North Dakota’s school boards already have a state law that gives them the ability to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, if they are accompanied by other historical documents. Now, lawmakers are debating whether to require posting the commandments in every public K-12 and college classroom.

The debate is among advocates who say the Ten Commandments provide a foundation of morals and values — and that teaching them in schools was once broadly accepted — and opponents who say the compulsory posting of them in public classrooms would violate the U.S. Constitution’s ban on establishing a state religion. 

One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Mark Enget, R-Powers Lake, said the commandments are historically and morally important outside of their Christian religious context. “They are pure and good and build strong families which in turn build a strong society,” said Enget.

The House Judiciary Committee is reviewing House Bill 1145, which would require posting the Ten Commandments in the state’s public K-12 and college classrooms. The panel held a hearing Jan. 14 and did not make an immediate recommendation about whether the bill should be approved or defeated. Dozens of interested people have posted testimony on the Legislature’s website, with the majority being opposed to the bill. Dozens of people also attended the hearing in person, although time limits prevented many of them from testifying.

Bill sponsor Rep. Jeff Hoverson, R-Minot, told the North Dakota Monitor he plans to introduce an amendment this week that would change the bill to displaying the Ten Commandments in every school, rather than every classroom. His proposed amendment also would require the posters be funded through donations.

During last week’s hearing, Tim Barton, president of WallBuilders, a Texas-based organization that promotes the teaching of Christian history, said the Ten Commandments were taught in schools until after a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case, called Lemon v. Kurtzman.

The Supreme Court has since reinterpreted aspects of the “Lemon test.” In a 2022 case, Kennedy v. Bremerton, the Supreme Court ruled the establishment clause should be interpreted by reference to historical practices and understandings. 

In light of the Kennedy ruling, House Bill 1145 would not violate the First Amendment, because there is a long history and tradition of the Ten Commandments being taught in schools, argued Janice Lorrah of the Pacific Justice Institute, a legal nonprofit that describes itself as focusing on defending civil liberties.

“The passage of HB 1145 will enable students in the state of North Dakota to know the history and traditions of our legal system,” said Lorrah. 

KrisAnn Norby-Jahner, legal counsel for North Dakota School Boards Association, and other opponents said House Bill 1145 differs from the Kennedy case, which was filed after a football coach was fired for praying with his players after a game. 

“A school employee choosing to exercise a constitutional right is different from a public school being required to adopt and display a specific religious observation,” said Norby-Jahner.

Norby-Jahner said the language of the proposal is almost the same as a bill approved by the Louisiana legislature last year, which has been challenged in federal court. Last November, U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles ruled the law was unconstitutional, saying the Louisiana law did not provide “any constitutional way to display the Ten Commandments.”

Louisiana issues guidance as law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms goes into effect

Cody Schuler, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union, said many students in North Dakota practice different religious beliefs, and they may openly discuss them in school already. State law also gives school boards the ability to post the Ten Commandments in their classrooms already, he said.

However, under House Bill 1145, posting the Ten Commandments “would be not only endorsed by the school, it would be endorsed by the state, it would be the state showing preference to a particular religious tradition,” Schuler said.

Supporters of the legislation said the Ten Commandments would teach students about morality and values.

“There is a long-standing history and tradition of the Ten Commandments being used in education, not because it was a promotion of religion but a promotion of morality,” Barton said.

Pat Dean, a former school principal and advocate for the bill, said it was “rooted in history and morals, not religion and the changing thereof.” If students were instructed about the Ten Commandments, some of today’s student behavioral problems could be avoided, he said.

Olivia Data, of Mandan, said posting the Ten Commandments would not address urgent problems facing public schools.

“Surely issues like teacher shortages, equitable funding, or post-COVID behavioral and academic declines should take priority over what posters are displayed in the classroom,” Data said.

According to the bill, the Ten Commandments display must be a poster or framed document that is at least 11 by 14 inches and printed in a large and easily readable font.

North Dakota, set on the American Plains and against the US border with Canada, conjures multiple images at once. It has welcomed strivers and romantics — not least. A young Theodore Roosevelt, whose North Dakota sojourn formed the foundation of his legend and legacy.

Admitted to the Union in 1889, following the US Civil War, the state’s original motto—”Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable”—recalls a time of national division. That conflict gave way to a long-standing chapter of peace in the country, and today, North Dakota enjoys a reputation as a quiet, safe place to live and visit. As these timeless towns show, North Dakota, also known as the Peace Garden State, has certainly earned its name.

