October 19, 2007

Lewis and Clark traveling exhibition on display at Purdue's Hicks Undergraduate Library

The exhibition, called "Lewis & Clark and the Indian Country: Two Hundred Years of American History," will feature documents in the rich Native American collections of the Newberry Library in Chicago and other institutions, said Valerie J. Yazza, a visiting assistant professor and project director.

It also will examine the past and present effects on the Native American tribes that still inhabit the region.

Purdue, which opened the display Friday (Oct.12), is the first of 23 stops the exhibit will make, spending six weeks at each place. It is free and open to the public.

"This exhibit tells one of the impact stories of our nation," Yazza said. "Schoolchildren still learn about Lewis and Clark in their history lessons. This exhibit explains the brilliant plan for living and sharing of resources that each tribal community offered to the people of the corps. Each viewer will come away with different appreciations, but the most vital aspect to take away from the exhibit is the Native American perspective. It is a perspective that needs to be included for the younger generation of Native and non-Native students alike.

"Several area schools have already scheduled times to bring students to view the exhibit, and we invite everyone to visit and see some of the rich documents and collections from 200 years ago."

After the Louisiana Purchase doubled the nation's size, President Thomas Jefferson chose Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to journey overland to the Pacific Ocean following the Missouri and Columbia rivers. In 1804, Lewis and Clark and a small company of explorers began their trek in St. Louis, coming upon Native Americans such as the Blackfeet, Nez Perce, Umatilla, Mandan and Walla Walla nations, tribes that still have a presence on those lands and continue the values and cultures of their ancestors.

The journey, which they called "Corps of Discovery," ended in 1806. The exhibit gives a glimpse into the variety of relationships Native peoples and the Lewis and Clark team forged with one another.

In 1800, the Native American communities along the path of Lewis and Clark were thriving. Hunting, fishing, farming and commerce were the foundations for tribal prosperity, and Indians provided vital assistance to the explorers. However, by 1900, Native Americans found it almost impossible to maintain their traditional ways of life. Mining, homesteading, ranching and the fur trade all had undermined the centuries-old traditions of the Indian country. Smallpox decimated tribes, and "Americanization" campaigns sought to suppress all aspects of traditional culture.

The exhibit includes photographs of handwritten documents, maps, paintings and drawings. In addition to the Newberry Library collections, items from the Washington State Historical Society, the Minnesota Historical Society and other institutions are displayed.

The exhibition was organized by the Newberry Library in cooperation with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Great Ideas for Life, provided a major grant. Additional support came from the University of Illinois, lead corporate sponsor Sara Lee Foundation, and Ruth C. Ruggles and the National Park Service.

Community partners, including the West Lafayette Public Library, the Tippecanoe County Public Library and the Tippecanoe Historical Association, are supporting this exhibit with related programming and events throughout October and November. A full list of events is available at https://www.lib.purdue.edu/lewisandclark.

Writer: Jim Bush (765) 494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu

Source: Valerie J. Yazza, (765) 494-2626, vyazza@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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