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Lewis and Clark among the Indians
"Particularly valuable for Ronda's inclusion of pertinent background information about the various tribes and for his ethnological analysis. An appendix also places the Sacagawea myth in its proper perspective. Gracefully written, the book bridges the gap between academic and general audiences."— Choice
310 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 8, 2016
Rereading (not just reviewing) Ronda after a lapse of two decades, I am more impressed than ever by his pathbreaking work. Two things, in particular, stand out.
First, parcel to his attempt to see the Indian side of transactions involving the Corps of Discovery, Ronda sorts out the geopolitics of the Missouri as they stood in 1804-06. He redeems the Brulé from the slanders of writers such as De Voto, explains the hard place in which the Arikara found themselves, situates the Mandan and Hidatsa in a web of relationships on the northern plains, and overall, assesses the diplomatic initiatives of Lewis and Clark as futile.
Second, before other Western historians were thinking about it, and without using the word, Ronda acts upon the doctrine of agency in historical writing. He does not succeed entirely in shifting the point of view from that of the captains to that of the Indians, because he still is working from the white-guy sources, but he does so with a critical rereading of such sources. Thus, Indian actions that seemed mystifying or exasperating to the Corps of Discovery, and to the corps of historians who followed them, begin to make perfect sense. Wonderful how that works.
First, parcel to his attempt to see the Indian side of transactions involving the Corps of Discovery, Ronda sorts out the geopolitics of the Missouri as they stood in 1804-06. He redeems the Brulé from the slanders of writers such as De Voto, explains the hard place in which the Arikara found themselves, situates the Mandan and Hidatsa in a web of relationships on the northern plains, and overall, assesses the diplomatic initiatives of Lewis and Clark as futile.
Second, before other Western historians were thinking about it, and without using the word, Ronda acts upon the doctrine of agency in historical writing. He does not succeed entirely in shifting the point of view from that of the captains to that of the Indians, because he still is working from the white-guy sources, but he does so with a critical rereading of such sources. Thus, Indian actions that seemed mystifying or exasperating to the Corps of Discovery, and to the corps of historians who followed them, begin to make perfect sense. Wonderful how that works.
May 6, 2011
Wow this book is tedious. I didnt need to hear about every single meeting that Lewis and Clark had with the Indians; an overview would have been enough. It was interesting that the Native Americans had there own economy and trade relationships. Why wouldnt they? Maybe Jefferson should have sent along a few bankers because L&C seemed to be oblivious. I would have loved this book had the author expanded on the realtionships between tribes both commercial and cultural and used Lewis and Clark as a vehicle to move that story along but this book reads like minutes from Chamber of Commerce meetings. I gave up after 90 pages.
April 22, 2011
this book is well written but kind of long. We used it as a resource for our
PTLS.but did not give it to our student. this book has great information about the Native American... they use the term " indian" so this book will be a good one to open the discussion about what Native American want to be called . good for 4th grade social studies
October 6, 2016
informative but not that interesting. Had to read it for my American history of the West class but I didn't expect it to be exclusively about their experience with the natives.
September 25, 2021
Sometimes one comes across outstanding academics who have developed the artistry of literary style. Their books combine intriguing and astute intellectual argument with the pleasures of articulate page-turning prose – wit can even make an appearance or two. Mr Ronda stays firmly on the academic side. There is little that is wrong with that other than the end product becomes a work that is factually important but a pretty dull read.
While the journey of the Lewis and Clark expedition may now be seen as white male imperialism personified and an example of aggressive American, Anglo Saxon, expansionism, it is difficult not to be caught up in the romanticism of adventure and travels into the unknown. As the book first appeared in 1984 it would have been extraordinary if the author had seen the event as the historic subjugation of native peoples and the forceful imposition of a supposed white racial superiority. However, Professor Ronda is very careful throughout the text not to hide the problems Lewis and Clark had in seeing the Mandan, Hidatsa, Teton Sioux, Shoshoni and Chinook nations as independently developed societies with ways of life, trade, religion, and culture built over centuries to fit their environment. The explorers found it impossible to see Native Americans as nations and continually referred to them as “children” of the “Great Father” in Washington. It was similar to the sometimes unintentional, but more often intentional, term applied in the British Empire by the sahibs, memsahibs, and colonial settlers to male people of colour as “boy,” a term that combined insult with patronising sneer.
