Lewis & Clark

"Clark on the Yellowstone", is a commemorative event honoring the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806. The event will be held at Pompey's Pillar near Billings, MT from July 22-25, 2006. The National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial has named "Clark on the Yellowstone" a National Signature Event in honor of its important historical significance. We invite you to join with us as we pay tribute to the historic, cultural and natural legacies associated with Captain William Clark's return journey in 1806.

Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commemoration -- The Official website of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial and the Circle of Tribal Advisors (COTA). This is a great place to get started on your journey of discovery about the Corps of Discovery.

The Montana Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission was created by the 55th Montana Legislature to aid in preparation for the Bicentennial of Lewis & Clark in Montana to be celebrated from 2003-2006. It is comprised of 12 Commissioners who are responsible for providing the overall leadership and coordination of Montana's Bicentennial Observance.

Blackfeet Commemorative Coins -- Awesome coins that commemorate the upcoming 200th anniversary of the fateful meeting on the Two Medicine River between Capt. Lewis and members of the Blackfeet Nation in July of 1806. These coins are authorized by the Blackfeet Tribe.

Lewis & Clark, The Journey of the Corps of Discovery A Film By Ken Burns -- Great PBS Website with good information on why Capt. Lewis' clash with the Blackfeet in July of 1806 marked the beginning of years of enmity between the Americans and the Blackfeet.

Point of View on the Conflict in South Dakota

Over the course of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial there have been important protests in South Dakota between American Indian protesters and a group of Lewis & Clark re-enactors who are traveling through Lakota Country. In an interesting twist of history, these recent events mirror actual events during the expedition when the Lewis & Clark group almost came to violence with the Teton Sioux during the trip up river.

The Montana Tribal Tourism Alliance hopes that the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial will provide economic benefit and opportunities for American Indian communities and individuals along the route of the expedition.

Our other, equally important, hope has always been that the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial would provide an opportunity for the voices of Indian People to be heard. Most Indian People feel that we are rarely heard and our stories -- outside of, "the alcoholism story" and the "Pow-Wow Dancer story" -- are virtually ignored by the mainstream media. Our stories are much richer and complex than that flat, two-dimensional model suggests.

As hard as it might be for some to understand, OUR history and OUR lives were forever altered by a cultural holocaust that was heralded by the coming of the "Corps of Discovery". The voices that you are hearing from our brothers and sisters in South Dakota are reflective of the pain and anguish of seven generations. It is right that their voices should be heard. We appreciate their commitment and encourage them to continue to speak out with love -- and without violence or hatred.

Our own twin hopes for the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial are reflected by the Tribes and the protesters in South Dakota who appear to be of differing opinions. We all welcome any glimmer of economic development that will help our people and our communities. At the same time, we all share the pain and anguish of those seven generations and a deep and abiding desire for our stories to be heard, understood and no longer be marginalized. We believe that the two ideas do not have to be in conflict.

If you are shocked by what you are hearing in South Dakota, perhaps you've not been carefully listening to the voices in Indian Country for some time now.