Bottineau

The north-central town of Bottineau, population 2,200, sits just below the Canadian border. Its French name reflects the one-time presence of French fur trappers and other traders, like its namesake, Pierre Bottineau. The town sits near the site of the International Peace Garden, a jointly-managed green space between Canada and the United States, offering attractions such as the Peace Chapel, the 9/11 Memorial, and the Conservatory featuring over 5,000 unique species of cacti and succulents.

Bottineau’s other standout draws include an unusual figure in its Plains landscape: Tommy Turtle, actually a 30-foot statue of a turtle riding a snowmobile, and meant to symbolize the nearby Turtle Mountains. Home to Dakota College home to some 1,100 students, Bottineau features an outsized menu of local dining options, from fine dining at Marie’s to the college-crowd favorite Denny’s Pizza. The award-winning Pride Dairy sells ice cream for sweets fans of all ages.

Mandan

Mandan, a much larger town of 24,600, sits across the Missouri River from Bismarck, North Dakota’s state capital, in the center of the state. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park beckons the history buff with displays at its Visitor Center Museum that tells of North Dakota life from earlier times. Established in 1907, the park is North Dakota’s first and has provided recreation and education for more than a century so far.

Mandan calls itself the “spirit of the West” in North Dakota. For a touch of that culture, check out the town in July during its Mandan Rodeo Days, a western-themed series each Independence Day weekend with bronco riding, art exhibits, a fireworks celebration, and a road race. Running for over 140 years, the Rodeo Days events draw crowds and repeat visitors from all over.

Medora

Medora, a map-dot with about 160 souls, lies in North Dakota’s west and punches above its weight for small-town charms. Ringed by a picturesque half-canyon, the town provides a gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and showcases the badlands that the future president fell in love with as a young man. Kids can channel Roosevelt’s cowboy habits with horseback riding or family camping inside the park.

Grown-up Western enthusiasts can get a one-of-a-kind stay at the Rough Riders Hotel, a luxury Western accommodation that bears the name of the military unit that Roosevelt later rode to fame and political prominence. For more family-friendly fun, the Medora Musical, billed as “The Greatest Show in the West,” offers a blend of country, pop, and other music styles for a memorable and musical western night out.

Rugby

Rugby, with 2,400 inhabitants, makes an unusual claim to fame. The north-central town says it is the geographic center of the North American continent. A stone monument marks the claimed spot downtown. For a look back in time, the town’s sprawling Prairie Village Museum provides information on early life in Rugby and historic North Dakota. The museum extends across more than 20 buildings and includes a school, a train depot, a jail, and even a log cabin dating from 1887.

Like its Canadian neighbor, Rugby welcomes tourists keen to see the aurora borealis—the phosphorescent northern lights that often play across the world’s northern skies at night. The Northern Lights Tower stands nearly 90 feet high and serves as a lookout point for the sky’s wild colors. An on-site interpretive center explains the phenomenon in detail.

Valley City

Valley City, actually a small town with a modest population of 6,600, lies west of Fargo, North Dakota’s largest city. The place is also home to Valley City State University, whose student body of 1,700 gives a substantial boost to the town’s economy and size. Calling itself the “City of Bridges,” the place celebrates its many railroad suspensions and other constructions that span the Sheyenne River as it makes its many loops through town. The Native American West comes alive here at Medicine Wheel Park, which features a solar clock and a dozen earthen burial mounds.

For more time on the water, locals and visitors gravitate to Lake Ashtabula, a favorite spot for swimming, boating, and some classic American food options nearby. The Valley City State Planetarium provides otherwordly views to the sky beyond, making a great indoor alternative if the weather spoils plans to visit the town’s bridges, waterways, or both.

Walhalla

Walhalla, an early settlement in what was then the Dakota Territory, has a petite population of 900 today. Set in the state’s northeast corner, just below the Canadian line, the town offers history and outdoor fun in equal abundance. The Gingras Trading Post, once a stop for trappers and their customers, has stood northeast of Walhalla since the 1840s and now exhibits the folkways of a bygone era.

