breaks. For most of the folks, however, the giant lake is how they remember this area. There is a lot of water stored in that reservoir. And since the lake was built, there have been a lot of trees that have come to maturity. Here in the state park what was once a treeless bluff at the top of the Missouri breaks is now a lovely lakeside resort with plenty of trees to shelter from the wind and provide habitat for the birds. Being on the national flyway, there are a lot of birds in this part of the country. Just a few miles away the Audubon National Wildlife Refuge is that stopping place for tens of thousands of waterfowl on annual migration.
The dam was not just a feat of civil engineering, though it set all kinds of records for earthen-filled dams when it was built. It was part of the great effort to tame the Missouri River and the series of dams that were built have worked, for the most part, to alleviate some of the more dramatic effects of annual floods. The dams also store water for irrigation and recreation and provide a steady stream flow for downstream navigation. Even with all of this water, it is not an unlimited amount and in drought years we see the controversy that has always been a part of the project. Different water users have competing claims for the water. And, a few years ago, the system became saturated with excessive runoff and the releases from the dams caused extensive downstream flooding. There were lots of complaints that year.
Garrison Dam was also a significant work of social engineering. It lies at the intersection of the reservations of four tribes: Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara and Dakota. The tribe had been enemies at various times during their history and had very different ways of life. The Dakota were travelers, following the buffalo herds. The Mandan had settled in the same region for many generations. At any rate, the construction of the dam meant that much of the original reservation land was under water and new reservation boundaries had to be drawn. The result was the combination of reservations. These days the so-called “United Tribes” is an attempt at combined government for the bands of all four tribes that live along the shores of Lake Sacajawea. It sort of works. There is a lot of politicking and frequent changes of leadership mark the organization. Two of the successes of the United Tribes are the United Tribes Technical College and the annual International Powwow. Both the college and the powwow are in Bismarck a few miles downriver.
Years ago, when we lied in North Dakota, I had contacts and friends in most of the reservation congregations, but many years have passed since those days and I haven’t kept up with most of the folks.
This morning it is barely light out as I write and I can hear the occasional rumble of thunder from distant showers that are moving through the area. Here it is partly cloudy, but the forecast calls for more thunderstorms as the day progresses. I brought our rowboat and I may go for a brief row this morning, but I’ll have to see how the weather goes. We need to be showered and ready for a funeral at 11 a.m. and the rest of the day will be taken up with visiting with family and friends. The funeral will be held at the Congregational Church here in Garrison. We ‘ve gathered in that church for many family occasions, including several funerals. The pastor has been serving this church for quite a few years and also served congregations in Montana and South Dakota so he is an acquaintance whose career I have watched from a distance. We only know each other from a distance, but there is a comfortable feel to knowing that he will be caring for the family.
After the funeral, we will all be packing up and leaving. We are now a scattered family and no one lives here in this part of the country. But it is a beautiful land and a place to which we know we will return whenever we are able.