Encounters at the Heart of the World

A History of the Mandan People

By: Elizabeth A. Fenn

Narrated by: Elizabeth A. Fenn, Christine Marshall

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History

Elizabeth A. Fenn radically changes our understanding of North America before and after the arrival of Europeans.

Encounters at the Heart of the World concerns the Mandan Indians, iconic Plains people whose teeming, busy towns on the upper Missouri River were for centuries at the center of the North American universe. We know of them mostly because Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1804-1805 with them, but why don't we know more? Who were they really? In this extraordinary book, Fenn retrieves their history by piecing together important new discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, geology, climatology, epidemiology, and nutritional science. Her boldly original interpretation of these diverse research findings offers us a new perspective on early American history, a new interpretation of the American past.

By 1500, more than twelve thousand Mandans were established on the northern Plains, and their commercial prowess, agricultural skills, and reputation for hospitality became famous. Recent archaeological discoveries show how these Native American people thrived, and then how they collapsed. The damage wrought by imported diseases like smallpox and the havoc caused by the arrival of horses and steamboats were tragic for the Mandans, yet, as Fenn makes clear, their sense of themselves as a people with distinctive traditions endured.

A riveting account of Mandan history, landscapes, and people, Fenn's narrative is enriched and enlivened not only by science and research but by her own encounters at the heart of the world.

Native American life long before 1492

There were tribes across north and South America over two thousand years ago. They migrated from Asia across what is now the Bering strait. The shape of the continent has changed since then due to weather, receding glaciers, earthquakes, volcanoes, erosion and evolution. Remains of early inhabitants along the western shoreline are not found because they are now covered by 350 feet of water. The Mandans were a large tribe in the upper Missouri River area. They lived communally and their homes were similar to the tribal adobe structure in the SW and the Mayan structures in Mexico, in my opinion. The smallpox epidemic spread by new explorers and settlers from Europe hit the Mandan particularly hard in the mid 1800s due to their gregarious nature and their large social living conditions.

Every American should read this book!

What a tragic yet beautiful story, the story of the Mandan people. I learned so much about the history, culture and traditions of this indigenous tribe of the Missouri River valley. This book should be required reading in all American history high school and/or college classes.

Good book

Very interesting and sad history of the Mandans, it explained and showed a lot of things that I suspected or did not know.

Well deserved Pulitzer Prize winner!

It's easy to see why author Elizabeth Fenn won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for History for "Encounters at the Heart f the World". First, the book is an enjoyable read (or in my case, I listened to the audiobook). She is thorough, clear, and weaves a good story. Her in-depth research comes through clearly in her narrative.
The story of the Mandan people is ultimately tragic, decimated mainly by European diseases around the first contact with explorers, traders, and migrants from the east. Prior to that, these people lead rich, interesting lives and thrived in the northern Missouri River valley. Fenn makes clear that a lot of historic detail of the Northern Plains Indians has been lost, but piecing the fragments of knowledge together and speculating about the gaps provides for a fascinating look at a unique culture and way of life. Highly recommended!

A Balanced History

A well done, balanced history of these important native Americans in the history of the United States. Excellent detail placed in the amazing history of great plains and the upper Missouri river. A required read for anyone interested in American history.