The picture the author gives of Native American culture is generally fair-minded. He emphasises the struggle they were having in adapting to the importation of goods from an industrialised society especially firearms, which could suddenly give a rival nation an overwhelming edge in confrontations and disputes. However, they were coming to terms with the problem. Their established trade systems were expanding to skilfully absorb negotiations and bargaining with the increasing number of white traders and fur trappers who came in from America and British Canada and, on the west coast, traders from Europe and America wanting sea otter pelts and seal skins. Playing competitors off against one another was a Native American skill gained through generations going back long before Europeans came along.
The book is well worth persevering with and while occasionally there may be some points or views that raise one's twenty-first century hackles – the treatment of York, William Clark's slave/servant, is not easy to digest, and Sacagawea is demoted from guide and inspiration to occasional interpreter – beneath the dragging prose it is an interesting and educational read.
While the journey of the Lewis and Clark expedition may now be seen as white male imperialism personified and an example of aggressive American, Anglo Saxon, expansionism, it is difficult not to be caught up in the romanticism of adventure and travels into the unknown. As the book first appeared in 1984 it would have been extraordinary if the author had seen the event as the historic subjugation of native peoples and the forceful imposition of a supposed white racial superiority. However, Professor Ronda is very careful throughout the text not to hide the problems Lewis and Clark had in seeing the Mandan, Hidatsa, Teton Sioux, Shoshoni and Chinook nations as independently developed societies with ways of life, trade, religion, and culture built over centuries to fit their environment. The explorers found it impossible to see Native Americans as nations and continually referred to them as “children” of the “Great Father” in Washington. It was similar to the sometimes unintentional, but more often intentional, term applied in the British Empire by the sahibs, memsahibs, and colonial settlers to male people of colour as “boy,” a term that combined insult with patronising sneer.
The picture the author gives of Native American culture is generally fair-minded. He emphasises the struggle they were having in adapting to the importation of goods from an industrialised society especially firearms, which could suddenly give a rival nation an overwhelming edge in confrontations and disputes. However, they were coming to terms with the problem. Their established trade systems were expanding to skilfully absorb negotiations and bargaining with the increasing number of white traders and fur trappers who came in from America and British Canada and, on the west coast, traders from Europe and America wanting sea otter pelts and seal skins. Playing competitors off against one another was a Native American skill gained through generations going back long before Europeans came along.
The book is well worth persevering with and while occasionally there may be some points or views that raise one's twenty-first century hackles – the treatment of York, William Clark's slave/servant, is not easy to digest, and Sacagawea is demoted from guide and inspiration to occasional interpreter – beneath the dragging prose it is an interesting and educational read.
July 29, 2021
The adventures of the Corps of Discovery are enhanced here by Ronda's focus on Indian interactions and relations.
He is still able to cover much of Lewis & Clark's journey to the Pacific and back. The only parts missing were adventures in the upper Missouri near Great Falls and examination of dynamics between the members of the expedition.
But what Ronda does find are insights into relations between tribes and how Meriwether Lewis's ham-fisted efforts at diplomacy appeared to the native rulers of the West. His comments on ethnology are also revealing. Despite the small numbers of natives, they formed very distinct cultures and language groups.
The two winterings of the voyage are covered in great detail. In their winter with the Mandan (1804-05) they found enthusiastic political, trading and sexual partnerships. (Trapped between the powerful Hidatsa and Teton Sioux tribes, the Mandan had a lot to gain from the proposed partnership with the "Chief of 17 Fires".)
