Tribes look to future and past with Lewis and Clark

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Facebook Twitter Email
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2003

A GIFT TO BUSH: Secretary of Interior Gale Norton accepts star quilt from Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. Charlottesville, Virginia. January 18, 2003. Photo © NSM.

Representatives of several Indian nations whose ancestors greeted explorers Lewis and Clark braved the bitter cold on Saturday to mark the start of a multi-year, multi-state and multi-tribe bicentennial commemoration of the historic expedition.

The crowd fell short of the 3,000 that were expected at the home of President Thomas Jefferson, whose vision initiated the journey. But spirits were warm as tribal members from all over the country took part in the official kick-off at Charlottesville, Virginia.

Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation of North Dakota, drew repeated applause for his remarks. Native people don't view the ongoing events as much of celebration, he said, but are nonetheless looking forward to sharing their stories in the next three years.

"Tribes have contributed tremendously along the trail," he told the audience. "Without the tribes, clearly there would not be a story."

Those sentiments were echoed by other speakers, Native and non-Native alike. Amy Mossett, co-chair of the tribal advisory group to the commemoration and a member of Hall's tribe, gave a tribute to Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who served as peacebroker and guide for the 1803-1806 journey to the West.

"She was the most celebrated woman in our history, this mysterious, almost mythical figure," she said. "But for the Hidatsa and Shoshone, she is our ancestor. She lived among us, walked among us, laughed and cried and loved among us. Her spirit remains with us."

James P. Ronda, an author who was presented with a special star quilt by Hall and Mossett, said Indian people aren't "extras" in Lewis and Clark history. "They were at the center of the story.”

With 18 "signature" events taking place between now and 2006, the commemoration is a "journey of many voices that we can make together," said Secretary of Interior Gale Norton. Bearing a banner that read "Norton and Bush destroy what Lewis and Clark explored," a couple of protesters tried to drown out her speech.

Norton accepted, on President Bush's behalf, another star quilt that was made by Shirley Grady, an award-winning quilter from New Town, North Dakota.

Nearly 60 tribes are located or have ancestral lands along the Lewis and Clark trail. Many are taking part in the upcoming ceremonies, even if they lack recognition by the federal government, like the Chinook of Washington, several of whom attended Saturday's kick-off, and the Monacan of Virginia, whose leaders shared the stage with Norton and the other dignitaries.

Hall said the continued presence of Native people is a testament to their legacy but also to the commitment of a future that "one America" can share. "We are here, we are alive and well," he said.

Called the Corps of Expedition II: 200 Years to the Future, the federal government's ode to Lewis and Clark is overseen by Gerard Baker of the National Park Service. Baker is a Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribal member.

Relevant Links:
National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial - http://www.lewisandclark200.org
Lewis and Clark 200 - http://www.lewisandclark200.gov