South Dakota

Aug. 19-20, 2003

After drying out from the rains in Sioux City, we headed up the Missouri River on the South Dakota side. First stop was Elk Point, where the first election in the Louisiana territory was held; Patrick Gass was elected by his peers to be promoted to Sergeant to replace Sgt. Floyd. Then we went on to Spirit Mound, north of Vermillion.

According to Indian legend Spirit Mound was the home of little devils that would kill anyone that trespassed on their mound. Lewis and Clark took up the challenge and hiked the six miles to the mound and climbed it without seeing any of the little devils.

From the top of the mound Lewis and Clark saw prairie as far as they could see, and several hundred buffalo. Today the view is farm land, with a few cows, but no buffalo.

Our next stop was the Gavins Point dam just west of Yankton; this is the approximate location of the Calumet bluffs where Lewis and Clark had their council with the Yankton Sioux, which went well. The Gavins Point dam is the first of several dams on the Missouri. It seems that, in this section the Missouri is one dam and reservoir (or one damn reservoir!) after another, like steps on a staircase. There is very little free flowing river between the reservoirs.

Our next stop was the Akta Lakota museum in Chamberlain; this is an excellent museum on the grounds of a school run by the Catholic church. Lakota is another name for Sioux. The museum depicts the history of the interaction of white people with the Sioux; it is a tragic time in our history.

The confluence of the Bad River (coming in from the left) and the Missouri; Pierre, SD is in the background.  This is the site where Lewis and Clark had a hostile confrontation with the Teton Sioux. Fortunately it ended without bloodshed, but it was pretty tense for a couple of days.

The Missouri River a few miles upstream from Pierre. The final confrontation with the Teton Sioux is believed to have occurred here. Note the distinct plains character of the land; it is quite different from the lower Missouri downstream from Kansas City.