Navigating Narratives Educational Talk

Craig Howe, Ph.D., citizen of the Oglala Sioux tribe, and curator of the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies (CAIRNS), presented a talk on Friday, March 15, at the Brinton Museum. Illustrated with original art by members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe as well United States of America artists, Navigating Narratives: The Corps of Discovery in Titonwan Territory, the program was an educational exhibition.

Barbara McNab, Brinton Museum introduced Dr. Howe before his talk. This talk focuses on the exhibition that is on display in the museum.

As well as the artwork, the educational content centered around William Clark’s journal entries during the expedition’s interaction with the Titonwanians, from September 23 through September 30, 1804. Historians present this period of events as pivotal in the history of the United States.

Howe said that this is the seventh exhibit in the series of what he calls the Lakota Educational Art Project. This one is the first one in which non-tribal citizens were included.

The accounts were detailed, they often included data such as sunrise and sunset, (on Sept 23, 1804, in that location, the sun rose at 6:48 a.m., and set at 6:46 p.m. Moon was 81% illumination, and it was 50 degrees at sunrise and 86 degrees at 4 p.m. They traveled 20 miles that day.)

Along with the exhibits lining the walls Howe presented a slide show about the exhibit.

Each day also had poetry as well as music to enhance the experience. Two of the musicians who attended the talk at the Brinton were Hank Fridell and his wife, Marianne from Custer, SD. Hank said he came up with music for one part of the program.

He said he played a handmade banjo and Marianne played the keyboard.

Fridell talked about getting a feel as to what the explorers thought about the Titonwan Indians when they encountered them along the route.

The main focus of the talk and the exhibit was to bring in all the historical data on the eight days when they Corps of Discovery were in Titonwan Territory, showing that the journal writers with the corps had conflicting accounts about the events.

He opened with a poster that showed the Corps of Discovery with Sacajawea, who did not join the exhibition until later in their trek.

He talked about the four main sources of the narrative, letters from President Jefferson as well diaries from the leaders and soldiers who traveled with the expedition. Many of the quotes were from Clark’s journal, and his is the one most often quoted by historians.

Howe ended his talk with this.

The exhibit will be on display at the Brinton Museum through April 28. Admission is free to all visitors, thanks to a generous donation from Ramaco Carbon, LLC

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