Historic Fort Totten is located off Hwy 57, 14 miles south of Devils Lake. Fort Totten and Sully’s Hill National Game Preserve are located on the 137,000-acre Fort Totten Sioux Indian Reservation.
It is one of the country’s best-preserved nineteenth-century military forts. Daily admission is free.
There is also a theater where visitors can see productions during July and August. There is a central square with a museum and several shops. The last weekend of July is the Fort Totten Days observance. Here visitors can see a rodeo and a powwow with highly skilled Native American dancers.
Powwows were originally held in the spring to celebrate the new beginnings of life. The native people would get together and sing, dance, renew old acquaintances, or make new ones. In the Sioux tradition, this celebration was a prayer to Wakan-Tanka, the “Great Spirit” or “Grandfather.” Today, they are still important for many Native Americans, but when the powwow announcer calls an “intertribal dance,” everyone takes part— including any spectators.
Next door to Fort Totten is Sully’s Hill National Game Preserve. This is a 1,600-acre refuge for elk, deer, bison, and other wildlife, which are visible from the hiking trails.
Another big attraction is the Dakota Sioux Casino, which is one of North Dakota’s largest.
Apart from Nevada and New Jersey, casino-style gambling is only permitted on Indian reservations throughout the United States.
Devils Lake Municipal Airport services the area, and Grand Forks has an international airport.
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