Remembering Lewis and Clark but forgetting their discovery

Mar 1, 2004 by Naomi.

"for the purposes of commerce…" wrote Thomas Jefferson
to Congress in 1803, so began the lecture "The Remembering and
Forgetting of Lewis & Clark" by a visiting professor and new
author in the realm of experts on an epic journey that took the USA
from sea to shining sea. Focus on the founding fathers - US developers
as it were. Specifically President Thomas Jefferson who sent explorers
to search for a water way to the Pacific for a cheaper, quicker trade
route to the "Indies".

The basis of wealth lay with the landowners. People who owned land
were wealthy and they served in Congress. Not all members were interested
in exploration in itself but there were others very much interested
in commerce. What made the Lewis & Clark exploration palatable to
Congress (for modest funding) was the mapping of unknown lands for settlement
and securing Indian tribes friendly for safe trade. The men returned
in 1806 and the public waited publication of the discoveries.

Focus on hardships of the epic journey was replaced with boiling issues
at work decrying wasteful slaughter of wildlife and a realization that
"nature" was being destroyed.

The rigorous journey and unimaginable hardships were put out of the
American mind - until a century had passed - in 1905. The Centennial
of the completion of the Lewis & Clark expedition was celebrated
with a special printing of a $10 bill with a picture of the Captains
and a bison on its face. The awesome journey was celebrated with a push
toward conservation and stewardship of natural lands and protection
of wildlife, bringing not only awareness of the historical implications
of the trip but some pretty good revenue from the public participating
in the fun.

Then after WW II businesses began to note their heritage, "founded
in 1900 etc" to establish a legacy of long time respect and integrity.
Industry went for automation. Factories left for foreign soil. Tourism
developed. Nature tours were invented and a wondrous lucrative goal
was focussed on Centennials for the new millennium. Just about every
environmental and social movement rushed to celebrate the Century -
not in welcome of the Twenty-first - but remembering the past.

Lewis & Clark was - is - a gold mine for tourism. At Sacajawea
State Park at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers a second
annual Heritage Day will occur October 9, 2004. Visitors are invited
to relive history. Live vicariously the reenactment of mountain men,
Indian dancers, tool makers and dugout canoes.

The parting note of the lecture was that if the millions and millions
of dollars spent on the Lewis & Clark focus were to be spent on
developing jobs for the communities, society would be the richer for
it. And although I disagreed on some of Mark Spencer’s premises, I know
he is right about that because the only ones who benefit from tourism
are the owners of the hotels, restaurants, and stores where tourists
shop. And so echoes President Jefferson’s statement…"for the
purposes of commerce".

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