Volume 14 Spring 2003 Issue #3

Setting the Record Straight, A Salish Account

By Rebecca L. Robbins, Ph.D.
Photos by Leslie Camel

Chief Three Eagles (played by Louie Adams) welcomes the pitiful Lewis and Clark entourage.

Doug Allard introduces the pageant to a full crowd at the Arlee pow wow grounds.

There may be no better way of correcting historical inaccuracies and misunderstandings of early Indian-white relations than to involve community people in recreating that history. That is exactly what Johnny Arlee (Salish) accomplished last summer and fall when he wrote and directed a Lewis and Clark pageant.

Reared on the Flathead Reservation in Montana, Arlee's dream of correcting the historical accounts of the Lewis and Clark Expedition became reality when Gerald Slater, then vice president of Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, MT, sought-and received-funding from the National Park Service's Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail grant program.

Arlee, 62, says he really never had a "choice" on whether to do the Lewis and Clark pageant or not; it was just a matter of when-and where. The "when" turned out to be early September 2002 and the "where" was on the Arlee pow wow grounds, the largest public arena available on the reservation.

Arlee's quest to set the historical record straight began 26 years ago in February of 1977 when he interviewed a Salish elder named Mose Chouteh ("Blind Mose"). Chouteh and other elders told stories of strong and vibrant Salish and Pend d'Oreille cultures and traditions-long before the white man arrived in Montana.

During his work with the Flathead Culture Committee, Arlee began to record the stories of the elders and came up with the idea to write and present a pageant-something that would preserve and share the richness of earlier tribal life. His interest in the pageant as an art form stemmed from the 1950s when he participated with his great grandfather in pageants organized by Montana State University.

Equipped with pen and legal pad, Arlee began to sketch out a Salish version of the Lewis and Clark encounter of 1805, complete with drawings. A soft-spoken, yet dynamic and determined personality, Arlee wasn't worried about realizing his dream of 25 years. "I've always had faith in the Creator," says Arlee. "I knew that the story of Lewis and Clark had to be told from the Salish perspective someday." Today, that 45-page legal pad serves as both a reminder of his dream and the foundation for the story script that was performed over a four-day period last fall.

Salish women (left to right) Rachel Bowers, Raelynn Charlo, and Joan Arlee attend to Tom Quequesah and his horse.

The elaborate pageant involved the entire community, including 52 Indian and non-Indian cast members, 12 horses, and a few reservation dogs (who weren't really "invited," but played their roles well). Other community members created authentic clothing of the early 1800s. Germaine White was the project director. The pageant conveyed both Indian and non-Indian misconceptions and misunderstandings. Although historical accounts indicate Lewis and Clark's arrival in Montana was the beginning of Montana history, the fact is that Salish and Pend d'Oreille people had been there long before.

Arlee's pageant offered four reasons why the Salish people welcomed, rather than fought the Lewis and Clark group: 1.) because the explorers' hair had been cut short, the Salish mistook them for a war party that had suffered defeat and was mourning their losses; 2.) their pale skin made them look very ill and hungry; 3.) they didn't carry any blankets, and their clothes looked torn and pitiful; and 4.) because of his dark skin, York, the Negro slave of Captain Clark, was mistaken for a successful warrior for this group.

"The pageant respectfully presented our people as an organized culture in 1805-one with rules, teachings, and languages of our own," Arlee said. Accuracy in intercultural communication and the beauty of Indian education today were two other concepts Arlee's pageant addressed.

"Having pride in who you are is a key to success. Indian children need to be exposed to stories that show a balanced side of history and that we are a proud people," Arlee said. Thousands of people, including busloads of school children, attended the performances. According to feedback during and after the pageant, children appreciated this perspective of the Lewis and Clark visit to Montana. Among the most lasting memories for the children were the horses and the authenticity of tribal life. Perhaps that is why Arlee recreated this history through a pageant, rather than a play.

Arlee also wanted non-Indians to receive the pageant's teachings. He received many letters and cards, including letters from a foreign student from Hungary and a group of senior citizens from an assisted living facility in Missoula, MT. "When people don't understand or misinterpret cultures different from their own, too often cultural traditions are dismissed as strange or awkward and the richness of traditions is lost," says Arlee.

Now Arlee is back at his regular job, teaching the Salish language at Salish Kootenai College. His courses, like his pageant, reinforce the importance of understanding tribal customs and values.

"Indian children need to be exposed to stories that show we are a proud people."
Artwork: Corky Clairmont

Gerald Slater, who encouraged Arlee to pursue his long-term dream, attended one of the performances, despite his battle with cancer. A month later, Slater passed away. "Yes, this pageant was meant to be presented this year," Arlee said.

For information on the pageant or how to involve your community, contact Johnny Arlee (406) 675-4800) or e-mail Johnny_arlee@skc.edu.

Rebecca L. Robbins, Ph.D., is a publishing consultant who works out of her home in Montana. Two of her recent books are Tribal College and University Profiles, 2002 and Touch the Sky: A Transfer Guide for American Indian and Community College Students. Robbins also works as a higher education evaluator with foundations. She is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.