North Dakota archeologist learns to replicate Native American pottery

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The National Park Service says artifacts can tell people how culture has changed over time. One archeologist is helping preserve history through his pottery.

Wade Haakenson has been an archeologist for a long time and has always had a passion for connecting people with the past and how things were made.

That’s what inspired him to learn how to make indigenous replica artwork of North Dakota’s Native American tribes.

Now, he uses his pottery to help educate others and preserve the process.

“It took a lot of trial and error, but I got it done, I figured it out,” said Wade Haakenson, archeologist.

He said it took around six months to get it down, and years of practice.

“For the tribes and the people themselves. There are not that many people who know how to do this, and I will never proclaim to be an expert in it. I just happen to be somebody that figured out how to do it,” said Haakenson.

Haakenson learned how to manufacture pottery by reading writings from 1910. He said those taught him how Mandan and Hidatsa tribes made pottery on the reservation.

He said a fragment of an artifact is not as impactful as a whole piece.

“And when you know how some of this stuff is made, you can piece that back together and figure out, okay, this tool is more than likely used from pottery based on the use-wear patterns that we see in modern reproductions, we can step that back to the artifacts that we find,” said Haakenson.

He says this helps people envision how the pots were used.

“When you see a small fragment, you don’t understand how beautiful these pots are. You don’t understand because you can’t see the big picture,” said Haakenson.

Haakenson said when people see the pottery he hopes it helps them connect to the past.

He said he hopes to work more with the Native American community and share the pottery practices.

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