Here are summaries of eight upcoming Zoom presentations for you to attend (more info and Zoom links are shown after the summaries):

February 25 (Saturday): Montana artist Tom Schenarts will discuss his creative process in creating his sculpture, Dividing the Corps, which depicts the departure of Lewis and Clark from Travelers’ Rest on July 3, 1806.

February 26 (Sunday): Deveney Reber will give a presentation about Reuben Lewis, the younger brother of Meriwether Lewis.

March 4 (Saturday): Fiddler and violinist Ellie Nuno will share the music of the era of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

March 5 (Sunday): Edward Red Eagle, Jr., and James Duncan will talk about the Osage during the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

March 9 (Thursday): Barb Kubik will give a presentation entitled “’Musquetos are verry troublrsome’: The Corps of Discovery and Mosquitos.”

March 14 (Tuesday): John W. Jengo will give a Zoom presentation about the geological discoveries and mineralogical specimens of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

March 25 (Saturday): Lewis and Clark enthusiasts who enjoy traveling the trail have a wonderful opportunity: Curator and historian Wayne Wilson offers a workshop to help you keep a travel journal. Lewis and Clark kept journals—there’s no reason why you can’t keep your own.

April 30 (Sunday): Enjoy a presentation by Dr. Jay H. Buckley about the mountain men in the Yellowstone region in the 1820s and 1830s. The region is nicknamed Colter’s Hell after the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s John Colter, believed to be the first person of European descent to visit the region.

Read the following for more information and the Zoom links…

 

Dividing the Corps sculpture:

February 25 (Saturday): Longtime Montana artist Tom Schenarts will discuss his creative process in creating his sculpture, Dividing the Corps, which depicts the departure of Lewis and Clark from Travelers’ Rest, near what today is Missoula, Montana, on July 3, 1806. Meriwether Lewis marked this occasion in his journal by writing “I took leave of my worthy friend and companion William Clark and the party accompanied him. I could not avoid feeling much concern on this occasion although I hoped this separation was only momentary.”

The dividing of the Corps was a courageous and dangerous decision by Lewis and Clark. The Corps was already a small contingent in a vast wilderness. The nine men selected to explore the Road to the Buffalo in Blackfoot territory took a considerable risk.

Tom will talk about his creative process and the many details which make this sculpture an intimate portrait of an important moment in American history. His talk begins at 11 a.m. (Mountain Time).

As well as being an outstanding artist, Tom is a Travelers’ Rest State Park volunteer. His talk is part of the Travelers’ Rest Winter Storytelling Program.

For almost two decades, the Winter Storytelling at Travelers’ Rest has been a seasonal celebration of the Séliš tradition of sharing stories during the cold winter months. The stories are told by elders, authors, historians, and naturalists. In 2023, the storytelling will be held on Saturdays at the Travelers’ Rest State Park Visitor Center and on Zoom.

The cost to attend a storytelling session is $5 in person or on Zoom. However…admission to both the in-person and Zoom stories is free to members of the Travelers’ Rest Connection. Here is how to become a member. For non-members, click here to register for Zoom presentations at $5 per presentation. Select “Drop-In” to register and pay for one presentation at a time. If you are a member, select “Entire Series.”

To learn more about Travelers’ Rest and the time Lewis and Clark spent there, click here to read articles about the site. The articles are posted on lewis-clark.org (also known on the internet as Discover Lewis & Clark), the educational website of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.

Reuben Lewis:

February 26 (Sunday): Deveney Reber will give a 3 p.m. (Mountain Time) Zoom presentation about Reuben Lewis, the younger brother of Meriwether Lewis. Deveney will present new information gathered from primary sources, interviews with collateral descendants of Reuben and Meriwether, and her trips to some of the places where events happened.

Deveney is a history and German studies graduate of Brigham Young University. As an undergraduate, she conducted research on Reuben Lewis while she was an assistant to Dr. Jay H. Buckley, director of BYU’s Charles Redd Center for Western Studies and a former president of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. Deveney plans to continue her education by pursuing a master’s degree in history. Her article on Reuben (co-authored by Dr. Buckley) is featured in the upcoming 2023 February issue of We Proceeded On.

Deveney’s presentation is hosted by the Southwestern Region of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. Here are the Zoom link and by-phone information for attending Deveney’s talk:

To join the Zoom talk, click here:

https://byu.zoom.us/j/8014225327?pwd=dlA1WGprUnRwd3h2UnBmTGk0U2xldz09

Meeting ID: 801 422 5327. Passcode: 1803

By mobile phone: +17193594580, 8014225327# US or +12532050468, 8014225327# US. Dial by your location: +1 719 359 4580 US or +1 253 205 0468 US or +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) or +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose).

