Along the southeastern edge of Lewis and Clark Lake on the boundary of Nebraska and South Dakota sits Calumet Bluff, a 170 to 180 feet high steep bank "composed of a yellowish red, and brownish clay [that is] as hard as chalk." Calumet Bluff belongs to a series of cliffs that line both sides of this section of the Missouri River.

It was on this site in late August of 1804 that Louis and Clark's Corps of Discovery made camp. With hopes of meeting with the local Yankton Sioux Tribe, the group set fires along the river's edge. Days later, they made contact, and held council with the Yankton Sioux from August 30 through September 1. Clark remarks, "The [Sioux] is a Stout bold looking people". Upon the Corps' September 1, 1804 departure, Peter Darion - who served as the group's translator during the Yankton Sioux talks - stayed with "instructions to bring about a peace with the [Sioux]" tribes of the area.

While no record of the event exists in the journals of the expedition, there is a myth that during the time Lewis and Clark held council with the Yankton Sioux, a male child was born. The story says that Lewis wrapped the newborn in an American flag and predicted the child would grow to be a great leader amongst his people.

The child eventually took the name "Struck by the Ree" and became a well-known Yankton Chief. Tourists can now visit markers of both events. The Lewis and Clark Visitor Center is located atop Calumet Bluff and features beautiful views of the Missouri River and cliffs. A monument to "Struck by the Ree" stands in a small cemetery in Greenwood, South Dakota.

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Travis Patterson.