A creature swims beneath the frozen Missouri River, its saw-blade spine slicing through solid ice. It's covered in blazing red hair. It has a single horn. And a single eye.

According to Dakota folklore, seeing the Miniwashitu in daylight wasn't merely frightening—it was fatal. Those who looked upon the creature were said to lose their sanity and eventually die.

On the premiere episode of Tell Me Something Strange, host Rena Dwelle explores the dark history, chilling eyewitness account, and surprising hidden meaning behind one of North Dakota's most fascinating and little-known legends: The Miniwashitu.

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SOURCES & FURTHER READING

• Prairie Smoke by Melvin Randolph Gilmore (1922)

• KX News: What is the Miniwashitu? North Dakota's little-known river monster

• Atlas Obscura: The Legend of North Dakota's Blindness-Inducing River Monster

• Coffeehouse Writers: North Dakota's Miniwashitu

Special thanks to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan State Historic Site for their assistance and permission to use archival photography in the promotion of this episode.

Every town has its legends. Every family has its stories.Join host Rena Dwelle as she explores folklore, ghost stories, strange history, cryptids, mysteries, and the unexplained. From local legends to forgotten tales and the stories people still whisper about today, each episode invites you to pull up a chair and hear something strange.