Arcawecharchi, known as “The Half Man,” was a chief of the Yankton Sioux who met with Lewis and Clark at Calumet Bluff in late August 1804 during one of the expedition’s more successful diplomatic councils.
The Yankton Sioux received the expedition warmly, and the council at Calumet Bluff proceeded with ceremony and goodwill. The Half Man and other Yankton chiefs accepted the expedition’s peace message and gifts, though they made it clear they expected more substantial trade relationships in the future.
The positive encounter with the Yankton Sioux stood in stark contrast to the tense confrontation with the Teton Sioux just weeks later, demonstrating the diversity of Native responses to the expedition.
