Lewis and Clark videos

Discover Lewis and Clark through new videos
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Discover Lewis and Clark through new videos

The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation recently launched a YouTube channel where viewers can learn the Corps of Discovery’s story directly from historians and other experts.

So far, four videos have been published on the channel—more will be posted in the near future. Each video is more than an hour in length and covers different topics in-depth. The speakers are experts on the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail, the explorers and related topics.

The Knife River Villages, which played a role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is the topic of one of the new videos offered by the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.

Sarah Cawley, the Heritage Foundation’s executive director, said viewers of the videos will learn about the speakers’ personal insights, reflections and extensive knowledge about the expedition and explorers that may not be available in books or elsewhere.

“The speakers have a true passion for telling the story of the expedition,” she said. “Their information is intriguing, accurate, sometimes humorous or touching, but always sincere and educational.”

Videos were recorded from live presentations or virtual Zoom talks.

During the Covid pandemic when live meetings were not possible, three of the Heritage Foundation’s chapters used Zoom to present speakers as a way to keep members and others informed and enthused about the expedition. The chapters were the Portage Route Chapter in Great Falls, Montana; Missouri-Kansas Riverbend Chapter, Kansas City, Mo; and the California Chapter.

Here are synopses of the four videos:

  • Chris Hodges, author of Colter’s West Wind, gives an informative and entertaining talk on the topic of “Furs, Land and Sewing Needles on the Frontier” and how the Lewis and Clark Expedition was at the forefront of opening the frontier for future development. Click here to view…
  • Deveney Reber, a graduate student at Brigham Young University, talks about “The Forgotten Brother of Meriwether Lewis: Rueben, the Talented Fur Trader and Indian Agent Along the Missouri.” Reuben was a frontiersman and an even better Indian Agent. His story provides insight into two complicated elements of American history: the fur trade and the precarious United States-Native American relationship. View…
  • Darian Kath, director of the Knife River Center near Mandan, North Dakota, gives a virtual tour of the Five Earthlodge Villages at Knife River in North Dakota. His presentation offers a picture of the villages in an historical context of the Upper Missouri River with an emphasis on the time the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent there. See the video…
  • Joseph Wiegand offers an energetic living history portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt, who was instrumental in preserving land in North Dakota, a state through which Lewis and Clark traveled. Watch the video…

The YouTube channel is part of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation’s mission and vision to preserve, promote and teach the diverse heritage the story of the 1803-06 Lewis and Clark Expedition for all people

How to view the YouTube channel

You can view the four videos above by clicking on the links at the end of the descriptions. To view videos posted in the future and whenever you want to, you can go to YouTube.com. Once there, type in Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation in the Search bar.

The page that then comes up will show a variety of videos related to the expedition

Locate the Lewis and Clark icon that has the title of “Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation” next to it. (Note: when you see the icon, you will have the option to “Subscribe” to be notified when the Heritage Foundation posts a new video.)

Click on the icon or the title, and you will be taken to the page where the Heritage Foundation’s videos are located. Click on the video you want to watch.

There are three ways to be notified when a new video is published.