The Salish People & the Lewis & Clark Expedition was created by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in response to the bicentennial of the famous expedition through the western lands. With all the media hoopla, there were very few pieces that incorporated the native views; most acted like history in the region began when Lewis and Clark arrived. They looked at the native peoples from the perspective of their role within, or effect upon, the expedition and totally disregarded the native peoples' stories as hearsay and discredited them as being unreliable.

The Salish people felt that it was time to set the record straight. This is their story of the role the Lewis and Clark expedition played upon their tribe. For a people that had inhabited the area for the last 9,000 to 15,000 years, the arrival of a group of near-starved, freezing, pale-skinned wanderers would not have been any great deal. And it really has not been remembered as a great deal except for in one regard: it was not so much an expedition of discovery as a "reconnaissance for invasion."

This is the first time that the elder members of the Salish tribe have been interviewed in their own language by younger tribal members that are fluent in the language and educated in the tribal history and culture. This book represents a remarkable turning point in the history of the Salish people and is only one of several books in the works by the Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee. If this is the quality we can expect, these will be books to treasure and will be highly sought by collectors.

The book is divided into two parts with several sections. The first part is "The Salish World in 1805." It includes "Coyote & the Ice Age: Tribal Creation Stories & Tribal Origins" and "A Salish Journey through the Bitterroot Valley." This is where the elders travel to various traditional place names that are along the trails used by Lewis and Clark in 1805-06 and explain their history and religious/spiritual significance with the tribe. Each entry contains at least one photograph or piece of artwork.

"Part 2: The Salish Encounter with the Lewis & Clark Expedition" begins with an examination of how horses, guns and epidemics affected the tribe just prior to the arrival of Lewis and Clark. The elders examine the intent of the expedition, the debate over whether to help them or kill them, misunderstanding and miscommunication, gift-giving and the results confusion and insulting behaviors, the native take on the black man in the group, the descendants of Clark, and the survival and renewal of Salish and Pend d'Oreille culture.

The final section provides extensive biographies and perspectives of the contributors and elders, "A Brief Guide to Written Salish & the International Phonetic Alphabet," notes and a bibliography.

The writing encompasses a diverse collection of styles and voices, which makes for an authentic and refreshing reading experience that seems almost like you are listening to the contributors speaking. It is extremely easy to become lost within the covers of this book. When you finish it, you feel as if you have actually journeyed to the region and experienced the splendors of the tribal history in person. I like every aspect of this book and hope to see many more from this tribe!

The artwork in this book is breathtaking. The oil paintings by Tony Sandoval are magnificent recreations of life among the Salish, while the multimedia works by Corky Clairmont, director of the art department at Salish Kootenai College, take on a surreal quality to illustrate the encounter between the Salish and the expedition. These are pieces from his monoprint series, "10,000 Years Indigenous People -- 200 Years Lewis & Clark." The photography is incredible -- beyond words!

The Salish People & the Lewis & Clark Expedition is a superb combination of literature and artwork that will delight every person, except those incapable of being delighted. There is something for everyone within the covers of this fine book.