MAPS.
KNOWING WHERE WE
ARE ON THIS EARTH.
POWERFUL INFORMATION THAT
OPENS UP NEW WORLDS.
200 YEARS AGO, CANADIAN
EXPLORER, FUR TRADER AND
SURVEYOR DAVID THOMPSON
MAPPED THE UNCHARTED VAST
INTERIOR OF WESTERN
NORTH AMERICA.
HE RETRACED THOUSANDS OF
ANCIENT TRIBAL TRAILS.
"HE'S AS MUCH A MAPMAKER
OF THE CANADIAN IMAGINATION
AS HE IS A SURVEYOR
AND CARTOGRAPHER."
THOMPSON WAS LIKE
A HUMAN MAP-QUEST.
ARMED WITH A SEXTANT,
HE SPENT DECADES IN
THE WILDERNESS
TRAVELING 55,000 MILES
BY SNOWSHOE, HORSEBACK,
DOGSLED, AND CANOE,
USING THE STARS TO
MAP ONE FIFTH
OF THE CONTINENT,
1.5 MILLION SQUARE MILES.
"THERE WERE TIMES WHEN IT
WAS 20-30 DEGREES BELOW
ZERO"
"HIS MIND, WAS THIS BIG
COMPLEX MIND WORKING ON A
LOT OF CYLINDERS"
IN SALISH, HIS NAME
WAS KOO KOO SINT,
THE MAN WHO
LOOKS AT STARS.
"THERE'S SOMETHING REALLY
SPECIAL AND UNIQUE ABOUT
USING A SEXTANT, LOOKING AT
THE STARS, LOOKING TO THE
HEAVENS TO FIND
YOUR WAY ON EARTH."
THOMPSON MAPPED AS FAR
NORTH AS ATHABASCA,
SOUTH TO THE MISSOURI,
FROM HUDSON BAY. TO THE
PACIFIC OCEAN.
EVEN LEWIS AND CLARK USED
ONE OF THOMPSON'S MAPS.
THOMPSON, SOME THINK,
WAS THE GREATEST LAND
"WHETHER IT'S THOMPSON
SKETCHING MAPS OR WHETHER
IT'S THOMPSON SKETCHING
MOUNTAINS, OR THOMPSON
SKETCHING THESE WONDERFUL
SUCCINCT POETIC STATEMENTS
ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND
THEIR LANGUAGES AND THEIR
INTERACTIONS, HE'S
VERY RELEVANT"
IN 1807, THOMPSON CROSSED
THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE INTO
UNCHARTED TERRITORY.
HE WAS SEARCHING FOR THE
COLUMBIA RIVER, THE INLAND
NORTHWEST PASSAGE FROM THE
ROCKY MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA.
FOR FIVE YEARS, THOMPSON
EXPLORED THE COLUMBIA
PLATEAU,
ITS RIVERS,
AND THE UNIQUE
PEOPLE WHO LIVED THERE.
OUR STORY CENTERS
ON THIS UNIQUE TIME.
♪ ♪ VOYAGEURS SINGING
IT'S A COLD MAY MORNING
ON THE NORTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER.
BATTLING HEADWINDS, THE
2008 DAVID THOMPSON BRIGADE
IS RETRACING A RIVER
HIGHWAY FROM THE ROCKY
MOUNTAINS TO LAKE SUPERIOR.
"THESE RIVER HIGHWAYS
LED TO CANADA AS WE
KNOW IT.
AND, IT'S POSSIBLE TO GO
FROM THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
ALL THE WAY TO THE
ATLANTIC, ALL THE WAY TO
THE HUDSON BAY"
THE FUR TRADE WAS BUILT
ON THESE RIVER HIGHWAYS.
TRADE GOODS WERE
BROUGHT IN,
FURS WERE BROUGHT OUT,
ALMOST ALL BY WATER.
IN ENGLAND, HIGH FASHION
FELT HATS, WERE MADE OUT OF
THE BEAVER FURS.
EXTREMELY VALUABLE AND
OFTEN PASSED FROM
FATHER TO SON.
THE VOYAGEURS, PRIMARILY
FRENCH CANADIAN, WERE THE
BACKBONE OF THE FUR TRADE.
THE VOYAGEURS WRE LABORERS,
THE HEAVY LIFTERS
EXPECTED TO WORK
16 HOURS A DAY,
PADDLING 55
STOKES PER MINUTE.
THE BIRCH BARK CANOE WAS
THE TRANSPORTATION OF
CHOICE.
"IT WAS THE SEMI TRAILER
OF THE DAY, THERE'S JUST NO
QUESTION ABOUT IT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A 25'
BOAT, FOUR FEET ACROSS THE
BEAM, IT WAS ABLE TO CARRY
A TON AND A HALF OF TRADE
CARGO".
THE NORTH AMERICAN FUR
TRADE WAS BOOMING THE YEAR
DAVID THOMPSON WAS BORN.
BORN IN LONDON IN 1770,
DAVID THOMPSON WAS RAISED
BY HIS WIDOWED MOTHER
IN THE TOUGH PART OF
WESTMINSTER.
AT SEVEN, HE ENTERED THE
GREY COAT CHARITY SCHOOL,
DEDICATED TO EDUCATING
POOR CHILDREN.
"IF YOU WERE SMART YOU GOT
YOU GOT ON A HONOR'S TRACK,
SO HE WAS TAKING
TRIGONOMETRY WHEN HE WAS
12, 13 YEARS OLD AND
GETTING GOOD AT IT. "
THOMPSON LEARNED THE BASICS
OF PRACTICAL NAVIGATION,
THE USE OF A QUADRANT
AND CROSS STAFF AND
STANDARD METHODS FOR
DETERMINING LATITUDE.
"THE HUDSON'S BAY CO.
KNEW ABOUT THESE CHARITY
SCHOOLS AS DID THE BRITISH
NAVY AND THEY WERE LOOKING
FOR PEOPLE WITH SURVEYING
SKILLS. "
IN 1784, TWO STUDENTS WERE
APPRENTICED TO THE HUDSON'S
BAY COMPANY FOR SEVEN
YEARS, TO WORK IN THE NORTH
AMERICAN FUR TRADE.
ONE RAN AWAY.
THE OTHER WAS 14 YEAR
OLD DAVID THOMPSON.
"IT MUST HAVE BEEN PRETTY
SHOCKING TO LAND ON THE
SHORE OF HUDSON BAY, WHICH
ALONE IS A PRETTY RUGGED
PLACE, LET ALONE THE KIND
OF PEOPLE HE WAS
SURROUNDED BY"
".BEING THRUST INTO AN ALIEN
LANDSCAPE WHILE STILL AN
ADOLESCENT.
LEARNING CREE, LEARNING
PIEGAN, LEARNING FRENCH,
COMING TO KNOW THE LANDS OF
THE PEOPLE OF WESTERN NORTH
AMERICA FIRST HAND. "
WITHIN MONTHS THE
ALIEN LANDSCAPE FROZE.
"THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT
FOLDED
UP UNDER THE PRESSURE OF BEING
ABOVE THE TREE LINE.
HE NEVER COMPLAINED
ABOUT BEING COLD.
