Baker, a Mandan-Hidatsa tribal member and National Park Service superintendent, outlines the vision and goals of the Corps of Discovery II commemoration, the federal initiative to mark the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial from 2003 to 2006. The article describes the program’s deliberate effort to include Native American voices and perspectives alongside the traditional exploration narrative, recognizing that the expedition’s story looks fundamentally different from indigenous viewpoints. Baker discusses the Tent of Many Voices program, which provided a forum for tribal representatives, historians, and community members to share their perspectives at signature events along the trail. The article addresses the tensions inherent in commemorating an expedition that served as the vanguard of territorial dispossession for Native peoples, and argues that honest acknowledgment of this history, rather than one-sided celebration, is essential for genuine understanding.
Our Partners
