In addition to the construction of a temporary Mandan Indian village on the University of Mary campus, complete with living history, a virtual Mandan Indian village will be built by North Dakota State University.

"Actually, it will be On-A-Slant village at 1776, but it will work just fine," Potter said. The cyber village will be used for interpretation at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park after the signature event.

Organizers expect about 50,000 people during the 10-day commemoration, including nearly every schoolchild in the state.

Coordinating the event is Marion Houn, who is orchestrating the resources at the college and in the community to make sure visitors have a good experience.

"Visitors will get to meet just about anybody they'd ever heard of in the Lewis and Clark Expedition -- living history," Potter said. "Thomas Jefferson is even coming along this time."

North Dakota native, author and Lewis and Clark scholar Clay Jenkinson, who does the Thomas Jefferson Hour carried here by Prairie Public Radio, will broadcast two weekends from Bismarck-Mandan, Hoen said.

Other major Lewis and Clark figures already signed up include James Ronda, Dayton Duncan, Ray Wood and Thomas Theissen.

The theaters and classrooms at Mary will be the stage for demonstrations, lectures and programs, and there will be music, dance and plenty of school tours.

The project is receiving a combination of federal, state and local government funding, as well as private funding. At the signature event itself, there are no plans to charge admission.

The temporary village will become a window through which visitors will be able to see what Upper Missouri life was like for the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara before Lewis and Clark. It will create a village square, focusing on living history, and will talk about the Mandan villages as the center of a large trading network.

"We've invited and expect school kids from Fort Berthold to come down and take part," Potter said. "Ideally, we'd like them to do interpretation for other school children in the state. For example, a class from Fort Berthold teaching a class from Dickinson to count to 10 in Mandan."

Once the signature event is over, the earth lodges will go to various appropriate places -- a continuing legacy, Potter said.

The Arikara want to adopt one lodge, providing interpretation and artifacts.

The city of Mandan is talking about financing one of the earth lodges, and placing it in Sitting Bull Park, just south of the Sitting Bull Bridge, on Highway 1806, after the event.

"Tribal involvement. That's what will make this event worthy of national and international attention," Potter said.