Lewis and Clark music:

March 4 (Saturday): Fiddler and violinist Ellie Nuno will share music of the era of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. These will be tunes that would have been familiar to the explorers and may have been played around their campfires by fiddler Pierre Cruzatte. Her presentation begins at 11 a.m. (Mountain Time).

Ellie has been sharing her energy and imagination for more than 30 years in performances across the western United States, Europe, and Asia. Her creative style reflects decades of study and performance on the fiddle/violin and encompasses a universal range of music, from traditional Old Tyme and Bluegrass to Celtic, Cajun, and contemporary rock.

Ellie has a deep connection with the Lewis and Clark story. She is the daughter of Joe Mussulman, the late professor of music history and theory at the University of Montana, who created the educational website, lewis-Clark.org, also known as Discover Lewis & Clark. The website is now operated by the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.

For almost two decades, the Winter Storytelling at Travelers’ Rest has been a seasonal celebration of the Séliš tradition of sharing stories during the cold winter months. The stories are told by elders, authors, historians, and naturalists. In 2023, the storytelling will be held on Saturdays at the Travelers’ Rest State Park Visitor Center near Missoula, Montana, and on Zoom.

The cost to attend a storytelling session is $5 in person or on Zoom. However…admission to both the in-person and Zoom stories is free to members of the Travelers’ Rest Connection. Here is how to become a member. For non-members, click here to register for Zoom presentations at $5 per presentation. Select “Drop-In” to register and pay for one presentation at a time. If you are a member, select “Entire Series.”

Learn about the times when fiddle music was played on the expedition…and the man behind the music: Fiddle music on the trail and Pierre Cruzatte.

Osage:

March 5 (Sunday): A Zoom presentation at 4 p.m. (Central Time) will focus on the Osage Native Americans during the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Presenters will be a member of the Osage Nation, Edward Red Eagle, Jr., and James Duncan, former director of the Missouri State Museum.

At the time of the expedition, the Osage were the dominant tribe in large areas of present-day Missouri and Arkansas. Their hunting grounds extended into Kansas and Oklahoma. Before the Louisiana Purchase, the French were their primary European contact.

Edward and James will present their perspectives on the culture and history of the Osage and how the history of how the Osage Nation transitioned into today’s world.

Edward, a full-blood Osage, has been active in cultural and traditional Osage customs. A speaker of the Osage language, he served in the Osage Nation Congress and was instrumental in establishing the Osage Cultural Center. He worked in the corporate world for 32 years before retiring. Edward’s family home is located in Barnsdall, Okla., on the original allotment from the 1906 Osage Allotment Act.

James is an archaeologist, educator, author, and Osage scholar who served as director of the Missouri State Museum and also exhibits director of the Missouri Department of Conservation. He directed the department’s three-year statewide program for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial from 2003 to 2006. He is co-author of The Petroglyphs and Pictographs of Missouri and is co-editor of Picture Cave. A resident of St. Louis, Mo., he has published articles about the Osage.

Pre-registration is not required for their Zoom talk. All members of the public are welcome. Please note: The Zoom talk will be limited to 100 attendees. Here is the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86376552870?pwd=b3V1OXJ1Rmo2RGgwb2pVKzg1R1c0Zz09

For more information, send an email to garykimsey55@gmail.com.

This program is sponsored by the Southern Prairie Region, Southwestern Region, and Missouri-Kansas Riverbend Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.

Prior to the March 5 Zoom talk, you may want to acquaint yourself with the Osage. Click here to read articles on lewis-clark.org (also known as Discover Lewis & Clark), the educational website of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage

“Musquetos are verry troublrsome”:

March 9 (Thursday): Barb Kubik will give a presentation entitled “’Musquetos are verry troublrsome’: The Corps of Discovery and Mosquitos” at 3 p.m. (Pacific Time) in the Lewiston City Library, Lewiston, Idaho, and by Zoom.

Barb’s talk—the title is pure Lewis and Clark spellings, by the way—is part of the speaker series of the Idaho Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. The program is sponsored through a collaboration between the Idaho Chapter and the Lewiston City Library. Barb’s talk will be given in person and over Zoom. For the Zoom link: contact the library: website.

Before Barb Kubik’s talk, you might want to read an interesting (and fun!) article about the explorers’ unique meanings and spelling of words like “Muscatoe Curtains” and “bier.” Click here to read an article on lewis-clark.org, the educational website of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.