HE GOES OUT AND LEARNS HOW
TO HUNT POLAR BEARS, AND
PTARMIGAN AND FISH AND
LOOKS AT MOSQUITOES, AND I
MEAN HIS BOUNDLESS
CURIOSITY DEVELOPED AT THE
GREY COAT SCHOOL IS GIVEN
A WHOLE CONTINENT TO
FLOURISH. "
THE FUR TRADE WAS BOTH A
NATIVE AND EUROPEAN WORLD.
"WE MAKE A MISTAKE IN
THINKING THAT WE LIVE IN A
MULTICULTURAL AGE,
BECAUSE IF WE LOOK BACK
AT THE WORLD OF THE WEST,
IN THE LATE 18TH AND EARLY
19TH CENTURIES, WE HAVE THE
ABORIGINAL PRESENCE AND
THERE IS SO MUCH DIVERSITY
ALREADY JUST
WITHIN THAT WORLD.
SO YOU'RE HEARING ALL THE
NATIVE LANGUAGES, YOU'RE
HEARING ENGLISH,
GAELIC, FRENCH,
IT'S JUST SUCH A
FANTASTIC TAPESTRY OR
MOSAIC OF CULTURES. "
AT 17, THOMPSON WAS SENT
WEST TO WINTER WITH THE
BLACKFEET AT A WINTERING
CAMP NEAR CALGARY, ALBERTA.
" AND THAT'S WHERE HE MET
SAUKAMAPPEE AND
KOOTENAI APPE, THE GREAT WAR
CHIEF, AND
SOKATOW THE CIVIL CHIEF.
SO, HE FORMED A
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
PIEGAN, HE LEARNED
THEIR LANGUAGE"
"THERE'S 5 WHITE GUYS IN
A WINTER CAMP OF ABOUT 25
HUNDRED BLACKFEET, BUT
THE BLACKFEET ARE VERY
HOSPITABLE TO THEM, AND
THEY TAKE THIS YOUNG
TEENAGER AND PUT HIM IN THE
TENT OF AN ELDER WHICH WAS
VERY GRACIOUS THING TO DO
SO HE COULD LEARN SOMETHING
DURING THE WINTER"
DAVID THOMPSON JOURNAL: WE
WERE LODGED IN THE TENT OF
AN OLD MAN.
HE WAS FULL SIX FEET IN
HEIGHT, ERECT, AND OF A
FRAME THAT SHOWED
STRENGTH AND ACTIVITY.
I SAT AND LISTENED WITHOUT
BEING IN THE LEAST TIRED"
THE ELDER WAS A CREE
NAMED SAUKAMAPPEE.
NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, THOMPSON
LISTENED TO SAUKEMAPPE TELL
STORIES.
"SAUKAMAPPEE LIVED A LIFE
PROBABLY AS INTERESTING AS
THOMPSON'S.
HE WITNESSED THE
INTRODUCTION OF THE HORSE
TO THE PLAINS.
THE INTRODUCTION OF
FIREARMS TO PLAINS WAR
WARFARE.
HE WITNESSED THE
SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC.
AND HE WAS ABLE TO RELATE
ALL THAT TO THOMPSON AND
THOMPSON IN TURN COULD
RELATE IT TO US. "
"IT'S REALLY EASY TO SEE
HIS EDUCATION TO WESTERN
NORTH AMERICA
BEGINNING IN THAT TENT. "
"DAVID THOMPSON HAD THE
MISFORTUNE TO
BREAK HIS LEG AND IT WAS
SO SWELLED THAT I FOUND IT
A DIFFICULT
MATTER TO SET IT.
WHATEVER THE CONSEQUENCE
MAY BE IS YET UNCERTAIN,.
. BUT SHALL HOPE
FOR THE BEST.
--- WILLIAM TOMISON
HUDSON BAY COMPANY 1789"
THOMPSON LEARNED
PRACTICAL ASTRONOMY WHILE
RECUPERATING FROM A BROKEN
LEG WHEN HE WAS 19.
HE STUDIED UNDER PHILIP
TURNOR, THE BEST GEOGRAPHER
IN THE NEW WORLD
AT THE TIME.
"BUT IF YOU GO THROUGH HIS
JOURNALS, THEY'RE FILLED
WITH ASTRONOMICAL
OBSERVATIONS AND TAKEN DOWN
IN THE MOST
METICULOUS MANNER.
IT WAS A LABOR
OF LOVE FOR HIM.
HE WOULD GET UP IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO LOOK
AT THE STARS.
I MEAN YOU REALLY HAVE TO
BE COMMITTED TO SOMETHING
TO DO THAT.
AND HE WOULD TAKE READINGS
AGAIN AND AGAIN, OF A
SINGLE PLACE AND THEN
AVERAGED THEM OUT TO TRY TO
PINPOINT THAT ONE SPOT ON
THE SURFACE OF THE GLOBE.
IT'S ALMOST SOMETHING IT
SEEMS HE WAS COMPELLED
TO DO. "
IT'S A VERY SMALL WORLD
OF PEOPLE WHO HAD
THIS SKILL, AND THOMPSON, WHO IS
COMING FROM NOWHERE IS IN
IT, AND HE CAN DO IT
AS GOOD AS ANYBODY"
DENNY DEMEYER IS A LAND SURVEYOR
AND A MEMBER OF
THE SURVEYOR'S
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
"THE EARLIEST DEFINITION
OF SURVEYING WAS CALLED
PRACTICAL ASTRONOMY, SO
WE WERE ALL PRACTICAL
ASTRONOMERS ONCE
UPON A TIME"
DEMEYER COLLECTS 200 YEAR
OLD SURVEYING EQUIPMENT.
"THIS IS A 10 INCH LATTICE
WORK SEXTANT OF THE TYPE
USED BY DAVID THOMPSON, IT
WAS MANUFACTURED IN LONDON.
SEXTANTS WERE USED TO
MEASURE THE ANGLES BETWEEN
CELESTIAL OBJECTS AND THE
HORIZON TO LOCATE ONES
POSITION ON THE GLOBE.
"THE LARGE PROBLEM EVERYONE
HAD WAS ESTABLISHING
LONGITUDE.
LATITUDE WAS FAIRLY EASY TO
ESTABLISH AND THEY HAD BEEN
DOING THAT SINCE
THE 1500S,
BUT LONGITUDE, HOW FAR
EAST AND WEST YOU WERE, WAS
INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT
TO DETERMINE. "
THOMPSON USED MERCURY
POURED INTO A TRAY TO
CREATE AN
ARTIFICIAL HORIZON.
OTHER TOOLS INCLUDED A FOUR
FOOT ACHROMATIC
DOLLOND TELESCOPE,
A WATCH, A THERMOMETER,
THE LATEST EDITION OF
THE NAUTICAL ALMANAC, AND OTHER
REFERENCE TABLES.
AFTER THOMPSON'S
APPRENTICESHIP, HE
CONTINUED TO WORK FOR
THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY.
BUT AT AGE 27, THOMPSON
ABRUPTLY LEFT THEIR EMPLOY.
AFTER 13 YEARS OF SERVICE,
HE WALKED TO THE NEAREST
NORTH WEST COMPANY POST
AND SIGNED ON WITH THE
COMPETITION.
"HE FELT HE WASN'T GETTING
ENOUGH ENCOURAGEMENT TO GO
ON SURVEYS.
THAT THE HUDSON'S BAY CO.
