To the Mandan Country Summary and Analysis

On September 25, a party of natives Teton Sioux Indians, including a few Chiefs, meets with the explorers. The captains distribute gifs and medals but soon find they lack a good interpreter for the situation. They invite some members of the Indian party aboard their boats. Several Indians on shore start behaving aggressively and demand one of the pirogues as a tribute. The captains refuse to give up the pirogue; the situation becomes tense and the party manages to avoid a violent encounter. The situation is defused in part by a Teton chief, Black Buffalo, who is inclined to diplomacy. The Corps camps with the Tetons during the following 3 days, holding councils and diplomatic meetings when needed. The situation is rather tense and the men are constantly on their guard.

The Corps of Discovery leaves the...