Lewis & Clark for the 21st Century: Indian Renaissance

Ed Brenegar Online

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Nez Perce Museum, Spalding, Idaho

These pictures are from the National Park Service Visitor Center/ Museum in Spalding, Idaho. It is one of three such sites along the Nez Perce trail. The other two are in Big Hole, Montana and Bear Paw, Montana.

Scenes of Visionary Enchantment

Views from along the Lewis & Clark Trail.

Beyond Lewis & Clark Exhibition

Military explorers were sent west as early as 1804 to observe and record everything they found. With each expedition, understanding about the American West became more complete. What they learned profoundly changed the nation. This exhibit addresses military explorers from Lewis and Clark (1804) to George Custer (1874). It is the result of a partnership between the Kansas State Historical Society, the Virginia and Washington State historical societies, the U. S. Army's Frontier Army Museum at Leavenworth, and the U. S. Army Center of Military History. - from the Exhibition website

Ft. Clatsop

Ft. Clatsop is the location where the Corps of Discovery spent the winter of 1805-06. This cover shot is from the town of Seaside, close to where the Corps established a salt works.

Marias River Confluence

The Marias River flows off to the left, and the Missouri River to the right. It was here that the Corps of Discovery spent a week in June of 1805 to determine which stream was the Missouri River.

White Cliffs, Missouri River

The White Cliffs are a spectacular stretch of the Missouri River in central Montana. The Corps of Discovery traveled through this area in May and June of 1805, and then on their return trip the next year.

Lolo Trail

The Lolo Trail is an old Indian trail that tribes in Idaho and Eastern Washington would take to the Buffalo hunting grounds in Montana. In September of 1805, the Lewis & Clark traveled this trail. On their return trip in 1806, they also traveled the trail.

Lemhi Pass

In August of 1805, the Lewis & Clark Expedition crossed the Lemhi Pass. When they did, they answered a question that had been lingering for over 300 years. Is there a water route across the continent? Is there a NorthWest passage? Is there a body of water that can shorten the length of time that commerical traffic can go from Europe to Asia? When Meriwether West reached this beautiful pass, he saw, not the Columbia River as expected, but ranges of ridges extending westward. In the face of disappointment, the character of the Corps of Discovery and their leaders did not quit, but proceeded on into the most difficult section of their journey, the crossing of the Bitteroot Mountains on the Lolo Trail

Beartooth Highway

The Beartooth Highway extends from Red Lodge, Montana to the NorthEast entrance of Yellowstone National Park at Cooke City. It is fabulous trip that can be done in just a few hours, as long as you are in the area.

Indian Post Office

This is a spot along the Lolo Trail, a trail that the Nez Perce Indian traveled from eastern Washington and Idaho to the Buffalo hunting grounds in Montana. It is suspected that these rock cairns were trail markers of sorts. The Lewis & Clark Expedition traveled the Lolo Trail in 1805/06. The Lolo Motorway trail marker has this interpretation. "None of the Lewis and Clark Expedition accounts mentions the presence of rock cairns at this place leading us to believe the route they followed left something of interest. No one has verified what purpose the cairs may have once served. Other mounds of rock can be found elsewhere along the Lolo Trail. Some believe these cairns marked a dividing trail off the main ridge trail. Others say these cairns were a place for early travelers to leave messages for those who would follow. This ara was named Indian Post Office in the early 1900s."

Lolo Motorway Signs

Here are signs that mark the significant stopping points along the Lolo Motorway. From the Clearwater National Forest brochure, Lewis & Clark On the Lolo Trail http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/LewisClark/Assets/lolo_trail_corridor.pdf Drive with Care! The Lolo Motorway is narrow, a one-lane road with nothing more than what nature supplies as a surface. Some stretches hold big rocks that can scrape the underside of a low-clearance vehicle. It’s best to drive a tough vehicle with high clearance and good tires. Towing trailers or driving RVs or motor homes on many stretches of the Motorway is not advised. The high elevation route is open and free of snow generally from July through September, sometimes longer. Lightning storms are common in July and August, and snow can come early.

« Update to Discovering Lewis-Clark.org | Main | Traveling the Trail »

September 10, 2004

Indian Renaissance

The September 2004 issue of National Geographic has a wonderful article on the current state of the American Indian.

When I talk about Lewis & Clark's lasting legacy, I think one of those legacies is the awareness that they brought to European Americans of the tribes they encountered along the trail. In some ways, their journals become an historical reference point for understanding the often tragic intersection between Indian tribes and American culture and history. It is far too complex a story to go into here. However, it is a story worth telling.

If there is someone who reads this posting, who has a greater intimacy with this topic, would you offer some comment on what you see in the L&C story and the article on Indian renaissance in National Geographic. I think this is one of the ways we can bridge the chasm of two hundred years, making relevant an expedition that happened long ago to people today.

The issue is worth picking up at a book shop as it has a fantastic map supplement in it.

September 10, 2004 in American History, Current Affairs | Permalink

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Comments

Hi Ed,

I certainly don't feel that I have any sort of "expertise" on this topic, but I am glad that you brought it up. One of my favorite Native American writers is Sherman Alexie, a poet from the Spokane tribe. He wrote a piece for Time magazine in 2002 titled, "What Sacagawea Means To Me," which is a powerful piece of writing I think. It speaks of the contradiction of our culture, our history and at the same time gives honor to to Sacagawea. Here's the link:

http://www.time.com/time/2002/lewis_clark/lprocon.html

Enjoy-

-Sean

Posted by: Sean | September 12, 2004 at 11:13 PM

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