Vision Statement

The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through homelands of many diverse indigenous peoples in order to succeed in their mission: "to explore the Missouri river, & such principal stream of it, as, by its course & communication with the water of the Pacific Ocean may offer the most direct & practicable water communication across this continent, for the purposes of commerce."

The Bicentennial Commemoration of their journey provides an opportunity for Tribal Nations on whose lands the Expedition traveled to:

Honor our ancestors' legacy;
Protect Gifts from the Creator which we treasure and hold sacred; and to
Plan and act for the well-being of future generations.

Today, we are the very physical manifestation of the dreams and prayers of our ancestors. The Bicentennial Commemoration is an opportunity to teach our children and their children yet to come the utmost respect and the highest esteem for our ancestors because of:

The ultimate sacrifices that many made so that we might be here;
The risks and hardships they endured to survive;
Their traditional norms of hospitality, and the aid, comfort, support and guidance provided that was essential to the Expedition's success;
Their preservation of our dignity, strength, courage and cultural lifeways;
The contributions of traditional ways of knowing to the people of the United States; and
The sovereignty they established on our behalf so that Tribal Nations continue to govern our peoples, our lands and perpetuate our ways of life.

For millennia, our people maintained and were sustained by a pristine and natural world of abundance. The Expedition witnessed and documented the natural and cultural landscape. The maps and information gathered by the Corps of Discovery became the basis for further incursions into Tribal territories, for dislocation of Tribal Nations, for taking Tribal resources, and later for relations with the non-Indian society. Consequently, the Bicentennial Commemoration presents challenges for Tribal Nations whose lands the Expedition traversed, and whose lands will be traversed again, as we work to:

Educate all people on protocol for culturally appropriate and legal conduct in, on and near Indian lands;
Protect cultural knowledge and resources including burial and sacred sites from further misappropriation;
Restore vitality to fragile and irreplaceable natural resources;
Rejuvenate the languages, songs, customs, and traditions;
Unite our communities that have been divided - Tribal, Inter-Tribal and non-Tribal;
Benefit share in all the potential economic opportunities that will occur;
Prepare our Tribal communities for visitors who do not understand Tribal culture; and to
Identify mutual goals.

The Tribal Nations herein wish to work together with others to improve the future well being of our Earth so that 200 years from now all people may experience the natural and cultural resources the Expedition encountered and documented 200 years ago. Our Tribal Sovereign Nations seek collaboration with federal, state, and local governments, private companies and agencies, educators, and all stewards of our mutual landscape to:

Ensure accuracy and completeness in the histories of these events;
Educate the general public, relevant officials, and decision-makers about the meaning and importance of these events for Tribal people;
Promote respect for and understanding of Tribal sovereignty;
Promote respect for and understanding of Tribal traditional cultures and languages, and the urgent need to take action to ensure their survival;
Promote protection and restoration of the natural environment within aboriginal territories, to ensure the future survival of all aspects of the rich natural heritage known by the Tribes and members of the Expedition; and to
Facilitate the return of remains and cultural properties held in private and public collections.

Circle of Tribal Advisors - April 13, 2002, Lewiston Idaho