Author:
Aujalee Moore, April Campbell
Subject:
English Language Arts, Social Science
Material Type:
Lesson, Lesson Plan
Level:
Middle School
Tags:
  • SB 13
  • Tribal History/Shared History
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives
    Language:
    English

    Education Standards

    English Language Arts: Lewis & Clark: A Native American View

    English Language Arts: Lewis & Clark: A Native American View

    Overview

    The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–1806 was of great consequence for the developing
     United States, the future state of Oregon, and the Native American people who had been living in
     the American West for thousands of years. The passage of time, mythmaking, and selective interpretation have obscured or distorted both minor and major realities about the purposes of the
     expedition, the people involved, and its impact. As is said, every story has (at least) two sides, and
     until recently the Native American point of view has rarely been heard.

      In this lesson, students will learn about primary and secondary sources, as well as point of view
    and bias and the impact they can have on the intention behind the recording and retelling of
    history.

    English Language Arts: Lewis & Clark: A Native American View

    The Lewis and Clark Expedition, which began in May 1804 and ended in September 1806, was the first U.S. government-sponsored expedition to explore the interior of the American West. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, to explore and map the newly acquired territory of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, find an overland route to the Pacific Ocean, and establish an American presence in the region before other European countries tried to claim it. The expedition was also charged with studying the region’s plants and animals, and learning about and establishing trade with the Native American tribes they encountered.

    The expedition was generally successful in meeting these goals, and it has been commemorated and honored as a pivotal moment in U.S. history ever since. However, much of the interpretation of the expedition and the history of the American West since then has omitted, obscured, or minimized the contributions Native Americans made to the expedition and its impact on them afterwards. The Corps of Discovery crossed paths with more than 50 tribes, whose generosity, hospitality, and forbearance enabled the corps to complete the voyage from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back (as Lewis, Clark, and other corps members attested in their journals).

    Unfortunately, Lewis and Clark also helped open the American West to Euro-American encroachment, settlement, and colonialism, which had catastrophic consequences for many generations of Indigenous people.

    The story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition is only one example of how the Native American perspective has been left out of the historical record, often intentionally. Slowly, this is beginning to change, as more Native people, in Oregon and elsewhere, are finding ways to share their versions of the story of U.S. history and to counter the ignorance and arrogance that often accompanies it.

    Use the links below to access resources for this lesson: