Sgt. Gass visits a Mandan village and sees them offer food to a sacred buffalo skull—to the Mandans a gratitude ritual but to him “superstitious credulity”. Clark explains yesterday’s jealousy between the two interpreters‘ wives, and the gunsmithing skills of Pvt. Shields is described.
Interpreters Misunderstand
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
A Jealous Wife
a miss understanding took place between the two inturpeters on account of their Squars, one of the Squars of Shabownes [Charbonneau’s] Squars being Sick, I ordered my Servent [York] to, give her Some froot Stewed and tee at dift Tims which was the Cause of the misundstd
—William Clark
The Interior of the Hut of a Mandan Chief
Karl Bodmer (1809–1893)
Rare Book Division, The New York Public Library. “Das Innere der Hutte eines Mandan Häuptlings. Interieur de la cabane d’un chef Mandan. The interior of the hut of a Mandan chief.”[2]New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed 31 October 2019. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47da-c445-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99.
Mandan Gratitude Ritual
I went up with one of the men to the villages. They treated us friendly and gave us victuals. After we were done eating they presented a bowlful to a buffaloe head, saying, “eat that.” Their superstitious credulity is so great, that they believe by using the head well the living buffaloe will come and that they will get a supply of meat.
—Patrick Gass
John Shields, Gunsmith
My Landlord went down to the Americans to get his Gun Mended. They have a very Expert smith, who is always Employed in making dift. things & working for the Indians, who are grown very font of them although they disliked them at first.
—François-Antoine Larocque[3]20 January 1805, W. Raymond Wood and Thomas D. Thiessen, Early Fur Trade on the Northern Plains: Canadian Traders among the Mandan and Hidatsa Indians, 1738–1818 (Norman: University of Oklahoma … Continue reading
Celestial Observations
Observed Equal altitudes of the
, with Sextant & glass horizon.
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
Ther. at Weather Wind at Thert. at 4 P.M. Weather Wind at 4 P.M. River 28 fair N E 9 [below 0] cloudy S E raise ¾ in. —Meriwether Lewis[4]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Plan a trip related to January 20, 1805:
Fort Mandan is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The North Dakota Department of Parks and Recreation manages a modern reconstruction and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center located at US Hwy 83 and ND Hwy 200A.
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. A unit of the National Park System, the site is located at 564 County Road 37, one-half mile north of Stanton, North Dakota. It has exhibits, trails, and a visitor center.
Notes
| ↑1 | Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed 31 October 2019. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47da-c445-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99. |
| ↑3 | 20 January 1805, W. Raymond Wood and Thomas D. Thiessen, Early Fur Trade on the Northern Plains: Canadian Traders among the Mandan and Hidatsa Indians, 1738–1818 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1985), 149–50. |
| ↑4 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations. |
