On September 4, 1805, in the upper Bitterroot Valley of what is now western Montana, more than four hundred Salish people were encamped, pasturing horses, preparing for the fall bison hunt, and harvesting chokecherries as they had done for countless generations. As the Lewis and Clark Expedition ventured into the territory of a sovereign Native nation, the Salish met the strangers with hospitality and vital provisions while receiving comparatively little in return.

 

For the first time, a Native American community offers an in-depth examination of the events and historical significance of its encounter with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Salish People and the Lewis and Clark Expedition is a startling departure from previous accounts of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Rather than looking at Indian people within the context of the expedition, it examines the expedition within the context of tribal history. The arrival of non-Indians is therefore framed not as the beginning of the history of Montana or the West but as only a recent chapter in a far longer Native history. The result is a new understanding of the expedition and its place in the wider context of the history of Indian-white relations.

 

Based on three decades of research and oral histories, this book presents tribal elders recounting the Salish encounter with Lewis and Clark. Richly illustrated, The Salish People and the Lewis and Clark Expedition not only sheds new light on the meaning of the expedition but also illuminates the people who greeted Lewis and Clark and, despite much of what followed, thrive in their homeland today.

“[A] remarkable and beautifully produced book. . . . It flips the standard lens of history to portray a critical American historical event from the perspective of the Salish people of western Montana. . . . Perhaps the most important reason the authors were able to write such a compelling narrative is the three decades of cultural preservation work, including extensive interviews with tribal elders that have been recorded and stored in the tribal community. This truly beautiful book is a community-based project.”—David R.M. Beck, Oregon Historical Quarterly

“It may provoke some fans of Jefferson and/or the Lewis and Clark expedition to echo the question sometimes attributed to General Custer and Little Big Horn: ‘Where did all these Indians come from?’”—John Goodspeed, The Star-Democrat

“From Elders to authors to publishers, all stress a similar theme—the book finally gives American Indians a chance to tell their own story.”—Peter Bulger, The Missoulian

“The indigenous peoples of the United States have the benefit of a recent view of history. The tradition of oral history is also of great worth. ‘The Salish People’ preserves the viewpoint of the conquered. It also highlights the fact that all Montana’s tribes are at a crossroads. I give this book a thumbs up.”—Billings Outpost

“This summer marks the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark’s arrival in the Pacific Northwest. The expedition is storied, but almost exclusively by white historians. Enter a new book with a new perspective on the expedition and its consequences for the native peoples they encountered.”—Eric de Place, Cascadia Scorecard Weblog

“[An] informative volume compiled by elders of the affiliated Salish, Pend d’Oreille, and Kootenai tribes. The book is richly illustrated with contemporary and historical art and photography.”—We Proceeded On

“A beautifully illustrated book built upon the foundation of tribal oral tradition.”—Journal of the West

“A refreshing account of the meeting between the Salish and expedition members.”—South Dakota History