The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation has established the Three Affiliated Tribes National Park in North Dakota’s Badlands, opening 2,100 acres of dramatic landscape to outdoor enthusiasts. The park, created on former ranch land adjacent to the Fort Berthold Reservation, is part of the tribe’s original treaty territory that was later reduced through government allotment. Tribal Chairman Mark Fox spoke on the cultural significance of reacquiring ancestral lands and touted the benefits of promoting tourism and recreation. Currently accessible by free permit for hiking only, park officials plan to develop 10 miles of trails by summer’s end, with future plans for a visitor center and campground. The park had a soft opening in September 2024, and will prioritize conservation and recreation. Park Superintendent Ethan White Calfe hopes to help the land “heal to where it is in a state of equilibrium” and provide an opportunity for the tribe “to tell our own story from our own perspective.”
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