Lewis & Clark Encounter with the Teton Sioux

the Commerce which may be carried on with the people inhabited the line you will pursue renders and knowledge of those people important you will therefore as far as a diligent pursuit of your journey shall admit endeavor to make yourself acquainted Thomas Jefferson as they moved up the river that summer in what is now Nebraska and South Dakota the Corps of Discovery met with several bands of Native Americans the Oto's the Arikara s-- and the Yankton Sioux the captains told each tribe that their land now belonged to the United States and that a man far away in the east was their new great father each encounter was marked by friendly relations and fell into a predictable pattern of ceremony they give up these peace medals that had Jefferson on one side and two hands shaking on the other they'd give up these little certificates that say you know spotted weasels now an official chief and they give up presence of mirrors and cloth and tobacco and sometimes whiskey although one tribe said why would you give us something that would make us fools then they would show off for for the tribes they fire their guns and they had a big cannon that they'd shoot to say we're you know were from a very mighty country and then they'd have the speeches children the great chief of the seventeen great nations of America has sent us out to clear the road and make it a road of peace William Clarke children you are to live in peace with all the white men in Gernot the persons of any traders who visit you under the protection of your great father's flag Meriwether Lewis children follow his counsels and you will have nothing to fear because the Great Spirit will smile upon your nation and in future ages will make you outnumber the trees of the forest the speech that losing Clarke gave the tribes there was a lot of promises in it there was a promises of friendship there was promises of love helping each other survive there was a there was a promise of this is your territory we're not going to interfere with it this is your lives not going to fear with it and so they believed them they believed them that's why they welcomed with open arms and they even even after that speech was over my heart is glad her than it ever was before to see a white man if you want to open the road no one can prevent it it will always be open to you when you return if I am living you will see me again the same man we shall look at the river with impatience for your return cacao salsa lightning crow according to the Yankton Sioux during the expedition's visit a child was born Lewis wrapped the baby boy in a United States flag and declared him an American but a chief also issued a warning the next tribe up the Missouri he told the captains will not open their ears and you cannot I fear open them they were the Teton Sioux also known as the Lakota and their reputation had already reached Washington you will probably meet with parties of the Teton Sioux on that nation we wish most particularly to make a friendly impression because of their immense power the Lakota had only recently migrated west onto the Great Plains but they were now the most powerful force in the region dominating every other tribe around them for years they had intimidated French and Spanish boatman stopped some from continuing upriver demanded tribute from others even confiscated canoes and all their cargo utterly controlling the flow of trade goods along the Missouri on the morning of September 25th near what is now Pierre South Dakota the Corps of Discovery met the Teton Sioux while large numbers of Lakotas gathered on both sides of the river Chiefs named black Buffalo the partisan and Buffalo medicine along with 30 warriors came over to talk even William Clarke who had been in scrapes with Indians before seemed anxious gave the three Chiefs three new medals and one American flag some knives and other small articles of goods they did not appear to talk much until they had got the goods and then they wanted more and said we must stop with them or leave one of the canoes with them as that was what they expected John Ordway the two times who tried to force at all that was beyond the expedition's ability to pay and when the expedition wouldn't pay it not enough to backhoe not enough whiskey not enough beads not enough guns which was principally what they wanted they made an attempt to stop the expedition when Clarke brought the Chiefs back to shore after showing them the keel boat three warriors seized his canoes tow-rope the partisan began arguing with Clarke who drew his sword along the bank Lakota warriors notched their arrows on board the keel boat Lewis loaded the Canada the fate of the entire expedition hung in the balance captain Clark told them that he must and would go on that we were not squaws but warriors the chief said he had warriors too and if we were to go on they would follow us and kill and take the whole of us by degrees this was the tensest moment because you had hundreds of Indians in the river bank with their bows struck and Clark with his sword brought ready to drive it through the heart of the Teton Sioux chiefs if they didn't let go or the core of that canoes they were trying to hold on to the forces payment mark was ready to act I felt myself grow warm he wrote in his journal at that moment black Buffalo intervened and diplomatically changed the subject his only request he said was that the women and children of his village also be allowed to come and see the keelboat and meet the Explorers before they moved on Clarke quickly agreed and for three more days the expedition nervously stayed among the Lakota they appear to be the most friendly people I ever saw but they will steal and plunder if they can get an opportunity about 15 days ago they had a battle with the Omaha's they killed 65 men and took 25 women prisoners they took the 65 Omaha scalps and had them hung on small poles which their women held in their hands when they danced they had drums and whistles for music they kept it up until 1:00 o'clock dancing war dances around the fire which was curious to us Joseph Whitehouse by the time the expedition moved on Clark had formed an opinion of the lakotas different from his attitude toward all other Indians these are the vilest miscreants of the savage race they must ever remain the Pirates of the Missouri until such measures are pursued by our government as will make them feel a dependence on its will for their supply of merchandise William Clark

Channel: Shane Fairbanks

Views: 160,694

Rating: 4.781301 out of 5

Keywords: Lewis and Clark, Lewis & Clark, Teton Sioux, Corps of Discovery, Sioux, Lakota

Id: UDLBPkpvUQ8

Length: 9min 54sec (594 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 08 2013