MHHM-44 Lewis & Clark Meet the Salish
US 93, Mile Post 13, South of Sula
There are four panels at the overlook site.
1) Lewis & Clark Encounter the Bitterroot Salish Indians
On September 4, 1805, 33 cold, wet and hungry members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition descended on horseback, from the hostile, snow covered mountains, into the warmth and safety of this valley.
Led by a Shoshone Indian guide (nicknamed Toby), the Expedition’s ultimate goal was the Pacific Ocean. But first they had to find their way through hundreds of miles of snow-topped mountains, steep ridges, obstructed trails, dangerous rivers, and inhospitable terrain.
As luck would have it, over 400 Salish Indians were camped in this wide-open valley, getting ready to travel to their traditional buffalo hunting grounds on the eastern plains. The Salish people welcomed the Expedition members and generously shared what limited food, supplies and goods they had.
The Salish also gave Captain Lewis and Captain Clark vital information about the treacherous mountains that they would need to pass through to reach the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean.
2) First Impressions
For three days the 33 members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition were honored guests of the Bitterroot Salish people.
3) No Blankets
T chliska-e-mee (Three Eagles), the father of Chief Victor and grandfather of Chief Charlo, left camp to scout the area, fearing there might be some Indian enemies around intending to steal horses, as was done very frequently.
He saw at a distance a party of about twenty men on horses, with each man leading two packhorses, except for the two men leading the party, as they were traveling slowly with no effort at concealment.
Seeing that these men wore no blankets, the old chief did not know what to think of them. It was the first time he had met men without blankets. The chief the gave orders to bring the best robes for Captain Lewis and Captain Clark to sit on, and one for each man to use as a blanket.
4) Five Languages
The sound of the Salish language was fascinating to the explorers. Sargent Whitehouse and Captain Clark said it had a throaty, “gurgling” tone spoken as with a “burr on the tongue.”
Because it was a language no one in the Expedition spoke, transactions between the two groups went through five translations.
A Shoshone lad who lived with the Salish was able to translate to Sacajawea, who was also Shoshone, who passed the message to Charbonneau, her husband, in the Hidatsa language.
Charbonneau translated to Labiche in French who then delivered the message to the captains in English.
5) Gift Giving
The Bitterroot Salish were very concerned with the welfare and survival of the Expeditions members.
The Salish people gave the strangers many gifts during their brief encounter here at the Great Clearing.
This was customary and provided a proper welcome to the expedition.
They gave their guests roots, berries, animal furs, and vital information about the trails and tribes to the west.
As many of the Expedition’s horses were exhausted, the Salish also gave them a dozen “elegant horses,” wooden pack saddles, lash chords and three young colts.
The Salish gifts represented a huge amount of manual labor, which was primarily the work of Salish women, over countless days and months.
In return, the Salish graciously accepted two flags, four shirts, four medals, some tobacco, a few small articles, and seven lame horses.
6) Survival
Both the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Salish families packed up their belongings and left the Great Clearing campsite on September 6, 105, heading in opposite directions.
It is interesting to note that just a few days after this brief and friendly encounter, the only way for the thirty-three hungry members of the Expedition to survive in the game-barren Rocky Mountains was to kill and eat the Salish-raised colts.
On September 14th, at the western base of Lolo Pass, Captain Clark wrote: “here we wer compelled to kill a Colt for our men & Selves to eat for the want of meat & we named the South fork Colt killed Creek.”
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Credits and Sources:
Sign text.
Montana's Historical Highway Markers, Jon Axline, Montana Historical Society Press. 2008.
