March 3, 1805
On this day, Captain George Clark made note in his journal that two Mandan chiefs, Black Cat and “Big Belley” (Raven Man Chief) had visited Fort Mandan “…visited by the black Cat, Chief of the Mandans 2d Cheif and a Big Belley, they Stayed but a Short time we informed those Chiefs of the news recved from the Ricaras, all hands employd”
Apparent in Clark’s casual mention was the growing routine nature of the expedition’s interaction with the Mandan leaders. It was the beginning of 
the mission’s ethnographic study of Native Americans. Happily, Black Cat was a willing and able subject. (Clark, left)
Principal chief of the village of Roop-tar-hee, one of two Mandan settlements nearby, the chief had been instrumental in the siting of the expedition’s winter quarters and was considered by Lewis to be a man of intelligence and integrity. The journals document at least 17 times Black Cat visited Fort Mandan, sometimes staying for several days.
In addition to Black Cat, the captains met and interviewed a number of important leaders over the winter including Mandan chief, Shehaka, (White Coyote), Ohheenar (Big Man), a Cheyenne, and an Arikara man, Shotaharrora (Coal).
North Dakota’s recreated Fort Mandan in winter
President Thomas Jefferson, insatiably curious, had given the captains a detailed group of questions regarding indigenous people. It became clear that time constraints and language barriers made Jefferson’s request impractical. The captains quickly learned to streamline their inquiries, leaning heavily on interviews and observable features such as physical appearance and lifestyles.
George Catlin’s illustration of Mandan Village
While the journals of six members of the expedition make up the Corps of Discovery’s official record, Lewis, Clark and Sergeant George Ordway produced the most insightful writings. Lewis, diligent and orderly in his diary, displayed his bent for scientific cataloging and classification. Clark, who became a skilled negotiator over the course of the journey, was more observant of the political and personal interactions among the groups he encountered.
Ordway, perhaps Lewis and Clark’s most trusted of the enlisted men, often recorded small details of Native life that may otherwise have been 
overlooked. During the long North Dakota winter, the sergeant made a number of trips to Black Cat’s village, noting everything from Mandan games, methods of food storage to the tribe’s rituals of mourning. (Left, detail from Catlin’s illustration of the Native ring game.)
All three viewed indigenous life through an Anglo-American prism and not entirely devoid of judgement. But Lewis clearly recognized the value of their knowledge for the success of the venture and respected their knowledge.
On the return trip in 1806, Mandan chief, Shehaka, (left) accompanied Lewis and Clark to Washington to meet President Jefferson. Hoping to fulfill Jefferson’s mandate to show indigenous people the advantages of Anglo-American culture, it didn’t end well for Shehake. Upon his return after a two-year absence, the chief’s stories of the wonders he had witnessed in Washington rang hollow with his people and he lost credibility as a leader. He died in 1812 at the hands of the Mandan’s tradtional enemies, the Hidatsa.
The newly remodeled North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, US Hwy 83 and ND 200A, Washburn, N.D. explores Lewis and Clark’s 1804-05 winter sojourn at nearby Fort Mandan. Displays include Native American artifacts as well as those of the Expedition. In addition a seasonally rotated gallery of watercolor prints by famed frontier artist Karl Bodmer in the Center’s Bergquist Gallery is one of only four in the world to house the complete collection.
Admission to the Center is $7.50 for adults, $5 with a North Dakota State Park Annual Pass and includes Fort Mandan. Open 9 to 5 daily from April through September, closed on Sundays October through March. The reconstructed Fort Mandan, located two and a half miles west, is open April through October. For more information go to fortmandan.com, e-mail lcic@nd.gov or call (701) 462-8535.
© Text Only – 2017 – Headin’ West LLC – All photos – public domain or fair use.