Corps Of Discovery Essay

The Corps of Discovery’s journey from September 25, 1804–April 6, 1805 led them upstream the Missouri River, traversing through the Dakotas to their eventual wintering refuge near the Mandan Village. Along the way, the Corps inevitably encountered numerous Indian tribes. To complete their journey, Lewis and Clark had to overcome the vast differences between the culture of the Corps and of the Indian tribes to avoid violence and facilitate the flow of supplies. Lewis and Clark’s commitment to peace and active involvement in Indian affairs allowed the Corps of Discovery to establish favorable relations with the tribes, resulting in trading dynamics key to the party’s survival through the winter at Fort Mandan.
The idea of peace as the first

priority was the core value that allowed the Corps of Discovery to successfully navigate through their numerous encounters with the Indian tribes Lewis and Clark encountered as they sailed the Missouri River. Contact with Indians was inevitable along—and indeed essential to—the journey and Lewis and Clark had to foster mutually beneficial relationships out of necessity. While the crew may have had the ability to fend off isolated Indian attacks, long term peace was needed for assured safe travel and thus the party adopted a policy of avoiding violence, only using force as a last resort. To gain the favor of the Indian tribes, Lewis and Clark customarily met the chiefs and presented them with gifts, often twists of tobacco. The two captains would also adhere to the typical customs of the Indian tribes, such as ritual smoking, to further ensure smooth diplomacy.
Despite the best efforts of amicability, the Corps met their first serious threat as they stopped on the mouth of the Teton River to speak to a group of Sioux. Lewis and Clark invited the “Cheifs on board to show them our boat and Such Curiossities” and served them whiskey; however the encounter soon became hostile as a chief feigned drunkenness and demanded that he be presented with more presents. Both the Corps and the Indians took up arms to defend themselves, but Clark was able to diffuse the situation without bloodshed and established a tenuous peace. Although the abrasiveness of the Sioux caused Clark to “feel [him]self warm,” he demonstrated the commitment to peace that allowed the Corps to survive their journey by “[speaking] in very positive terms” and offering his hand to the Indians as they parted (p 113). However, tensions remained high throughout the rest of the journey in Teton Sioux territory. While Lewis and Clark emphasized peace as the primary means of traversing the river, Clark clearly showed that they would use force if necessary, stating that if the Sioux “were Deturmined to Stop us we were ready to defend our Selves” (p 125).
In contrast to the hostile relations with the Teton Sioux, the next two Indian Tribes that Lewis and Clark encountered—the Arikara and the Mandan—were welcoming of the Corps of Discovery.

Lewis and Clark repeated the same process of greeting each chief and group of Indians with gifts, this time without being pressured into contributing more to the tribe. Upon interaction with the Arikara, Lewis and Clark showed not only a desire for peace between the Corps and the Indian tribes, but between the various Indian tribes themselves. The Corps served as liaisons between the tribes along the river, establishing a council of peace and facilitating communication between the different groups of Indians. Lewis and Clark readily carried out the Arikara’s request “to take a Chief of their nation and make a good pact with the Mandins & nations above” (p 162). This not only benefitted the Indian tribes by allowing them to “hunt without fear & [allowing] ther women [to] work in the field without looking everry moment for the Enemey," but also opened the road and safe travel for the Corps of Discovery after leaving Sioux territory, aiding them on their journey as winter approached (p.

218).
As the months grew colder and the Corps reached the Mandan village where they would build refuge for the winter, they further cemented the alliance with the Mandan and Arikara by standing with the two tribes against the Sioux. While the Mandan and the Arikara expressed wishes to be at peace with the tribes that did not provoke them, the Sioux led multiple attacks and raids on both Indian tribes in addition to destroying some of the Corps of Discovery’s food supply. Thus, the groups banded together against the common enemy of the Sioux, with Clark issuing a demonstrative declaration of allegiance to the Mandan, stating that the Corps “should be always willing and ready to defend them from the insults of any nation who would dare to Come to do them injury duering the time we [the Corps] would remain in their
neighborhood” (p 246). By standing so strongly with the Mandan and providing the “fatherly protection” for which “the whole Village appeared thankfull,” Clark forged a strong relationship with the tribe that the Corps would cooperate with for the remainder of the winter (p 247).
While Lewis and Clark’s insistence on peace played a key role in fostering a healthy relationship between the explorers and the Indians, the two captains displayed an effort to interact with the tribes beyond a mere avoidance of violence, which allowed the Corps to further strengthen the alliance with Mandan. Lewis and Clark made a conscious effort to diplomacy by constantly interacting with the chiefs of different tribes, both inviting them among the boat to display interests and going ashore to engage with the Indians. Clark paid keen attention to the attitudes of the chiefs and their dispositions towards the party, making sure to maintain a friendly and favorable bond when possible. When smoking with a group of Mandan, Clark ensured that they “showed [NB: attentions] to those men who had been impressed with an unfavorable oppinion of [the Corps]” (p 274). It was common for Lewis and Clark to prioritize involvement with the Indians over other aspects of the expedition, such as Lewis being “so much engaged with the Indians, that I omitted winding her [the clock] up,” demonstrating the importance of constant contact (p 213).
Beyond diplomatic conversations, Lewis and Clark acted as a source of entertainment for the Indians as well, showing off the curiosities of the boat and uncommon technology. Upon meeting tribes, the Corps “shot the Air gun, and gave two Shots with the Cannon which pleased them verry much,” showing both the Indians fascination with the Corps and Lewis and Clark’s willingness to humor the Indians for the sake of fostering good relationships (p 275). Often more fascinating to the Indians than the technology was York, Lewis’ large African slave. The Indian tribesmen had never seen a black man before and were amused his skin and his dancing “that So large a man Should be active” (p 267).
As a result of all Lewis and Clark’s efforts to ally themselves with the Mandan Indians, through both martial allegiance and continuous interaction, the Corps of Discovery were able to prepare themselves for the cold winter.

They crafted a fort near the Mandan village, enlisting the aid of the Indians to find an area with a large enough supply of trees to construct their refuge. Fort Mandan was open to the Indians for trade and conversation as Lewis and Clark would often invite the chiefs to stay with them for a time. One such chief, Black Cat, was viewed very favorably by Clark, described as possessing “more intergrety, firmness, inteligence and perspicuity of mind than any indian” Clark had met, showing Lewis and Clark’s openness to the Indians (p 289). However, Lewis did not approve of unconditional interaction and mandated that only Indians that were wives of interpreters be allowed to remain in the fort from sunset to

sunrise.
A large aid to the Corps survival through the winter came from the blacksmiths within the party who were able to created various metal objects for the Indians. While the Corps were able to hunt and gather meat for their diet on their own, they did not have the means of producing much other nutrition; however, the Indians had an abundance of corn storage for the winter. Thus, the key dynamic of the Corps trading metalworks, which were precious to the Indians, for the Mandan's winter corn supplies. The Mandan frequently came seeking repairs to tools, as well as requests for war axes. Lewis emphasizes the importance of the blacksmiths in his journal, admitting that “it would have been difficult to have devised any other method to have procured corn from the natives” other than the daily labors of blacksmiths (p. 288). Beyond the work of the blacksmiths, Lewis would also administer medical help for additional payments of corn.