King Library to host Lewis and Clark exhibition

The exhibit will be in CSC's Reta King Library until April 18 and is open to the public free of charge.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their small group of voyagers crossed the traditional homelands of more than 50 American Indian tribes during their journey to the Pacific Coast and back.

The exhibit examines the monumental encounter of cultures and examines the past and present effects of that encounter on the lives of the tribes which still live in the region.

“What often gets lost in the story is that Lewis and Clark did not explore a wilderness -- they traveled through an inhabited homeland,” said Frederick E. Hoxie, the exhibit’s curator and Swanlund Professor of History at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “This expedition is part of the history of the native peoples the explorers met, and the exhibit offers us an opportunity to understand an Indian perspective on our shared American past.”

The Teton Sioux, Blackfeet, Nez Perce, Mandan, Umatilla and Walla Walla are just a few of the American Indian nations encountered by Lewis and Clark in the 19th century who continue to live in the same area on greatly reduced tribal lands. These tribes are committed to carrying on the lifeways and values of their ancient cultures, and to upholding their languages and traditions. “We are still here,” they often say.

“We are pleased to have been selected as a site for this exhibition,” said Milton Wolf, King Library Director. “The story of the Lewis and Clark expedition is well-known to most Americans, especially because of the recent bicentennial celebrations, but the Native American perspective on their voyage is not as well known. It is important to understand that although this great journey essentially opened American eyes to the West and encouraged national expansion, it also contributed to a dramatic change in the well-established cultures of the Indian tribes already living in the region. In many ways, the Lewis and Clark expedition was analogous to the adventures of the TV series Star Trek, where variegated cultures came into contact for the first time.”

In 1800, the American Indian communities along the path of Lewis and Clark were thriving. Hunting, fishing, farming and commerce were the foundations for tribal prosperity. Indians provided vital assistance to the explorers -- the Voyage of Discovery most likely would not have been the success it was without their aid. But by 1900, American Indians found it almost impossible to maintain their traditional lifeways. Mining, homesteading, ranching and the fur trade had all undermined the centuries-old traditions of the Indian country. Smallpox decimated tribes and “Americanization” campaigns sought to suppress all aspects of traditional culture.

“Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country” draws upon original documents in the rich American Indian collections of the Newberry Library, and in the collections of the Washington State Historical Society, the Minnesota Historical Society and other institutions. Photographs of handwritten documents, maps, paintings and drawings provide a colorful background for the story of the encounter.

Organized by the Newberry Library of Chicago, in cooperation with the American Library Association Public Programs Office, “Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country” was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Additional support came from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Sara Lee Foundation is the lead corporate sponsor. Ruth C. Ruggles and the National Park Service also supported the exhibit.

The King Library is sponsoring free programs and other events for the public in connection with the exhibit. The library's Dorset Graves Lecture Series will present special lectures to coincide with “Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country.” The first of those presentations is Tuesday, March 11.

Contact the King Library at (308) 432-6271 or visit http://www.csc.edu/Library/Lewis&Clark for more information.