How do we know so much about the Lewis and Clark expedition? What happened to all of the "stuff" that Lewis and Clark collected? Join us for a tour of Lewis & Clark: The National Bicentennial Exhibition on display at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis. This traveling exhibition, in development for seven years, features the largest collection of artifacts and documents from the expedition, together for the first time in 200 years. The exhibit curator, Carolyn Gilman, will lead a tour through the exhibit. What stories can the objects tell about the expedition? What clues can the historical evidence reveal? The exhibit focuses on the expedition's encounters with Indian cultures and the challenges of traversing the human landscape. What did Lewis and Clark see? What didn't they see because they couldn't understand? Lewis and Clark described Indian women as oppressed and Indians as poor were they? Their encounter with the Teton Sioux ended in a tense stand-off. What happened? This two-part program offers an introduction to this national exhibition which will travel to Philadelphia, Denver, Portland, and Washington, D.C. For more information about the exhibition and the teacher curriculum, visit www.lewisandclarkexhibit.org.
Contents of the Broadcast:
1. Opening to 4:46--Welcome, introduction of curator Carolyn Gilman, and a quick video review of where we left off in the exhibition at the end of Part 1.
2. 4:46 to 9:48--This section focuses on the exhibition room entitled "Crossing the Divide." Topics explored in the room include the physical act of crossing the geographic Continental Divide, as well as the cultural divide and language barriers that had to be crossed when the expedition met the Shoshones and asked for horses, as well as Sacagawea's role in that meeting. Highlighted artifacts include a telescope owned by Meriwether Lewis. Student questions are included.
3. 9:48 to 24:13--Next, we move to the section of the exhibition entitled "Dressed in Courage." This theme room explores the importance of artifacts in communication and how they were used as members of the expedition interacted with Indians. Focus is on soldier/warrior uniforms, as well as other types of clothing used by each group. Highlighted artifacts include a portrait of Lewis in the tippet he received from Cameawhait, a replica uniform of the U.S. Army in the early 1800s, Indian warrior clothing of the time including a war shirt, Lewis' Masonic apron, and a Lakota bustle. Student questions are included.
4. 24:13 to 31:29--Our next journey section takes us "Across the Mountains to Ocean in View." Topics explored in the room include the Indians of the plateau region, the Columbia River valley, and the coast, as well as the climate and geography of the region. Highlighted artifacts include socks of the type worn at the time, paintings depicting the expedition's time in the mountains, and a whalebone club. Student questions are included.
5. 31:29 to 37:29--"Trade and Property" is the exhibition's next section. Topics explored deal with Euro-American and Indian views of trade, commerce, property, ownership, and currency. Highlighted artifacts include a branding iron found in the Columbia River valley with the words "Capt. M. Lewis" on it, a dentalium belt, blue beads, and a Spanish dollar. Student questions are included.
6. 37:29 to 44:08--The next theme explored in the exhibition is "Curing and Plants." Topics include Indian and Euro-American use of plants as medicines and the importance of identifying and preserving plants to the expedition's scientific mission. Highlighted artifacts include a medicine chest of the time period and plant specimens preserved during the expedition. Student questions are included.
7. 44:08 to 48:20--The next to last room of the exhibition deals with "The Return Trip" and reflects the lands traveled by the expedition as they make their way back to St. Louis. Topics explored in this room include Lewis' incident with the Blackfeet and the speed of the return trip. Highlighted artifacts include a Blackfeet war shirt and pistols of the time period.
8. 48:20 to End--This section takes us through the final room of the exhibition entitled "Discovering Each Other." Topics explored include what the Indians and Euro-Americans learned about each other and the land they lived in as a result of the expedition and how they recorded and shared their learnings. Highlighted artifacts include Clark's Estimate of the Eastern Indians, an effigy pipe bowl, a winter count, and Clark's map of the the continent drawn after the expedition concluded. Questions from student groups are also included as well as thank yous and closing comments.
