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by Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee (Author), Elders Cultural Advisory Council (Author), Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (Author)
On September 4, 1805, in the Bitterroot Valley of what is now western Montana, more than four hundred Salish people were encamped, preparing for the fall bison hunt and harvesting chokecherries as they had done for countless generations. Then scouts spotted the approaching Lewis and Clark Expedition--for most Salish, the first non-Indians ever seen. Once the chiefs decided the group posed no threat, the camp welcomed them with traditional hospitality, providing food, supplies, and horses.
For the first time, an Indigenous community offers an in-depth examination of the events and historical significance of its encounter with the expedition. In this deeply researched, richly illustrated book, Salish elders recount in detail what their ancestors' told about the meeting. But the book also provides a powerful portrait of the tribal world the expedition was traversing, including a tour of the ancient Salish place-names scattered along trails followed by the visitors.
This book is a startling departure from previous accounts of Lewis and Clark. Rather than looking at Indigenous people within the context of the expedition, it examines the expedition within the context of tribal history. The elders help us understand the arrival of non-Indians as not the beginning of Montana's history, but as a very recent chapter in a far longer Indigenous narrative.
The Salish People and the Lewis and Clark Expedition sheds new light on the meaning of the expedition--and illuminates the people who greeted them and, despite much of what followed, thrive in their homeland today.
