Snake and Clearwater Rivers
Some days are diamonds…some days are stones…John Denver wrote and sang the song…and all of us are familiar with the phenomenon. The circumstances can look promising for a very good day of pleasure, and everything can go awry. Conversely you can awake to ugly prospects, and the whole day will surprise you with how good it can unfold.
The Lewis and Clark expedition nearly crumbled into failure in the autumn of 1805 when they were in the part of the country where we spent the day today. Without food for days, exhausted from travel through extremely rugged terrain in foul weather, and lost at least once a day, they were at the end of their resources.
Then they came upon the Nez Perce people who took them in and offered them food, shelter, and rest.The food consisted of dried salmon, which was always a staple. The bulb of the Camas was provided as well. Camas is a lily with a starchy root that can be ground into a very nutritious flour. It was the mainstay of the Nez Perce people, carrying them through the good times and the bad. In no small way it represents the strength and dependability that made the spirit of these people so indomitable. They shared it gladly with the Corps of Discovery, who were in time of dire need.
Pictured here, the Camas flower in full bloom is a delight to observe. A field of thousands of them is almost overwhelming. It is no wonder that the Nez Perce people thought of Camas with a sense of reverence.
Today our day was a true diamond. Those of us who went up the Clearwater River learned in a sensitive and enlightening manner the interaction between the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Nez Perce. Those of us who journeyed into Hell’s Canyon instead were also privileged to feel some of the sense of place that identifies the land of this tribe. We concluded the day by meeting together at the Nez Perce Center where, in this fine museum, we established an awareness of the connections that give us all a better understanding of our place in the scheme of things.
Some days are diamonds…some days are stones…John Denver wrote and sang the song…and all of us are familiar with the phenomenon. The circumstances can look promising for a very good day of pleasure, and everything can go awry. Conversely you can awake to ugly prospects, and the whole day will surprise you with how good it can unfold.
The Lewis and Clark expedition nearly crumbled into failure in the autumn of 1805 when they were in the part of the country where we spent the day today. Without food for days, exhausted from travel through extremely rugged terrain in foul weather, and lost at least once a day, they were at the end of their resources.
Then they came upon the Nez Perce people who took them in and offered them food, shelter, and rest.The food consisted of dried salmon, which was always a staple. The bulb of the Camas was provided as well. Camas is a lily with a starchy root that can be ground into a very nutritious flour. It was the mainstay of the Nez Perce people, carrying them through the good times and the bad. In no small way it represents the strength and dependability that made the spirit of these people so indomitable. They shared it gladly with the Corps of Discovery, who were in time of dire need.
Pictured here, the Camas flower in full bloom is a delight to observe. A field of thousands of them is almost overwhelming. It is no wonder that the Nez Perce people thought of Camas with a sense of reverence.
Today our day was a true diamond. Those of us who went up the Clearwater River learned in a sensitive and enlightening manner the interaction between the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Nez Perce. Those of us who journeyed into Hell’s Canyon instead were also privileged to feel some of the sense of place that identifies the land of this tribe. We concluded the day by meeting together at the Nez Perce Center where, in this fine museum, we established an awareness of the connections that give us all a better understanding of our place in the scheme of things.