HAD A MEAN AND SELFISH
POLICY, WHERE THE NORTHWEST
CO WERE MORE
LIBERAL MINDED. "
"THOMPSON DID NOT GIVE
HUDSON'S BAY A YEAR NOTICE
AND THAT WAS CONSIDERED
VERY BAD FORM"
"WILLIAM TOMISON WROTE
THAT IF HE EVER MET DAVID
THOMPSON, HE WOULD BE
TEMPTED TO PULL HIS EARS
OFF, SO THERE CERTAINLY
WERE PEOPLE WITHIN THE
HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY THAT
WERE VERY ANGRY WHEN DAVID
THOMPSON LEFT."
UNLIKE THE HUDSON'S
BAY COMPANY, THAT WAS
CONTROLLED FROM
AFAR IN LONDON,
THE NORTH WEST COMPANY
WAS BASED OUT OF MONTREAL.
THE PARTNERS, USUALLY
SCOTS, SHARED IN THE
PROFITS.
THOMPSON'S FIRST ASSIGNMENT
WAS AN AMBITIOUS ONE,.
SURVEYING TRADING POSTS
FROM THE GREAT LAKES TO
NORTH DAKOTA.
IN 10 MONTHS HE
COVERED 4,000 MILES.
ON THAT JOURNEY, THOMPSON
TOOK THE FIRST ACCURATE
LONGITUDE OF AN IMPORTANT
MANDAN VILLAGE TRADING
CENTER IN NORTH DAKOTA.
HE INTERVIEWED ELDERS,
GATHERING IMPORTANT TRIBAL
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
THE UPPER MISSOURI.
" HE'S COMBINING TRIBAL
INFORMATION AND
OUTDOOR SKILLS THAT HE'S
LEARNED
IN HIS APPRENTICESHIP WITH
EUROPEAN STYLE WRITING AND
MAP MAKING AND IT'S QUITE
AN ENGAGING MIX.
AND HE GOES BACK AND MAKES
A MAP OF WHAT HE CALLS THE
BEND OF THE MISSOURI"
THOMPSON'S ' BEND OF THE
MISSOURI' MAP ENDS UP IN
THE HANDS OF
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
" JEFFERSON MAKES SOME
HANDWRITTEN NOTES ON THIS
MAP OF THOMPSON AND ITS NOW
IN OUR LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
THE TWO NOTES THAT
JEFFERSON WRITES ON THERE
ARE MR. THOMPSON'S
LONGITUDE FOR THESE
VILLAGES IS,
AND HE KNOWS THAT'S
IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS
WHERE LEWIS & CLARK END
UP SPENDING THEIR FIRST
WINTER, IT'S THE PERFECT
STOPPING POINT AND THEN ON
THE OTHER SIDE IN REVERSE
IT SAYS THIS MAP BELONGS
TO CAPT. LEWIS. "
"ON THIS DAY I MARRIED
CHARLOTTE SMALL ...
DAVID THOMPSON,
JUNE 10, 1799"
AT 29, THOMPSON MARRIED
CHARLOTTE SMALL AT
ILE A LA CROSSE , A TRADING
POST
ON THE CHURCHILL RIVER.
OF MIXED BLOOD, CHARLOTTE'S
MOTHER WAS NAHATHAWAY CREE
AND HER FATHER, A
SCOTTISH FUR TRADER.
"THEY KNEW THAT THESE KINDS
OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT THEY
FORMED WITH NATIVE WOMEN,
WOULD NOT QUALIFY AS
MARRIAGES.
THERE WERE NO MINISTERS
AROUND, THERE WAS NO
CHURCH.
THEY DIDN'T VIEW THEM AS
MARRIAGES IN THEIR EYES"
"THE FUR TRADE DOESN'T
WORK WITHOUT THEM.
THOMPSON ALWAYS
TRAVELS WITH WOMEN.
HE IS DEPENDING ON THEM.
AND HE HAS A MIXED BLOOD
WIFE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY
ELSE DOES. "
"MY LOVELY WIFE IS OF THE
BLOOD OF THESE PEOPLE,
SPEAKING THEIR LANGUAGE
AND WELL EDUCATED IN THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE, WHICH
GIVES ME A GREAT ADVANTAGE. "
"THE TRADERS ALWAYS
RECOGNIZED THAT THESE
CONNECTIONS WERE IMPORTANT,
THAT THEY NEEDED
CONNECTIONS IF THEY
WERE GOING TO SURVIVE. "
"BECAUSE YOUR MOST LIKELY
TO TRADE WITH YOUR BROTHER
IN LAW OR YOUR SON IN LAW
THAN YOU ARE GOING TO A
COMPETITION WHERE YOU DON'T
HAVE ANY KINSHIP TIES.
" IN FALL OF 1800,
THOMPSON AND HIS NEW WIFE,
CHARLOTTE, ARRIVED AT
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE.
THE POST, BUILT A YEAR
EARLIER, STOOD UPSTREAM
FROM A STRING OF POSTS ON
THE UPPER SASKATCHEWAN.
ALTHOUGH THE MOUNTAINS
WERE BARELY IN VIEW, THE
INTENTION WAS CLEAR.
THE FUR TRADE WAS MOVING
WEST, HEADING FOR THE ROCKY
MOUNTAINS.
THE NOR'WESTERS WANTED TO
ATTRACT THE TRADE OF THE
KOOTENAI,
A TRIBE ON THE WEST
SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS.
"THE KOOTENAI ARE THIS
REALLY COMPLEX TRIBE AND
ONE OF THE FEW TRIBES
THAT'S LIVING BOTH PLAINS
CULTURE AND PLATEAU CULTURE
TOGETHER, WHERE UPPER
KOOTENAI PEOPLE GO BACK AND
FORTH ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. "
THE KOOTENAI ARE AN ANCIENT
PEOPLE, WHO'VE LIVED ON THE
COLUMBIA PLATEAU FOR
OVER 10,000 YEARS.
" OUR LANGUAGE IS AN
ISOLATE LANGUAGE, THE
KOOTENAI LANGUAGE, THERE IS
NO OTHER LANGUAGE ON THE
FACE OF THE EARTH
THAT IS LIKE IT. "
"WE'RE ALL UPNUCKANICK,
THAT'S THE TRUE TERM OF WHO
WE ARE UPNUCKANICK"
AT THAT TIME, THE PIEGAN,
BLOOD AND BLACKFEET
DOMINATED THE
NORTHERN PLAINS.
"THE PIEGAN FOR GENERATIONS
HAVE BEEN SAVVY ABOUT
PROTECTING THEIR
INTERESTS".
THEY ACTED AS MIDDLEMEN
BETWEEN THE FUR TRADERS AND
TRIBES WEST OF
THE MOUNTAINS.
" I WATCHED AS
THE KOOTENAIS SWAPPED
THEIR BEST HORSES AND DRESS
FURS TO THE PIEGAN FOR OLD
KETTLES AND BROKEN TOOLS.
