[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 27 (Monday, July 8, 2002)]
[Pages 1132-1134]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Celebrating the Bicentennial of Lewis and Clark's Voyage of 
Discovery

July 3, 2002

    Welcome. Please be seated. You read it just like I wrote it. 
[Laughter]
    Thank you all for coming. It's great to see so many of my fellow 
Americans here on the eve of Independence Day, the day we celebrate the 
fantastic freedoms we love in America. And I hope every American goes 
out tomorrow and gives thanks for the many blessings of our Nation.
    I want to thank members of my Cabinet who are here. Thank you all 
for coming, Gale and Ann.
    I want to thank Members of the Congress--Senator and Congressman 
from the great Commonwealth of Virginia are here. I want to thank many 
members of the administration who are here. I see Fran, who is head of 
the National Parks. I want to thank

[[Page 1133]]

the tribal leaders who have come. I want to thank my fellow Americans. 
Welcome to the people's house. And it's a beautiful house, as you can 
see.
    I want to thank Laura for serving as the host while I was doing some 
work. I particularly want to thank the Missouri Historical Society for 
lending this splendid portrait of the man Stephen Ambrose called the 
greatest of all American explorers, Captain Meriwether Lewis.
    You know, it's amazing--it's fitting and amazing, when you think 
about it, that we're holding this event here in the East Room, because 
this is where Lewis lived when he was Jefferson's private secretary. Not 
a bad room. [Laughter] They tell me, though, that back then the room was 
damp and depressing. The second First Lady who lived here, Abigail 
Adams, actually used to hang the washing here. [Laughter] And I want to 
thank Laura for getting my underwear out before the event started. 
[Laughter]
    Nearly 200 years ago, President Jefferson sent an expedition to 
explore what was then the uncharted West. Jefferson was a curious man, 
as we've learned, and I bet you he wanted to lead the expedition 
himself. But he was occupied, and so he chose a trusted aide and friend, 
Meriwether Lewis, to lead what was called the Voyage of Discovery.
    The Lewis and Clark expedition lasted just a couple of years, but it 
changed the face of our country forever. It opened up the American West 
for future development. It increased our knowledge of our natural 
resources. It helped us gain a better understanding of America's native 
cultures. Most importantly, the Lewis and Clark Expedition will stand 
forever as a monument to the American spirit, a spirit of optimism and 
courage and persistence in the face of adversity.
    Earlier this week, I signed a proclamation designating 2003 through 
2006 as the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration. I urge all 
Americans to learn more about Lewis and Clark and how the expedition 
changed our Nation and, at the same time, to learn more about our native 
culture, to learn more about courage and the values that continue to 
shape our Nation today.
    American history is filled with remarkable examples of heroism and 
adventure, and the voyage of Lewis and Clark is one of the most 
remarkable of them all. And that's why we're here in the White House 
today. Their expedition became an epic of endurance and discovery, and 
that epic became an American legend which all Americans should know 
about, and they should teach their children about it as well.
    The achievement would not have been possible without the tremendous 
contribution of a remarkable Shoshone Indian woman, Sacagawea, who 
helped the explorers on their long and perilous journey. And I say 
remarkable because she had a 2-month-old baby when the trip began. And 
she was just as committed to discovery and success as Lewis and Clark 
and the other young members of the Corps of Discovery.
    Her courage and her strength reminds us that American Indians have 
played a central role in our history, and their unique culture must 
never be lost. Tribal colleges and universities help preserve 
irreplaceable languages and cultural traditions. At the same time, of 
course, they offer a high-quality college education to thousands of 
students and provide much-needed job training and other means of 
economic development in Indian country.
    I bring that up today because I had the honor of signing an 
Executive order affirming the Federal Government's commitment to these 
unique institutions. Many of the board members that I named are here 
today, and they were in the Oval Office earlier, and I want to thank 
them for coming. All Americans--all Americans--deserve an excellent 
education, including those who attend tribal colleges and universities.
    I want to thank you all for coming today. I want to thank you for 
being here to honor the courage of great explorers. I want to thank you 
for being here to honor the richness of native cultures. And I want to 
thank you for being here to honor the grand history of the American 
West.
    May God bless you and your families, and may God continue to bless 
America. Thank you.

[[Page 1134]]

Note: The President spoke at 2:50 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to historian Stephen E. Ambrose.