Lewiston & Clarkston
On this first day of November, surrounded by bright fall colors, guests aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird entered Nez Perce country. The Nez Perce (“pierced nose” in French) prefer to be known as Nimiipuu, “The People.” Although the Nez Perce land base was dramatically reduced after the arrival of Euro-Americans, their history permeates every river, creek, hilltop, prairie and canyon in Northern Idaho and nearby Washington and Oregon.
Guests embarked on two Nez Perce country expeditions at Clarkston, Washington: 1) a motor coach ride to Lewis & Clark 1805-1806 campsites; and 2) a jet boat ride through the perpendicular walls of Hells Canyon.
The Nez Perce befriended the Corps of Discovery when it stumbled out of the Bitterroot Mountains to Weippe Prairie in late September 1805. Virtually every mile of the Corps’ journey in this region was described by Linwood Laughy, a local guide and Lewis & Clark expert. Lin’s stops at sites such as Canoe Camp, Colter’s Creek, Treaty Council and Camp Choppunish (i.e. Long Camp) were enhanced by readings from the Corps’ journals. Lunch was taken in a homey bakery/restaurant at Kamiah, Idaho.
Guests aboard the jet boats explored Snake River canyons, used by Nez Perce people to winter their livestock for generations, and to escape from the U.S. Army under General O.O. Howard in the War of 1877. Wildlife seen by jet boat guests included big horn sheep (several herds), great blue heron, Canada geese, and steelhead (trout), all familiar species to the Nez Perces for thousands of years. When guests looked at petroglyphs above Buffalo Eddy, their eyes followed outlines of stick figures carved on basalt easels by ancient peoples – possibly Nez Perce ancestors.
Both groups met at the Nez Perce National Historic Park at Spalding, Lapwai, Idaho. After a welcome and introductory film hosted by park rangers, guests visited the site’s museum, which holds rare samples of Nez Perce beadwork, saddles, ceremonial artifacts and early photographs.
After dinner, a video was shown about the Great Missoula (or Bretz) Floods, as an introduction to tomorrow’s Palouse River exploration.