PETER FIDLER, HUDSON'S
BAY COMPANY 1792"
" THE PIEGAN AND THEIR
ALLIES THE BLACKFOOT AND
BLOOD DIDN'T REALLY LIKE
THE FACT THAT THOMPSON
WANTED TO MOVE THROUGH THEM
AND TRADE DIRECTLY WITH
GROUPS LIKE THE SALISH THE
KOOTENAI AND ALL THOSE
TRIBES ON THE WEST
SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS. "
" THEY SEE EUROPEANS IN
MUCH THE SAME WAY AS THEY
WERE ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING
OTHER FIRST NATIONS, NOT
NECESSARILY AS FRIENDS OR
FOES, BUT AS POTENTIAL
THREATS, OR AS
POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY. "
WHEN THE KOOTENAI TRIED TO
TRADE DIRECTLY WITH THE
EUROPEANS, THE PIEGAN
HARASSED THEM AND TRIED TO
STEAL THEIR HORSES.
DAVID THOMPSON JOURNAL:
OCTOBER 16, 1800 " I CAN
NOT HELP BUT ADMIRE THOSE
BRAVE UNDAUNTED KOOTENAI.
WHEN THE YOUNG PIEGAN MEN
SEIZED THE HEADS OF THEIR
HORSES, THEY ALL ACTED
AS IF BY ONE SOUL,
BENT THEIR BOWS,.
AND PREPARED TO MAKE
THEIR OPPRESSORS QUIT THEIR
HORSES OR SELL
THEIR LIVES DEARLY"
THE KOOTENAI WANTED THE FUR
TRADERS TO BUILD A TRADING
POST IN THEIR HOMELAND.
ANXIOUS TO TAP THIS NEW
SOURCE OF FURS, THE NORTH
WEST COMPANY DECIDED TO
EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS
ACROSS THE ROCKIES IN 1806.
THOMPSON, RECENTLY NAMED A
PARTNER IN THE COMPANY, WAS
PLACED IN CHARGE
OF THE EXPEDITION.
"MR. DAVID THOMPSON
IS MAKING
PREPARATIONS FOR AN ATTEMPT TO
CROSS THE MOUNTAINS,
PASS THROUGH THE COUNTRY
AND FOLLOW THE COLUMBIA
RIVER TO THE SEA.
.. JAMES BIRD, HUDSON'S
BAY COMPANY 1807"
THE COURSE WOULD FOLLOW AN
ANCIENT KOOTENAI TRAIL, UP
THE SASKATCHEWAN, OVER
THE ROCKIES INTO
KOOTENAI COUNTRY.
IT'S TODAY'S HOWSE PASS.
THOMPSON WAS NOW 36,
CHARLOTTE 21, WITH THREE
CHILDREN UNDER
THE AGE OF SIX.
THIS EXPEDITION WAS
CAREFULLY PLANNED.
AN ADVANCE PARTY, LED BY
JACO FINLEY, WAS DISPATCHED
TO IMPROVE THE KOOTENAI
TRAIL ACROSS THE DIVIDE.
"IT'S DESCRIBED AS
LEADING AN EXPEDITION OVER,
BUT YET THERE'S ALREADY
PEOPLE OVER THERE, AND
THERE'S PEOPLE BRINGING UP
HORSES BEHIND THEM TO KEEP
THEM SUPPLIED.
IT'S THIS LONG STUTTERED
SEQUENCE OF CACHING
MATERIALS AND WAITING
FOR THE SNOW TO MELT AND
GETTING THE GUIDES
HE WANTED IN PLACE.
IT'S MUCH MORE LIKE
AN ASCENT ON MT.
EVEREST WHERE YOU HAVE BASE
CAMPS AND YOU HAVE STUFF
COMING UP AND YOU HAVE
PEOPLE WHO KNOW THAT THEY
AREN'T GOING TO SUMMIT, BUT
THEY'RE PART OF THE TEAM. "
BY THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY,
THE ICE WAS BREAKING UP ON
THE SASKATCHEWAN.
EIGHT VOYAGEURS WERE
PICKED FOR THE EXPEDITION.
TWO SEPARATE GROUPS
TRAVELED TOWARD THE
ROCKIES.
CLERK FINAN MCDONALD WITH
FIVE VOYAGEURS, HEADED
UPSTREAM IN THEIR
PACKED CANOE.
THOMPSON AND THE REMAINING
THREE RODE THROUGH THE
WOODED FORESTS, LEADING
A STRING OF PACKHORSES.
CHARLOTTE AND THE CHILDREN,
ALSO RODE OVERLAND ALONG
WITH TWO OTHER FAMILIES,
TRAILED BY A BUNCH
OF CAMP DOGS.
"AND HIS CREW IS SO STEADY,
THAT YOU SORT OF DEVELOP
THIS AFFINITY AND GET THIS
FEELING THAT IT'S NOT JUST
THOMPSON.
SO AGAIN, HE'S SORT OF THIS
ROLLING TRAVELING CIRCUS. "
THOMPSON'S DAILY WEATHER
REPORT SEEMED TO REFLECT
HIS OPTIMISM
FOR THE JOURNEY.
"A FINE DAY",
"A VERY FINE DAY",
"A DAY WITH FLYING CLOUDS"
THOMPSON: "I
HAD A VERY EXTENSIVE VIEW
OF THE COUNTRY.
HILLS AND ROCKS RISING ONE
BEHIND ANOTHER, HIGHER AND
HIGHER TO THE SNOWY
SUMMITS OF THE MOUNTAINS.
NEVER BEFORE DID I BEHOLD
SO PERFECT A RESEMBLANCE TO
THE WAVES OF THE OCEAN
IN THE WINTRY STORM. "
FOLLOWING JOCKO FINLEY'S
MARKED PATH UP THE OLD
KOOTENAI TRAIL,
THE PARTY CLIMBED TO
THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE,.
WHICH THOMPSON CALLED
THE "HEIGHT OF LAND. "
" THE ROCKIES ARE VERY
INTIMIDATING, AND HE'S NOT
A MOUNTAIN GUY.
HE'S CUT HIS TEETH
IN THE PRAIRIE.
AND IT'S JUST SO
DISORIENTING TO GET UP INTO
HIGH MOUNTAINS. "
JUNE 15, 1807 "THE SNOWS
ARE NOW RUSHING DOWN WITH
THE NOISE THAT WE CAN
HARDLY PERSUADE OURSELVES
IT IS NOT THUNDER - WE HEAR
IT AT LEAST EVERY HOUR. "
"IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN
THE ROCKIES DURING SPRING
RUNOFF, IT'S EXCITING.
THERE'S A LOT OF NOISE,
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF
COMING DOWN, THERE'S A LOT
OF WATER RUNNING, IT'S HARD
TO DO ANYTHING.
EXCEPT STAND THERE
AND BE IN AWE OF IT"
THE TRAIL UP WAS RELATIVELY
EASY, BUT GOING DOWN THE
WEST SLOPE OF THE ROCKIES
WAS A DIFFERENT MATTER
ALTOGETHER.
DAVID THOMPSON: "THE HORSES
ROLLED DOWN SO OFTEN, AND
RECEIVED SUCH VIOLENT
SHOCKS FROM THE TREES AS TO
DEPRIVE THEM FOR
A TIME OF MOTION. "
DURING THE STEEP DESCENT,
THE NOR'WESTERS WERE FORCED
BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE
RAGING BLAEBERRY RIVER,
WILD WITH RUNOFF.
" AND HE'S GOT VOYAGEURS
THAT ARE SWIMMING ACROSS
HOLDING ON TO HORSES MANES
OR TAILS, WHO HE'S WORRIED
ABOUT BECAUSE NONE OF
THEM CAN EVER SWIM.
HE NEVER MENTIONS
CHARLOTTE, HIS WIFE OR HIS
KIDS AGED 5, 3, AND 1.
I MEAN IT'S REALLY HARD TO
IMAGINE HOW THEY'RE GETTING
ACROSS WITHOUT
BEING IN DANGER.
" THE DENSE TRAIL, POORLY
CLEARED BY JACO FINLEY AND
HIS MEN THE SUMMER BEFORE,
WAS PRACTICALLY IMPASSABLE.
THOMPSON WAS
FURIOUS WITH JACO,
HIS MEN EXHAUSTED.
THOMPSON REPORT: "THE
ROAD WAS NOWHERE CLEARED
ANY MORE THAN JUST TO
PERMIT JACO AND HIS FAMILY
TO SQUEEZE THROUGH IT WITH
THEIR LIGHT BAGGAGE, AND IT
IS OF THE OPINION OF EVERY
MAN WITH ME, THAT JACO
OUGHT TO LOSE AT
LEAST HALF HIS WAGES"
IN LATE JUNE, THOMPSON'S
PARTY REACHED THE BANKS OF
THE COLUMBIA RIVER, NEAR
GOLDEN, BRITISH COLUMBIA.
"HE HITS THE COLUMBIA AT A
VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE WHERE
THE BLAEBERRY
COMES INTO IT.
IT'S THIS WIDE VALLEY,
WITH LOTS OF WETLANDS"
SINCE THE HEADWATERS OF THE
COLUMBIA RUN NORTH FOR 300
MILES BEFORE CURVING SOUTH,
THOMPSON HAD NO IDEA HE'D
FOUND THE HIGHLY SOUGHT
AFTER GREAT RIVER OF
THE WEST
THE REMAINING LINK
TO A NORTHWEST PASSAGE.
THOMPSON'S FIRST PRIORITY
WAS TO FIND THE TRIBES AND
ESTABLISH TRADE.
HE MOVED HIS PARTY SOUTH,
UPSTREAM, LOOKING FOR THE
KOOTENAI, BUT THEY WERE
NOT THERE TO MEET HIM.
TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE,
THERE'S NO FOOD, AND THE
BIRCH BARK IS TOO THIN
FOR BUILDING CANOES.
"HE KNOWS THE RULES HAVE
CHANGED BUT HE DOESN'T
UNDERSTAND HOW.
HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE NEW RULES ARE. "
"CROSSING OVER THE
MOUNTAINS, IT'S A DIFFERENT
ECOSYSTEM.
IT'S TIED TO THE PACIFIC AS
OPPOSED TO THE ATLANTIC.
YOU'RE NOT DEALING WITH
CULTURES DEPENDENT ON THE
BISON OR THE
CARIBOU AS HE KNEW. "
THOMPSON JOURNALS:
JULY 19, 1807
"THE COUNTRY IS EXTREMELY
POOR IN PROVISIONS, NOTHING
LARGER THAN A CHEVERUIL,
AND WE ARE IN ALL 17
MOUTHS TO FEED"
" AT THE TIME, IF YOU'RE
LIVING ON THE PRAIRIE,
THERE'S 50 MILLION BUFFALO
AND 50 MILLION PRONG HORN
ANTELOPE.
SO HE HAS A VERY
STEEP LEARNING CURVE"
THOMPSON JOURNALS:
"THE MEN WERE NOW SO WEAK,
THAT HOWEVER WILLING,
THEY ACTUALLY HAD NOT THE
STRENGTH TO WORK. "
" I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
SEE THOMPSON FLIPPED FROM
THIS THIS HYPER COMPETENT
INDIVIDUAL TO SOMEONE WHO
NOW IS FACING STARVATION
ON A REGULAR BASIS.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, NOW HE HAS
TO STEP BACK AND BECOME
THE STUDENT ."
A BAND OF KOOTENAI
FINALLY ARRIVED.
THOMPSON JOURNALS:
"THE KOOTENAI SAW OUR FAMISHED
LOOKS AND ASKING NO QUESTIONS,
GAVE EVERYONE A SUFFICIENCY
TO EAT, WHICH WAS MOST
GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED. "
THOMPSON BUILT THE FIRST
TRADE POST AT THE SOURCE
LAKES OF THE COLUMBIA, JUST
ABOVE LAKE WINDERMERE.
HE NAMED IT KOOTENAI HOUSE.
TODAY, PARKS CANADA
ARCHEOLOGIST BILL PERRY AND
HIS CREW, DIG FOR 200
YEAR OLD ARTIFACTS AT THE
HISTORIC KOOTENAI
HOUSE SITE.
"DAVID THOMPSON WAS IN THE
MIDDLE OF A FUR TRADE SO HE
WAS TRADING WITH A LOT OF
NATIVES SO WE'RE EXPECTING
A LOT OF NATIVE CAMP SITE
ACTIVITIES OVER HERE"
KOOTENAI HOUSE CONSISTED
OF THREE BUILDINGS WITH
PALISADE WALLS
FOR PROTECTION.
THOMPSON'S JOURNAL:
" 30 PIEGAN MEN ARE ON
THERE WAY HERE.
" THEY HAVE IT IN
THEIR POWER TO BE VERY
TROUBLESOME TO US AND EVEN
TO CUT US OFF;" THE PIEGANS
ARE HIGHLY JEALOUS OF THE
KOOTENAIS HAVING A POST FOR
TRADE AMONG THEM. "
"THE LAST THING THE PIEGANS
WANT TO HAVE IS GUNS IN THE
HANDS OF THE KOOTENAI.
WHEN THOMPSON STARTS
LOOKING TO CROSS THE
MOUNTAINS AND TRADE GUNS
DIRECTLY TO THE KOOTENAI,
THE PIEGAN SEE HIM
AS AN ARMS DEALER.
YOU ASKED A MOMENT AGO, WHY
DIDN'T THEY KILL HIM, THEY
THOUGHT ABOUT IT,
DON'T THINK IT DIDN'T
CROSS THEIR MINDS,
BUT IT IS A COMPLICATED
SITUATION YOU SEE,
BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT
EMPLOY THOMPSON ARE THE
SAME PEOPLE THAT PROVIDE
THE PIEGAN WITH THE
BLANKETS AND THE COPPER
POTS AND THE GLASS BEADS
AND THE GUNS "
IN TRUTH, THOMPSON TRADED
FEW GUNS AND NO ALCOHOL
WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS.
"BECAUSE HE KEEPS
TRACK OF EVERYTHING.
HE'S ALWAYS COUNTING
WHAT HE HAS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE
TRADE LISTS THERE ARE
HARDLY ANY FIRE
ARMS INVOLVED.
I MEAN THERE ARE JUST TINY
NUMBERS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO
HEAVY TO CARRY AND HE HAS
TO CARRY EVERYTHING FROM
LAKE SUPERIOR.
MOST OF THE TRADE GOODS
WERE DIRECTED TOWARD WOMEN;
AWLS FOR PUNCHING HOLES,
FLINT AND STEEL FOR
STARTING FIRES, COPPER
POTS, SEWING NEEDLES, WOOL
BLANKETS AND LINEN SHIRTS.
