Lewis and Clark Meeting the Mandan Indians

This watercolor depicts the Corps of Discovery’s arrival at the Mandan villages near present-day Washburn, North Dakota, in October 1804. The Mandan people were generous hosts, and the expedition would spend the winter of 1804-1805 at Fort Mandan nearby. Russell captures the sense of cultural exchange that characterized this encounter, with the Mandan offering food and information about the upper Missouri River country.