They Call it Elk River: Native American Hunting Grounds -- Livingston MT USA - Montana Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

This is the THIRD of three panels explaining the extensive and significant reports of Lewis & Clark as they explored along the Yellowstone River on their Corps of Discovery Expedition.

The first panel, on the right, reads as follows:

"They Call it Elk River: Native American Hunting Grounds

July 17, 1806
"I Saw in one of those Small bottoms which I passed this evening an Indian fort which appears to have been built last Summer. this fort was built of logs and bark. the logs was put up very Closely capping on each other about 5 feet and Closely chinked. around which bark was Set up on end so as to Cover the Logs. the enterance was also guarded by a work on each Side of it and faceing the river. this work is about 50 feet Diameter & nearly round."

Elk River, Rochihone, Yellowstone. Three names for a river -- Crow, French and American. Centuries before Clark set foot into this country, the Crow Indians and several other tribes had discovered the plain's bounty of bison, elk, antelope and deer. They, too, used this river as an easy corridor for travel, but they traveled warily. That caution explains why Clark detected only sigs of Indian presence, despite journeying deep into the Crow homeland. He did find several Indian forts constructed of logs and bark. He also described two ceremonial lodges, much larger and more elaborate than the forts. The tribes themselves were as elusive as the puff of smoke Clark noted one day in the distance, a reminder that his party was not alone in the wilderness.

Two Views of Horse Theft

On July 20th, the Crow raided Clark's canoe camp and escaped with half the horses. On July 12th, Sergeant Pryor and two others attempted to take the remaining horses overland to the Mandan country. Two nights into that journey, the rest of the horses disappeared. Where Clark saw a criminal act, the Crow accepted horse theft as a demonstration of bravery.

July 23, 1806
"Sgt. pryor found an Indian Mockerson and a Small piece of a roab, the mockerson worn out on the bottom & yet wet, and have every appearance of haveing been worn but a fiew hours before. those Indian Signs is Conclusive with me that they have taken the 24 horses which we lost on the night of the 20th..."

(From The Heart of the Crow Country: the Crow Indians Own Story)

"For the Crows, one of the four essential military tests was for a warrior to sneak into an enemy camp in darkness, capture a well-guarded prized horse, and bring it home."

Signatures of Two Cultures: Pompeys Pillar

July 25, 1806
"The Indians have made 2 piles of Stone on the top of this Tower. The nativs have ingraved on the face of this rock the figures of animals &c. near which I marked my name and the day of the month & year."
Clark hiked in the footsteps of Native Americans up a 200-foot high sandstone monolith downstream from Billings. When he carved his name next to their petroglyphs, he left lasting evidence of the Expedition's journey. He proclaimed the rock "Pompey's Tower" in honor of Sacagawea's son, The name would be changed in 1841 to Pompeys Pillar.

Ceremonial Lodge

July 24, 1806
"on this Island I observd a large lodge...in this Lodge I observed a Cedar bush Sticking up on the opposit side of the lodge fronting the dore, on one side was a Buffalow head, and on the other Several Sticks bent and Stuck in the ground. a Stuffed Buffalow skin was Suspended from the Center with the back down. (on) the top of those poles were deckerated with feathers of the Eagle & Calumet Eagle also Several Curious pieces of wood bent in Circleler form with sticks across them in form of a griddle hung on tops of the lodge poles others in form of a large Sturrip."

Native Americans likely designed this ceremonial lodge for a spiritual ceremony.

[map] Illustrated map of the Yellowstone River diagonally across the marker, July 28-Aug. 3, 1806

July 28, 1806
" in the evening I passd. Straters of Coal in the banks on either Side those on the Stard. Bluffs was about 30 feet above the water and in 2 vanes from 4 to 8 feet thick, in a horozontal position."

July 30, 1806
"I observe great quantities of red Stone thrown out of this river that from the appearance of the hills at a distance on its lower Side induced me to call this red Stone river."
Clark refers to the Powder River. The red stone called shaker is actually shale or sandstone heated to high temperatures by underlying burning coal seams. It was used by Native Americans for making spear and arrow points. Look today for shaker in the hillside along the Yellowstone form near Forsyth to Sydney.

August 1, 1806
"at 2 P. M. I was obliged to land to let the Buffalow Cross over. not withstanding an island of half a mile in width over which this gangue of Buffalow had to pass and the Chanel of the river on each Side nearly ¼ of a mile in width, this gangue of Buffalow was entirely across and as thick as they could Swim. the Chanel on the Side of the island the went into the river was crouded with those animals for ½ an hour."

August 3, 1806
"at 8. A. M. I arived at the Junction of the Rochejhone with the Missouri, and formed my Camp imediately in the point between the two river at which place the party had all encamped the 26th of April—1805....had the Canoes unloaded and every article exposed to dry & Sun."

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