Their second winter on the Pacific Coast was quite the contrary. Distrust had arisen with the natives along the Columbia, and trade goods were getting low. (Jefferson had hoped the Corps would meet a trading ship on the Pacific Coast to restock with trade supplies.) The Corps left Fort Clatsop almost a month early, and spent extra time with the Nez Perce that June while they waited for the snow to melt in mountain passes.
This is an excellent history of the Lewis & Clark Expedition and I really appreciated its focus on native relations and perspectives.
He is still able to cover much of Lewis & Clark's journey to the Pacific and back. The only parts missing were adventures in the upper Missouri near Great Falls and examination of dynamics between the members of the expedition.
But what Ronda does find are insights into relations between tribes and how Meriwether Lewis's ham-fisted efforts at diplomacy appeared to the native rulers of the West. His comments on ethnology are also revealing. Despite the small numbers of natives, they formed very distinct cultures and language groups.
The two winterings of the voyage are covered in great detail. In their winter with the Mandan (1804-05) they found enthusiastic political, trading and sexual partnerships. (Trapped between the powerful Hidatsa and Teton Sioux tribes, the Mandan had a lot to gain from the proposed partnership with the "Chief of 17 Fires".)
Their second winter on the Pacific Coast was quite the contrary. Distrust had arisen with the natives along the Columbia, and trade goods were getting low. (Jefferson had hoped the Corps would meet a trading ship on the Pacific Coast to restock with trade supplies.) The Corps left Fort Clatsop almost a month early, and spent extra time with the Nez Perce that June while they waited for the snow to melt in mountain passes.
This is an excellent history of the Lewis & Clark Expedition and I really appreciated its focus on native relations and perspectives.
July 28, 2023
Excellent effort to look objectively at what the historical record supports and does not support regarding the Lewis and Clark expedition's interactions with the mind-boggling complexity of Indian societies they encountered.
August 21, 2023
Very fascinating to learn details about this unique and significant voyage at an interesting time. It's very well researched and quite entertaining reading to learn what some of the team members and native Americans were feeling and thinking at the time.
February 19, 2018
This is a good book the provides another view point into the Lewis and Clark expedition. Recommended for those interested in Lewis and Clark and those they met along the route.
January 5, 2020
A great book dealing with the cultural clash between the Expedition members and the tribes along the trail.
March 7, 2017
I read this book after reading several other books about Lewis and Clark, and liked that the focus was on the interactions between the Corps of Discovery and the Indian nations they met along their journeys.
The book helped me to understand the complex web of trade that existed in 1804-1806 among the various tribes themselves, and with British and French fur traders. While Ronda makes it clear that Lewis and Clark really didn't understand these trade relationships well, he gives the explorers a lot of credit for their ethnographic observations of daily Indian life. When they had good translators, such as with the Mandans, Hidatsas and Shoshones, L&C were quite adept observers and reporters of Indian life and politics along the Missouri and Columbia Rivers.
The book title, "Lewis and Clark Among the Indians" is an excellent summary of what you will find here. The relationships between the Corps of Discovery and their indigenous hosts are brought to life through this book.
The book helped me to understand the complex web of trade that existed in 1804-1806 among the various tribes themselves, and with British and French fur traders. While Ronda makes it clear that Lewis and Clark really didn't understand these trade relationships well, he gives the explorers a lot of credit for their ethnographic observations of daily Indian life. When they had good translators, such as with the Mandans, Hidatsas and Shoshones, L&C were quite adept observers and reporters of Indian life and politics along the Missouri and Columbia Rivers.
The book title, "Lewis and Clark Among the Indians" is an excellent summary of what you will find here. The relationships between the Corps of Discovery and their indigenous hosts are brought to life through this book.
January 6, 2023
Pub. 1984
July 1, 2009
How it looked from the other side...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews