URL: http://www.indianz.com/news/2003/000348.asp

Mankiller: Native history is part of America
Monday, January 27, 2003

"Across the country, history-minded revelers are beginning to celebrate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which spurred the settlement of the West by European Americans.

The anniversary promises several years of celebration and study, possibly surpassing the hoopla surrounding the 1976 bicentennial of America's Declaration of Independence. As our nation honors exploration and "manifest destiny," however, we should not ignore the fact that Lewis and Clark also opened the West for exploitation of native people.

We should use this impending national focus that got under way this month to celebrate and support Native cultures, which continue to be threatened by more than 200 years of settlement and policymaking. We should also reflect on the indigenous people Lewis and Clark encountered, not as icons or objects of curiosity, but as mothers, fathers, grandparents and children, whose lives were forever changed by the expedition."

Get the Story:
Wilma Mankiller: Lewis and Clark celebration should include recognition of Native cultures (The Seattle Times 1/26)

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

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