The Pembina Gorge Recreation Area has wide-open spaces for hiking, cycling, and family outings. For wilderness, one can drive through the Rendezvous Region Scenic Backway, which holds fantastic views and scenes of North Dakota’s rugged natural essence. The culture you can taste is on tap at the Howatt Hangar, within the local Frost Fire Park, while the same location puts on a summer theater series, with productions like the classic musical “Fame” and other shows available recently. Walhalla’s small size does not prevent it from offering major attractions for locals and out-of-town tourists alike.

Williston

North of the Missouri River, Williston, with 27,700 people, offers a much larger slate of attractions to see and do. The northwestern town, well-known for its oil and gas activities, also promises fun for the outdoor sports fan, from golf and riverside walks to clay-pigeon shooting at the popular Painted Woods Sports Range. Clearly, Williston encourages a robust kind of active lifestyle.

For the culturally inclined, Williston made waves in a recent project that covered traffic signal cabinets with creative painting, thereby beautifying the town and its public spaces. Fans of Western movies, like the 2015 revenge thriller The Revenant, can retrace the steps of the real-life character Hugh Glass, who once worked as a hunter at nearby Fort Union. Today, the Fort Union Trading Post, a National Park Service site, tells of the days when the massive fort hosted a trade of 25,000 buffalo robes and early adventurers like Glass.

North Dakota’s Towns: Where History Meets Scenic Beauty

With all that these and other North Dakota towns hold out for the visitor, it may seem surprising that the state’s classic Western history and culture are not better known nationwide. Places like Bottineau and Williston speak to the old ways of fur trapping and trading. At the same time, modern cultural draws, like the stage productions at Medora and Walhalla, suggest an appetite for the lively arts and other creative expressions. No wonder the young Theodore Roosevelt came to love this state. North Dakota might be the next best place to explore for the traveler who seeks something timeless, fresh, and interesting.

GRAND FORKS — 2025 marks year four of sanctioned girls wrestling in North Dakota, meaning freshmen on varsity in year one are now seniors going for glory one more time.

Grand Forks’ program has grown alongside the sport’s popularity, now with a roster of 28 in 2024-25, including eight middle schoolers.

It’s a sight senior Bryn Larson could have only dreamed of when she first started wrestling in sixth grade.

“It was listed as an intramural sport in sixth grade, and I was like, ‘Sure, why not, I’ll give it a go,’” Larson recalled. “All day before practice, I was like, ‘Are you doing wrestling? Is anyone else?’ None of my classes, no kids were doing wrestling,” she added.

It turned out she was only one of two girls to show up that day.

Instead of quitting, she pressed on, learning the ropes of the sport through her middle school career.

“I wanted to show other people that they could do it too if they wanted,” Larson said.

After three years wrestling against boys, girls wrestling became sanctioned in North Dakota right before her freshman year, giving her a chance to compete on a bigger stage and against other girls.

“I ran home to my mom screaming, I was so excited,” Larson recalled. “Then we found out that my middle school coach was going to transition to be the high school girls coach, so I was over the moon,” she added.

That coach, Matt Berglund, is still with the program, and says getting the sport to this level comes from selling how anyone can get involved.

“In simplest terms, a lot of girls wouldn’t come out because they didn’t want to wrestle against boys, which is pretty understandable, but now that they actually can compete in practice and not have, maybe, a disadvantage in strength in the upper weights, you just see this huge growth,” Berglund said.

Just like any sport, however, it takes hard work to make it, and through the years, Grand Forks has seen its interest grow exponentially.

“A lot of these girls are second, third generation family wrestlers,” Berglund said. “Their older brothers, their dads, even their grandpas wrestled, but they never had the opportunity themselves,” he said.

The program has already produced two state champions: Alyssa Johnson and Emily Novak.

There’s internal belief they are far from the last to be crowned champion.

“We have current state champs, but there’s definitely some people here that will be state champs,” Larson said.

There’s also belief the sport is not done growing.

“As long as you have a good attitude, good work ethic, you can be good at it in a pretty short amount of time if you put in the time,” Berglund said.

State qualifiers for boys and girls will hit the mats starting February 20 at the Fargodome, and the tournaments will be televised on WDAY Xtra.

Isak Dinesen joined WDAY-TV as a reporter in September 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist at WAOW-TV in Wausau, Wisconsin for three years. He graduated from NDSU in 2020, majoring in Journalism and minoring in Sports Communication at MSUM.