Tribes and the Expedition in Montana

Thomas Jefferson's plans for the expedition included friendly contact and the establishment of trade with the Native Americans. Lewis and Clark's contact with dozens of tribes was quite an educational experience. The U.S. government had no idea that so many native nations existed. Its knowledge of relations between the tribes and the balance of power in the new territory was very limited. This led to some of the most serious mistakes made and risks taken by the Corps.

Lewis and Clark were the first government representatives to penetrate the new territory and what they learned would shape American policy for the next century. To them, it was a wilderness, but to the native nations, the West had been home for centuries. They had thrived, established distinct cultures, and forged their own civilizations long before the Spanish, English, French and Americans arrived on the scene.

There had been contact between the tribes and European cultures before, but it was limited. In the years following initial contact by the Spanish, European treatment of the native nations had varied. Approaches ranged from treating Native Americans as just another resource to be exploited to recognizing them as sovereign entities and trading partners.

Most historians agree that there were contradictions in Lewis and Clark's approach to the Native Americans. From their journals, it is clear they didn't always see Native Americans as equals, but they did record their admiration for most of the tribes they met. In some instances, their fear and apprehension in being so greatly outnumbered led them to be less than honest in their dealings.

Thomas Jefferson's attitude toward the tribes influenced the expedition's approach and national policy for decades after his presidency. An air of paternalism would lead the government to move from treating tribes as nations to attempting to forcibly assimilate them into white culture.

For now, it is 1805 and the future is unwritten. The Corps of Discovery is composed of 33 people, venturing into unmapped territory populated by unknown people who speak hundreds of dialects. Lewis and Clark carry trade items and peace medals as gifts for tribal leaders. Their intent is to establish trade and communications with tribes. First, they will have to inform them that the United States now claims their land as its own.

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