Subject: Art, Dance and Music
Details:Art
For thousands of years, Indians used rock art as an important medium to share stories and document their physical and spiritual world. As Lewis and Clark quickly passed through some of the most significant petroglyphs still visible today (such as She Who Watches east of The Dalles, Oregon), they never realized what they missed. However, while at Fort Mandan, they did collect at least one art-covered hide depicting stories of important battles and events in that region. Lewis and Clarks own journals contain about 40 illustrations with carefully-quilled detail on the people, clothing, houses, animals, plants, fort design, watercraft and geographic features the journalists thought should be captured.
Dance
Across the many Indian nations they encountered, and where there was time and proximity for such festivities, Lewis and Clarks journals provide careful detail on differences and similarities in singing and dancing. These dances and songs are still important today as tribes gather for pow-wows and other opportunities to teach and celebrate their stories in costume, movement and music. The daily record of the Corps reports occasional evenings of dancing around the campfire as well as pow-wows with Indian tribes where the "sets and reels" were said to be greatly enjoyed by all. Dancing U.S.-style was probably accompanied by the fiddle and tamborine, but no doubt the men sought to relieve the tensions and homesickness they were experiencing on the Trail. Having an occasional audience must have helped with the diplomatic purposes of their tour. The journals report that York contributed his own dance forms at parties with local Indians. Not only were the tribes intrigued by York as an African-American, and whatever dance talent he contributed, at these festivities, but Lewis and Clark describe one particular high moment when a chief tries to determine if Yorks blackness would rub off. On return to St. Louis, festive dances are reported to celebrate the Corps returnnow undoubtedly with more traditional partners in gowns!
Music
Vocal and instrumental music alike are mentioned during the Corps travels as well as at their encounters with local tribes. The record shows four instruments were carried on the Trail: at least one fiddle, jews harps (mouth organs), a tamborine and sounding horn. For the Indians, their instruments were drums and perhaps flutes and percussion instruments such as rattles.
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