News Release

Tom Smith selected as superintendent of Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

A man wearing a grey shirt, green tie, and gold ranger badge smiles at the camera

NPS

News Release Date: October 29, 2024

Contact: Emilee Franklin, [phone]

OMAHA, Neb. — The National Park Service (NPS) has selected Tom Smith as the superintendent of Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site located in Stanton, North Dakota. Smith is currently the site manager at Manhattan Project National Historical Park for Los Alamos. He will assume his new role at Knife River in December.

 
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site was established in 1974 by Congress to preserve the most complete archeological record of upper Missouri River earthlodge village remains in the United States. The villages served as an important trading and agricultural hub for Northern Plains tribes over thousands of years.  The villages were part of a trading network that stretched from Minnesota to the Great Plains, Gulf Coast, and the Pacific Northwest. The villages thrived until 1837 when a series of smallpox outbreaks devastated the population, and the remaining people were moved to the Fort Berthold Reservation in central North Dakota. Today, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, maintain a strong connection to their ancestral homeland.  
 
“I am pleased to announce Tom Smith as the new superintendent at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site,” said NPS Midwest Regional Director Bert Frost. “His familiarity with the resource and community, along with his creative and collaborative approach to leading and decision-making, will serve the park and community well. I look forward welcoming him back to the Midwest Region.”
 
Smith brings almost 20 years of NPS experience to his new assignment. He began his career working as a seasonal interpretation ranger at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument which led to his first permanent appointment as lead ranger at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in Montana. In 2015, he served as a supervisory park ranger at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas before joining the staff at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail as the training specialist in 2016 where he served until 2023. Smith’s NPS experience also includes an acting superintendent assignment at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site from October 2022 to January 2023.
 
“I am honored to be selected as superintendent of Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site,” said Smith. “I look forward to collaborating with all who are connected to this special place and who call this their ancestral homeland. It is a privilege to continue the legacy of dedicated stewardship of those who served before me.” 
 
Tom and his wife Helen, who also works for the NPS, are planning to relocate to North Dakota in December with their son and two dogs. They are looking forward to establishing themselves in the community. In their spare time, they enjoy gardening, camping, and fishing.