IN EARLY FALL, 1807,
THOMPSON WAS READY TO
EXPLORE, OR WHAT HE CALLED,
"GOING ON DISCOVERY".
"THE ELDERS THAT HE'S
DEALING WITH, THEY SAY YOU
CAN'T GO.
WELL, HE SAYS, WHY CAN'T I
GO, YOU'VE GOT TO WAIT FOR
UGLY HEAD FOR HE'S THE
GUIDE WITH THE POLITICAL
SKILLS AND THE LANGUAGE
SKILLS AND THE INTEGRITY TO
SHOW YOU AROUND.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T JUST GO
FROM ONE NATION TO ANOTHER. "
UGLY HEAD, IS A KOOTENAI
CHIEF, SO NAMED BECAUSE OF
HIS UNUSUAL HEAD
OF CURLY HAIR.
"THERE ARE ALL THESE DOORS
AND UGLY HEAD IS THE GUY
THAT HAS ALL THE KEYS AND
IS GOING TO OPEN THE DOOR
THAT HE WANTS TO. "
"THEY'RE GIVING HIM
INFORMATION ON A PIECE BY
PIECE BASES, A LITTLE BIT
AT A TIME, HE HAS TO EARN
THAT TRUST"
CHIEF UGLY HEAD AND HIS
WIFE TOOK THOMPSON ON HIS
FIRST REAL "DISCOVERY"
OF THE AREA.
" AND THEY START RIDING
UPSTREAM ON THE COLUMBIA,
AND THEY RIDE ACROSS THE
CANAL FLATS PORTAGE, WHICH
IS A ONE-MILE PORTAGE THAT
TAKES YOU TO KOOTENAY
RIVER, AND THOMPSON IS
JUST SORT OF BLOWN AWAY.
IT'S FABULOUSLY BEAUTIFUL
COUNTRY AND THEY GO DOWN TO
THE ST. MARY'S RIVER,
AND UGLY HEAD GOES
"WELL I
LIVE IN BONNERS FERRY
I WANT TO TAKE THIS SHORT CUT
OVER THE MOUNTAINS TO GET
THERE, LET'S GO"...
AND HE POINTS TO THESE
MOUNTAINS THAT ARE ALREADY
COVERED WITH SNOW AND SAYS
IT WILL JUST TAKE A FEW
WEEKS.
THOMPSON IS INTIMIDATED BY
THE MOUNTAINS FOR SURE.
HE'S WORRIED ABOUT
CHARLOTTE AND THE KIDS BACK
AT KOOTENAI HOUSE BECAUSE
SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN MORE
BLACKFEET THAN KOOTENAIS
AT KOOTENAI HOUSE
THOMPSON RETURNED TO SPEND
HIS FIRST WINTER ON THE
WEST SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS
AT KOOTENAI HOUSE.
" BOTH CANADIANS AND INDIANS
OFTEN INQUIRED OF ME WHY I
PASSED WHOLE NIGHTS WITH MY
INSTRUMENTS LOOKING
AT THE MOON AND STARS.
I TOLD THEM IT WAS TO
DETERMINE THE DISTANCE AND
DIRECTION FROM THE PLACE I
OBSERVED TO OTHER PLACES,
NEITHER THE CANADIANS NOR
THE INDIANS BELIEVED ME;
FOR BOTH ARGUED THAT IF
WHAT I SAID WAS TRUTH, I
OUGHT TO LOOK TO THE
GROUND, AND OVER IT; AND
NOT TO THE STARS
"NOT ONLY NATIVE PEOPLE
BUT HIS OWN FRENCH-CANADIAN
EMPLOYEES WOULD COME TO
HIM AND ASK HIM TO SOMEHOW
CONTROL NATURE FOR THEM.
RAISE A WIND FOR US, MAKE
THE GAME COME TO US.
THEY ALL THOUGHT THAT WHAT
HE WAS DOING WHEN HE WAS
OBSERVING THE SKIES WAS
SOMEHOW SEEING WHAT WAS
HAPPENING FAR AWAY, OR
SEEING INTO THE FUTURE"
THOMPSON FOUND TIME TO WORK
ON HIS MAPS DURING THE
WINTER.
HE'D DRAW NUMEROUS SMALL
CHARTS, USING COORDINATES
AND COMPASS COURSES FROM
HIS SURVEY NOTEBOOKS.
LATER THE CHARTS WERE
LINED-UP AND CONNECTED,
FITTING TOGETHER LIKE
TILES ON A FLOOR.
THOMPSON'S FIRST YEAR WEST
OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS WAS
CLOSE TO BEING HIS LAST.
THE SMALL NUMBER OF FURS
COLLECTED CAST DOUBT ON THE
COMMERCIAL VALUE
OF THE COLUMBIA.
THOMPSON, FRUSTRATED,
WROTE LETTERS BACK TO HIS
PARTNERS SAYING THE
KOOTENAI DID NOT UNDERSTAND
COMMERCIAL LEVEL TRAPPING.
"TO HIM, HE WANTS EVERY
FAMILY TO GET A PACK OR TWO
PACKS OF FURS, THAT'S
BETWEEN 60 AND OVER 100
BEAVER, EVERY WINTER
FROM NOW ON FOREVER.
THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
THAT'S ONE OF THOSE
CULTURAL DISJUNCTS THAT
DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
WHY WOULD YOU TRAP
THAT MANY BEAVER? "
THE PLATEAU TRIBES
TRADITIONALLY GAMBLED,
DANCED AND SPIRITUALLY
RESTORED THEMSELVES
IN THE WINTER.
"HE IS ALWAYS GOING CRAZY
HARANGUING THEM TO GO TRAP,
IT'S WINTER, THE PELTS
ARE PRIME, WHY AREN'T YOU
TRAPPING?
AND THEY GO, OH WE CAN'T.
WE HAVE TO SPIRITUALLY
RESTORE OURSELVES, THIS IS
WHAT WE DO IN THE WINTER.
WE WORK ALL YEAR SO THAT WE
CAN NOW DO THE THINGS THAT
ARE IMPORTANT TO US.
AND HE SEES THIS DEEP
SPIRITUALITY AS AN
ESSENTIAL PART
OF THEIR CULTURE. "
IN SPRING 1808, THOMPSON
AND FOUR VOYAGEURS RETRACED
HIS SHORT TRIP OF THE
PREVIOUS FALL AND CONTINUED
SOUTH, DOWN STEAM ON
THE KOOTENAY RIVER.
THIS TIME, THOMPSON RODE
IN A CANOE WITH A COMPASS,
RECORDING EACH SMALL
CHANGE OF DIRECTION WHILE
ESTIMATING THE DISTANCE
IN FRACTIONS OF MILES.
THE PARTY CROSSED THE 49TH
PARALLEL IN WHAT IS NOW
NORTHWESTERN MONTANA.
TO BRING IN MORE BEAVER
PACKS, THOMPSON PLANNED TO
RENDEZVOUS WITH A GROUP OF
KOOTENAI GUIDES, THEN MOVE
SOUTH TO OPEN TRADE WITH
THE FLATHEAD IN MONTANA.
BUT WHEN HIS GUIDES DID NOT
APPEAR, THE NOR'WESTERS
CONTINUED DOWNSTREAM ALONE,
CROSSING OVER THE STEEP
DANGEROUS PORTAGE
OF KOOTENAI FALLS.