Lewis and Clark’s geological discoveries:

March 14 (Tuesday): John W. Jengo will give a Zoom PowerPoint presentation at 7 p.m. (Mountain Time) on the geological discoveries and mineralogical specimens of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The presentation is hosted by the Portage Route Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation in Great Falls, Montana.

John is a professional geologist and licensed site remediation professional who works for an environmental consulting firm in Pennsylvania. He specialized in hydrocarbon and hazardous waste remediation earlier in this career and now focuses on wetland restoration and dam removals to restore migratory fish passage. He has published articles in We Proceeded On since 2002 on the subject of Lewis and Clark’s mineral collection and the significance of the scientific influence of their geological discoveries.

Lewis and Clark’s mineralogical specimens are not always as heralded as their collections of botanical and zoological specimens, but the mineralogical discoveries were just as important. The explorers dealt with mineralogy in the same way as they did with botany and zoology: They diligently collected representative samples for shipment back East so experts could make proper descriptions and chemical analyses. John will discuss the fate of these mineralogical specimens in his presentation.

For information about how to get the Zoom link, check in the monthly national Lewis and Clark calendar to be emailed out March 1 to members of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. You can also check the calendar on the Trail Heritage Foundation’s website: lewisandclark.org.

If you’d like to do some background research before John’s presentation, click here to read information about him and some of his writings about Lewis and Clark’s mineralogical observations and gatherings. The information is posted on lewis-clark.org (also known as “Discover Lewis & Clark”), the educational website of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.

How to keep a travel journal:

March 25 (Saturday): Lewis and Clark enthusiasts who enjoy traveling the trail have a wonderful opportunity: Curator and historian Wayne Wilson offers a workshop to help you keep a travel journal. Lewis and Clark kept journals—there’s no reason why you can’t keep your own.

Wayne will talk about a range of topics for you to remember when planning your journal: What to write in your journal; what to put in your travel journal kit; when to make your journal entries; and what to do with your journal once you’re home.

Wayne has kept travel journals for years, from a journal about a month-long 900-mile paddle journey down the MacKenzie River in the Canadian Arctic wilderness to the rolling waves of the Yellowstone River to the winding stretches of the Jefferson and Missouri rivers.

While recording his adventures across these epic landscapes, Wayne worked out essential tips and tricks that will help make your travel journals a wonderful memento for you and future generations. Wayne has spent his career in the museum and archives fields, giving him a special perspective on recording events in a person’s life.

Wayne’s Zoom presentation begins at 1 p.m. (Pacific Time) and will last for about an hour, including time for questions and answers. The workshop is limited to 25 persons. At the end of the workshop, participants will receive a link to downloadable PDF documents that will help guide them as they plan their own expedition of the Lewis and Clark Trail. Click here to register. For more info, click here to read a press release and FAQ.

Mountain Men:

April 30 (Sunday): Dr. Jay H. Buckley will give a Zoom presentation on the topic of “Mountain Men in Yellowstone during the 1820s and 1830s.” In his talk, which begins at 3 p.m. (Mountain Time), Jay will draw upon a wealth of primary sources, including journals and poetry left by these fur trappers who ventured into the beautiful, geothermic region known as Colter’s Hell, a nickname for what became Yellowstone National Park. The nickname is associated with John Colter, who after the Lewis and Clark Expedition became the first person of European descent to journey through the Yellowstone region.

Jay is an associate professor of history at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; director of the BYU’s Charles Redd Center for Western Studies; and director of the university’s interdisciplinary American Indian Studies minor. He is president of the Utah State Historical Society’s Utah Valley Chapter and past president of the Lewis and Clark Trial Heritage Foundation.

In his long association with the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, he has been a frequent contributor to We Proceeded On, the organization’s academic journal. He has authored several books, including William Clark: Indian Diplomat, as well as a new book, Great Plains Forts, that will be published in December by the University of Nebraska Press. He is also co-author of By His Own Hand: The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis, and Zebulon Pike, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West. Learn more about Jay.

His presentation is hosted by the Southwestern Region of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. Here are the Zoom link and by-phone information for attending his talk:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://byu.zoom.us/j/8014225327?pwd=dlA1WGprUnRwd3h2UnBmTGk0U2xldz09

Meeting ID: 801 422 5327. Passcode: 1803

By mobile phone: +17193594580, 8014225327# US or +12532050468, 8014225327# US. Dial by your location: +1 719 359 4580 US or +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) or +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose).

 

More Lewis and Clark events:

Click here to see the calendar of Lewis and Clark events offered in the coming months across the nation.