Lewis and Clark Expedition: Impact on Native American Culture

Introduction

The Lewis and Clark Expedition heralded the rise of a new and mighty American nation. However, this exploration also signaled the loss of tribal culture and traditional values, which is why many historians rightly attribute the expedition to be the "beginning of the end" of Native American culture.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition was a phenomenal undertaking that had a significant impact on the American nation in terms of both geographical expansion and cultural influence. The exploration was the outcome of the long-cherished dream and vision of President Jefferson. The project, envisioned by Jefferson, was led by Meriwether Lewis, a twenty-eight-year-old army officer, together with his friend William Clark, a thirty-two-year-old army man. The expedition was essentially a commercial exploration planned to investigate the possibility of using the Mississippi River as a communication route and to increase trade with Native Indians. Jefferson organized a contingent to explore the hitherto uncharted territory and to discover a northwest route.

Key Members of the Expedition

The expedition began nearly two centuries ago, on July 5, 1803. Meriwether Lewis was appointed by President Jefferson to lead the task. The Louisiana Purchase greatly lessened the hardships of the expedition, as the party no longer needed to obtain permission from France to travel through much of the territory. By the end of August 1803, Lewis and his small entourage had traveled the Ohio River, and on October 15 they were joined by William Clark in Kentucky. There the members of the expedition were finally selected, and the group was composed of thirty-two men. The only casualty during the entire expedition was Charles Floyd, who died of appendicitis. On September 23, 1806, the expedition returned to St. Louis. Overall, the expedition lasted two years, four months, and nine days, and the group traveled a total distance of approximately 8,000 miles.

Lewis was a military officer and close associate of President Jefferson. He was well versed in Native Indian ways of life and had an inquisitive mind, which is why he was chosen to lead the expedition. In a letter to Benjamin Smith Barton, a naturalist at the University of Pennsylvania, Jefferson stated: "It was impossible to find a character who to a compleat science in botany, natural history, mineralogy & astronomy, joined the firmness of constitution & character, prudence, habits, adopted to the woods, & a familiarity with the Indian manners & character, requisite for this undertaking.... Altho' no regular botanist he possesses a remarkable store of accurate observation on all the subjects of the three kingdoms, & will therefore readily single out whatever presents itself new to him in either." [Jefferson National Expansion Museum]

William Clark was a skillful cartographer who created maps with fine detail. His detailed maps are still considered a great achievement given the limited equipment he had available to chart the territory. His people skills were also far superior to those of Lewis, and he maintained excellent relationships with the many Indian tribes the party encountered. It was due to this special quality that he was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the aftermath of the successful expedition. [University of Virginia]

The Role of Sacagawea

The Lewis and Clark expedition group encountered a variety of Indian tribes along their route and depended on help and assistance from these tribal groups. These Native American peoples were the first inhabitants of the vast lands of the American West. Sacagawea was a Native Indian teenage girl who proved to be of great help to the expedition. Nearly all historians assign great significance to her contribution.

Sacagawea is believed to have originally belonged to the Hidatsa tribe but was captured as a prisoner of war by the Shoshone tribe. She was multilingual and could speak Shoshone, Minitari, and French. The Lewis and Clark party needed horses to cross the Rocky Mountains, and for this they had to negotiate with the Shoshone tribes. Sacagawea was the ideal interpreter, and without her assistance the expedition would have been far more difficult.

Furthermore, Sacagawea had a deep understanding of the terrain and its vegetation, which was critical to the mission because the party had to survive on roots, fruits, and other available edibles for much of their journey. Above all, Lewis and Clark used Sacagawea as a peacemaker so that the Indian tribes would not mistake them for adversaries.

Cultural Impact on Native Indian Tribes

This expedition stands out as the single most important and unparalleled event in the annals of American history. It is unmistakably a symbol of American frontier expansion and the continuous drive for progress. However, in assessing the importance of the expedition, it is equally necessary to examine the impact it had on the native Indian tribes. The greatest impact was on the lives of these tribal communities. With the opening of the American West and the subsequent inroads made by settlers, tribal peoples were exposed to an entirely different world — one that was a far cry from their traditional way of living. From a pure dependence on nature, spiritual practice, and tribal custom, they were gradually encumbered by dependence on western traders and subjected to military influence. This resulted in a drastic change in their lifestyles, a loss of culture and traditional values, which is why many historians rightly attribute the Lewis and Clark Expedition to be the "beginning of the end" of tribal culture.

To illustrate this point, consider how contradictory the Native culture was from the European-American perspective. Fighting among different tribal groups was a common feature within the Native American community. It was the custom of the tribal groups to choose their chief by his success in tribal warfare. Yet one of the important tasks of the expedition was to put an end to the continuous fighting between rival tribes — a directive that directly conflicted with traditional Native ways. Clark, one of the co-leaders of the expedition, attempted to explain this idea to a native man from the Hidatsa tribe: "Now we're here, just stop fighting, we'll give you some goods and it's OK." But the native man retorted: "But if we have peace, how will we have chiefs? If we don't fight one another, how do we exist, how do we have chiefs?" [PBS] This exchange illustrates the enormous cultural divide between the Native Indians and the Americans.

Conclusion

The Lewis and Clark Expedition brought about a remarkable change in the American nation. It was the pathfinder for American frontier expansion, resulting in a single unified nation whose boundaries extended from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. However, this western expansion was not without its drawbacks. The exploration, and the settlements that followed, had a drastic impact on the culture of native Indian communities who had lived on those lands for centuries. For this reason, the expedition is viewed as the "beginning of the end" of Native culture.

In conclusion, the Lewis and Clark Expedition stands as an unparalleled event in the annals of American history — one that not only altered the fortunes of the American nation but also drastically changed the lives of the Native Indians who called that vast territory home.

PBS Media Inc. "How did Lewis and Clark Deal with the Indians they Encountered." Accessed April 4, 2003. http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/living/6.html

Fielder, Barbara. "Plains Indians: Polygamy." Accessed April 4, 2003. http://www.stpaulswgl.vic.edu.au/Depts/plains%20indians/Html/family.htm

Dieterle, Richard L. "Encyclopedia of Hotcak: Glossary of Indian Nations." Accessed April 4, 2003. http://hotcakencyclopedia.com/ho.GlossaryIndianNations.html

Heritage Foundation. "History of Lewis and Clark Expedition." Accessed April 4, 2003.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. "The Science of Lewis and Clark Expedition." Accessed April 4, 2003.

University of Virginia. "William Clark: A Map of part of the Continent of North America." Accessed April 4, 2003.

PBS Media Inc. "The Native Americans." Accessed April 4, 2003. http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/native/index.html