23 YEAR OLD DAN BLACKBURN,
A PROFESSIONAL KAYAKER,
GREW UP ON THE
KOOTENAI RIVER.
"WHEN I STARTED KAYAKING
THAT WAS MY MAIN GOAL IS TO
GO OVER KOOTENAI FALLS,
BECAUSE I HEARD PEOPLE
COULD DO IT.
IT'S A MILE AND A HALF OF
WORLD CLASS WHITE WATER"
TODAY, KOOTENAI FALL'S
WATER LEVEL IS CONTROLLED
BY LIBBY DAM, IN MONTANA.
BUT IN THOMPSON'S DAY THE
WATER WAS FREE FLOWING;
MUCH STRONGER
THAN IT IS TODAY
THREE HUNDRED FEET ABOVE
THE RIVER, OVER SHARP
ROCKS, BLACKBURN WITH A
FRIEND PORTAGE KOOTENAI
FALLS, FOLLOWING THE
SAME TRIBAL TRAIL THAT
THOMPSON'S PARTY USED
SO MANY YEARS AGO.
DAN BLACKBURN:
"WE'RE BASICALLY SEEING
THE SAME THINGS, IT'S A
REALLY COOL FEELING TO
THINK BACK THAT FAR, PRETTY
HUMBLING. "
THOMPSON: MAY 6, 1808
"OUR HEIGHT AT TIMES WAS
ABOUT 300 FEET
ABOVE THE RIVER,
THE LEAST SLIP WOULD HAVE
BEEN INEVITABLE DEATH.
EACH MAN HAD TWO PAIRS OF
SHOES ON HIS FEET, BUT THEY
WERE CUT TO PIECES. "
THAT MAY, THE NOR'WESTERS
ARRIVED AT BONNER'S FERRY,
IDAHO; THE HOME OF
UGLY HEAD'S PEOPLE.
IN THE SUMMER OF 2008,
TRIBAL LEADERS AND
HISTORIANS SET UP AN
ENCAMPMENT NEAR THE SPOT
THE KOOTENAI AND THOMPSON
SHARED IN THE SPRING OF
1808.
"I HAD THIS VISION ABOUT
AN ENCAMPMENT AND THE
INFLUENCE THAT DAVID
THOMPSON HAD ON THE
KOOTENAI PEOPLE AND VICE
VERSA, AND HERE WE ARE. "
TIM RYAN AND OTHER TRIBAL
MEMBERS SHARE THEIR
KNOWLEDGE.
"THE NATURAL WORLD OUT
THERE, THE FORESTS ARE KIND
OF LIKE OUR CHURCHES. "
RYAN MAKES ITEMS USED BY
HIS NATIVE ANCESTORS WITH
THE SAME MATERIALS
AND HAND-MADE TOOLS.
" MY PRIORITY IS TO LEARN
THESE SKILLS AND ASSURE
THAT THESE SKILLS ARE STILL
PRESENT WITHIN OUR CULTURE
AND THAT THEY'RE
STILL PRACTICED"
THOMPSON USED BONNER'S
FERRY AS A BASE AND PADDLED
NORTH TOWARD KOOTENAY LAKE,
THE HOME OF THE
FLAT BOW BAND.
"KOOTENAY LAKE USED TO
BE THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR
PEOPLE, THE FLAT BOW AND
ALL THE STREAMS AND RIVERS
THAT FLOWED INTO KOOTENAY
LAKE, IT WAS LIKE ARTERIES"
FOR GENERATIONS, WAYNE
LOUIS'S FAMILY HAS LIVED
NEAR KOOTENAY LAKE
IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.
" WHEN IT USED TO FLOOD, IN
THE OLD DAYS BEFORE
DAMS WERE PUT IN, THIS USED TO
BECOME ONE BIG DELTA, THIS
WHOLE VALLEY.
THIS WHOLE VALLEY
ONE BIG DELTA
TO NAVIGATE THE DELTA,
THE KOOTENAI DESIGNED THE
DISTINCTIVE
STURGEON-NOSED CANOE.
"THE ELDERS USED TO SAY
WHEN YOU GOT TO THIS STAGE
THIS RESEMBLED A
SKELETON OF A STURGEON.
IT DOES BECAUSE THE SNOUTS
THERE, HERE'S RIBS AND
BONES.
AT HIGH WATER TIME WHEN THE
BULL RUSHES WERE UP, THESE
CANOES USED TO BE ABLE TO
NAVIGATE THROUGH THE
BULL RUSHES. "
THOMPSON ADMIRED THE
STURGEON-NOSED CANOES.
"WHEN DAVID THOMPSON CAME
UP HERE, HE CAME UP HERE IN
MAY.
THAT WAS THE
HIGH WATER TIME,.
..AND HE TRAVELED THE ROUTE
UP HERE, THE RIVER, AND HE
WENT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE
HISTORIC WATER LEVEL, IT'S
CALLED KOOTENAY LANDING. "
NEAR THAT POINT, THE
KOOTENAY RIVER HEADS WEST
JOINING THE COLUMBIA.
THOMPSON DID NOT
INVESTIGATE FURTHER, BUT
INSTEAD HURRIED BACK TO
A FLOODED BONNER'S FERRY
HOPING TO TRADE WITH A
GROUP OF FLATHEAD WHO WERE
SUPPOSEDLY ON THEIR WAY TO
THE KOOTENAI ENCAMPMENT.
MAY 17, 1808 "HERE WE RECEIVED
THE DISAGREEABLE NEWS
OF THE FLAT HEADS BEING UNABLE
TO COME HERE ON ACCOUNT OF THE
FLOODING OF THE
COUNTRY,
THUS ALL MY FINE
HOPES ARE RUINED"
IN A LETTER, THOMPSON
EXPRESSED HIS FRUSTRATION
AT BEING CUT OFF FROM THE
TRIBES BY WINTER SNOW AND
SPRING FLOODS.
THOMPSON JOURNAL MAY
17, 1808: "THE FLATHEADS
WERE ONLY 12 DAY'S MARCH
FROM US LAST WINTER AND THE
LAKE INDIANS ONLY 6 DAYS
AND YET BOTH ARE COMPLETELY
SHUT UP BY MOUNTAINS AS IF
THEY WERE ON
THE OTHER SIDE,
AND THE WATERS RISING IN
THE SUMMER HAVE NEARLY THE
SAME EFFECT.
THOMPSON COULD WAIT NO
LONGER FOR THE FLATHEADS.
HE HAD A LONG TRADE RUN TO
MAKE BACK TO LAKE SUPERIOR.
AFTER RECROSSING HOWSE
PASS, HE DROPPED CHARLOTTE
AND THE KIDS OFF WITH
RELATIVES AT BOGGY HALL,
AND THEN CONTINUED
DOWN THE SASKATCHEWAN.
PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THE
PIEGAN THREAT, CHARLOTTE
NEVER AGAIN TRAVEL WEST
OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
IN THE SUMMER OF 1809,
THOMPSON DECIDED TO BUILD A
TRADE POST MORE CENTRALLY
LOCATED TO THE PLATEAU
TRIBES.
