September 30, 1806

Pike’s Pawnee Council

Held our grand council with the Pawnees, at which were present not less than 400 warriors, the circumstances of which were extremely interesting . . . . the Spaniards had left several of the their flags in this village; one of which was unfurled at the chief’s door the day of the grand council, and that amongst various demands and charges I gave them, was, that the said flag should be delivered to me, and one of the United States’ flags be received and hoisted in its place . . . . After a silence of some time, and old man rose, went to the door, and took down the Spanish flag, and brought it and laid it at my feet, and then received the American flag and elevated on the staff, which had lately borne the standard of his Catholic majesty. . . . I took the contest colors, and told them “that as they had now shewn themselves dutiful children in acknowledging their great American father, I did not wish to embarrass them with the Spaniards . . . . I returned them their flag, but with an injunction that it should never be hoisted during our stay.” At this there was a general shout of applause and the charge particularly attended to.
—Zebulon M. Pike^[1]Donald Jackson, The Journals of Zebulon Montgomery Pike (Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1966), 1:328–29.

Throughout their expedition, Lewis and Clark gifted flags from the United States. The recipients were expected to fly these American flags instead of those from their fur-trade competitors: Spain, Britain, and France. See Early American Flags, Indian Presentation Flags, and Flag Presentations.