Lewis and Clark - Essay Example

Lewis and Clark It is a story that is not often told but that should never be forgotten. It is the story of the conquered, of the ‘other’ and of the past. This is the story that is told in Ella E. Clark’s article “Watkuese and Lewis and Clark”.1 In this article, Clark traces an old Indian story through several sources to help prove its apparent validity and emphasize the importance of individual thinking, as well as the input of the female, in the major events that have shaped this country, such as the expedition undertaken by Lewis and Clark.

Although it is difficult to verify her assertions, the story told is both plausible and instructive in reminding us that the past is not always fully recorded in our history books and that there is typically more than one way to tell a tale. In her article, Clark tells the story of an old Indian woman of the Nez Perce tribe who possibly prevented the bloodshed that would have ended the Lewis and Clark expedition upon its first arrival in Idaho territory. According to the story recorded, a young woman of the tribe had been captured by a neighboring tribe and held captive.

Before she could return home, she was again captured by a tribe that lived further east and was taken to their home. Evidently, she was gone for a long time, because she had a child during her captivity and waited until he was crawling around before she made her escape. Carrying him with her, she headed toward the setting sun and her childhood home, facing many difficulties and burying her child on the way. However, during this difficult journey, she was helped by a group of white men who took pity on her.

It was this assistance that saved Lewis and Clark and their entire entourage. When the expedition descended into the Nez Perce valley on the day that the woman died, she overheard some of the tribe talking about the strange people that had come upon them and their plans to kill them. The woman begged the tribal elders to allow the white men to live, at least long enough to try to communicate with them. This was done and the expedition was saved, both from instant annihilation as well as from starvation and sickness as the Indians agreed to trade with them.

The article attempts to prove the validity of the story by recounting its appearance in as many as three different sources, all relatively documenting the same basic events. Although no mention is made of the woman or the precarious balance the expedition walked within the journals of Lewis or Clark, the author of this article indicates that it is probable they never knew of their peril. The woman who spoke for them before they had the chance to exchange even the first handshake died the day they arrived and the difficulties of language made only rudimentary communication possible.

However, the evident condition of the party as evidenced in these journals indicates that had the woman not spoken out in their favor, the Lewis and Clark expedition would have easily died out on the Idaho plains. In their illness and weakness brought about through starvation and malnutrition, the party presented an easily defeated group to the Indians nearby just as the food and resources of the Indians enabled them to continue moving forward. The article is simple and lacks the appropriate scholarly references that would imbue it with validity, but its purpose is much more complex.

It points out the importance of collecting the viewpoints of the conquered and oppressed as these can provide greater insight into the true history of our past. At the same time, it illustrates the importance of women in determining the course of events in world history. Finally, it encourages greater cooperation between peoples as it was only through cooperation among the Nez Perce that enabled the expedition to continue unmolested and in restored health. References Clark, Ella E. (July 1953).

“Watkuese and Lewis and Clark.” Western Folklore. Vol. 12, N. 3, pp. 175-178.