[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 76 (Wednesday, June 14, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S5869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SUMMER OF PEACE: AMONG THE NIMIIPUU

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I rise today as cochair of the Lewis and 
Clark Bicentennial Congressional Caucus, which has helped communities 
and tribes across the country commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis 
and Clark expedition. Our goal is to provide resources that promote and 
enhance tourism opportunities that reflect unique local 
characteristics, interests, and history along the Lewis and Clark 
Trail.
  Over the last 3 years, America has commemorated this historic journey 
to the West, celebrating culture and life. This Saturday, we will again 
recognize the daring journey of the Lewis and Clark expedition that 
helped discover the West and her vast resources and viewscapes we enjoy 
today.
  The Summer of Peace Signature Event in Idaho is an opportunity for 
all of us to evaluate the long chain of cause and effect that links 
past, present, and future.
  From the journal entries, we have learned the explorers were not only 
discoverers and describers of the unknown land, but also sightseers 
whose experiences depended on the good will and assistance of 
strangers.
  The Lewis and Clark Expedition entered the Nimiipuu, Nez Perce, 
aboriginal homelands in September of 1805, and with this first chance 
encounter, they were met with caution. After crossing the daunting 
Rocky Mountains, the explorers were in dire need of food and shelter. 
They described the Nimiipuu as friendly, hospitable, and gracious hosts 
who assisted the expedition.
  Without the assistance of tribes such as the Nimiipuu, Lewis and 
Clark and their party would have likely become lost or died from 
starvation. The expedition itself heavily relied on those who inhabited 
the land--their survival depended on American Indians' willingness to 
share knowledge about the land, its resources, and practical routes 
across it.
  Today, the Nez Perce, Lemhi Shoshone, and other American tribes are 
working diligently to preserve the heritage and culture that was such a 
large part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and that played such a 
significant role in the history of the West. The leadership of these 
tribes of yesterday and today has helped shape the identity of America 
and the West.
  The Nez Perce Tribe in particular has become very closely involved 
with the commemoration, and has been an integral part of planning and 
preparing for Idaho's part of the celebration, including events like 
the Summer of Peace Signature Event. This event not only honors the 
contributions of the Nimiipuu then, it recognizes the tradition of 
peaceful and meaningful relationships that characterize the American 
West.

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