The 200th commemoration of the Lewis and Clark expedition has turned out to be a journey no one wants to take.

Events held across the nation have drawn far fewer people than expected. In Great Falls, Montana, the city ended up $535,000 in debt.

"People acted like they would rather stay home and mow the lawn," George Horse Capture, one of the organizers, told The Wall Street Journal.

Horse Capture, who is Gros Ventre from the Fort Belknap Reservation, says national officials exaggerated interest in the commemoration. "People feel like they were sold a bill of goods," he tells the paper. "By the time it got here, everyone was pretty L & C'd out."

Some tribes are participating in the events and have signed up as sponsors. But many are highlighting the negative aspects of the expedition and its effect on Native people. The Fort Belknap Indian Community held a "Corps of Recovery" to protest the commemoration.

Get the Story:
Lewis and Clark Are Met With a Yawn After 200 Years (The Wall Street Journal 7/19)

Relevant Links:
Stop Lewis and Clark - http://www.stoplewisandclark.org
Corps of Discovery II - http://www.nps.gov/lecl/CorpsII/Corps2.htm

Related Stories:
Editorial: Crow Tribe hosts historic gathering (7/18)
Nez Perce Tribe to host Lewis and Clark event (06/05)
Yellow Bird: Tribes mark return of Lewis and Clark (05/23)
Chinook Nation greets Lewis and Clark expedition (11/18)
Crow Tribe to take part in Lewis and Clark event (11/02)
Tribes reluctant to mark Lewis and Clark journey (10/31)
Nez Perce Tribe re-enacts Lewis and Clark meet (09/22)
Indian woman to re-enact role of Sacagawea (07/29)
Documentary tells Blackfeet side of Lewis and Clark (07/26)
Editorial: Indian symposium boasts top names (07/01)
Montana tribes share culture at Lewis and Clark event (6/30)
Blackfeet opera being staged for first time in 95 years (6/30)
Lewis and Clark event puts spotlight on tribes (6/29)
Sacajawea descendant doesn't like other spellings (06/14)
Fort Belknap Tribes counter Lewis and Clark tour (05/27)
Opinion: Lewis and Clark not welcome at Fort Peck (05/03)
Rally in North Dakota aims to 'stop' Lewis and Clark (10/14)
Lewis and Clark re-enactors run into problems (10/05)
Man wants Lewis and Clark group to skip Pine Ridge (09/16)
Lemhi Shoshonis share Lewis and Clark experiences (01/26)