HE CLOSED UP KOOTENAI HOUSE
AND MOVED HIS ENTIRE PARTY
DOWN THE KOOTENAI RIVER,
SOUTH OVER THE GREAT
ROAD TO THE FLATHEADS,.
TO A LARGE TRIBAL
ENCAMPMENT ON
LAKE PEND OREILLE.
THOMPSON JOURNAL:
SEPTEMBER 9, 1809 "THEY ALL
SMOKED, 54 FLAT HEADS,
23 POINTED HEARTS, AND
4 KOOTANAIS - IN
ALL ABOUT 80 MEN.
THEN THEY MADE US A
HANDSOME PRESENT OF DRIED
SALMON AND OTHER
FISH WITH BERRIES"
"THEY TAKE HIM TO THIS
AMAZING MIXED TRIBAL
ENCAMPMENT NEAR HOPE, IDAHO
WHERE EVERYBODY IS, ALL THE
FLATHEADS AND KOOTENAIS AND
KALISPEL, BUT ALSO OKANOGAN
AND SANDPOINT AND COEUR
D'ALENE AND NEZ PERCE, I
MEAN EVERYBODY'S THERE"
THE ENCAMPMENT WAS LOCATED
AT A PLACE CALLED INDIAN
MEADOWS ON THE BANKS
OF LAKE PEND OREILLE.
THOMPSON BUILT KULLYSPELL
HOUSE, NAMED AFTER THE
KALISPEL PEOPLE
THAT LIVED THERE.
THE KALISPEL WERE ALSO
CALLED THE PEND OREILLE BY
THE TRADERS.
THE KALISPEL, ARE ONE
OF MANY SALISH SPEAKING
TRIBES.
" THE ENTIRE NORTHWEST
CONSISTS OF THE SALISH
SPEAKING PEOPLE, WHO OUR
ELDERS SAY CAME FROM ONE
LARGE GROUP AT ONE TIME.
THOSE DIFFERENT BANDS THAT
ARE LOCATED IN OTHER AREAS
ARE OTHER TRIBES NOW.
WE REFER TO THEM AS THE
KALISPEL, THE SPOKANES, THE
COEUR D'ALENE, THE
OKANOGANS, SUSHWA"
DAVID THOMPSON JOURNALS:
" I SPENT MUCH OF THE DAY
TRADING WITH THE INDIANS
WHO BROUGHT ABOUT
130 SKINS.
SIXTEEN CANOES OF POINTED
HEARTS PASSED US AND CAMPED
WITH OTHER FLATHEADS".
BUSINESS WAS BOOMING.
AT TIMES, ENTIRE DAYS
HAD TO BE SET ASIDE FOR
TRADING.
IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS
ACTIVITY, THOMPSON DECIDED
TO 'GO ON DISCOVERY' AND
TRACE THE PEND OREILLE'S
COURSE TO THE COLUMBIA.
HE RODE WEST, FOLLOWING THE
PEND OREILLE RIVER TO A
KALISPEL VILLAGE, NEAR
CUSICK, WASHINGTON.
" THE OLDEST MAN ACCORDING
TO CUSTOM MADE A SPEECH AND
A PRESENT OF 2 CAKES
OF ROOT BREAD,.
" THE ROOT BREAD WAS MADE
FROM CAMAS OR EETOWOY.
ON HIS LATER MAPS, THOMPSON
LABELED THIS AREA EETOWOY
PLAINS.
TRYING TO FIND A SUITABLE
TRADE ROUTE TO THE COLUMBIA
PROVED DIFFICULT.
THOMPSON BORROWED A
KALISPEL CANOE AND HEADED
DOWN RIVER,.
..ONLY TO BE STOPPED BY THE
STEEP CLIFFS OF BOX CANYON.
" AND THOMPSON INSTEAD OF
PUSHING ON THROUGH AND
GETTING TO THE COLUMBIA,
WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A
COUPLE DAYS WALK, TURNS
AROUND AND GOES BACK. "
THOMPSON LEFT A CREW TO
WINTER AT
KULLYSPELL HOUSE,
THEN FOLLOWED THE CLARK
FORK RIVER UPSTREAM TO THE
OPEN COUNTRY WHERE MANY
SALISH BANDS WINTERED.
THERE HE BUILT SALEESH
HOUSE, NEAR THOMPSON FALLS,
MONTANA, AND
SPENT THE WINTER.
" AND IT'S REALLY A
REMARKABLE WINTER, THAT'S
WHEN HE DOES HIS
SALISH WORD LIST"
THOMPSON DEVOTED 26 PAGES
OF HIS JOURNAL LISTING
1,000 ALPHABETIZED ENGLISH
WORDS HE WANTED TO LEARN IN
SALISH.
"THEY TELL A LOT MORE ABOUT
THOMPSON THAN THEY TELL
ABOUT THE SALISH INDIANS.
JUST IN THE "A"S, ITS
LIKE ABANDONMENT, AMBUSH,
ANXIETY, ANXIOUS.
IT'S A VERY FUNNY LIST
THOMPSON WAS ABLE TO GATHER
400 SALISH EQUIVALENTS.
IN MAY 1810, THOMPSON
DISPATCHED JACO FINLEY TO
BUILD A NEW POST AMONG
THE SPOKANE PEOPLE.
SPOKANE HOUSE WOULD
COMPLETE A CIRCLE OF TRADE
IN WHAT THOMPSON CALLED THE
BETTER PART OF THE COUNTRY.
LEAVING FINAN MCDONALD IN
CHARGE OF SALEESH HOUSE,
THOMPSON TOOK THE FURS TO
LAKE SUPERIOR, EXPECTING TO
REMAIN IN THE
EAST FOR A YEAR.
THOMPSON LETTER TO
SIMON FRASER: DECEMBER 21,
1810 " MY DEAR FRASER.
I AM GETTING TIRED OF SUCH
CONSTANT HARD JOURNEYS; FOR
THE LAST 20 MONTHS I HAVE
SPENT ONLY BARELY TWO
MONTHS UNDER THE SHELTER
OF A HUT, ALL THE REST HAS
BEEN IN MY TENT, AND THERE
IS LITTLE LIKELIHOOD THE
NEXT 12 MONTHS WILL
BE MUCH OTHERWISE"
"HE'S BEEN IN THE WOODS FOR
A LONG TIME NOW AND HE'S
HOPING TO TAKE A YEAR OFF,
WHICH IS WHAT YOU ARE
ALLOWED AS A PARTNER AND
GET UP WITH HIS FAMILY AND
JUST RELAX. "
BUT, THOMPSON DID NOT
GET HIS SABBATICAL.
THOMPSON LETTER TO FRASER:
DEC. 21, 1810,
"THE AMERICANS, IT
SEEMS, WERE AS USUAL
DETERMINED TO BE
BEFOREHAND WITH US IN THE
COLUMBIA IN SHIP
NAVIGATION.
THE AMERICAN WAS JOHN
JACOB ASTOR, A NEW YORK
ENTREPRENEUR.
HE'D STARTED THE PACIFIC
FUR COMPANY, AND WAS TRYING
TO ENTER THE
WESTERN FUR TRADE.
HIS SHIP, THE TONQUIN, WAS
SAILING AROUND THE HORN TO
THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA,
WHILE A SECOND OVERLAND
PARTY WAS RETRACING LEWIS
AND CLARK'S ROUTE TO
THE WEST.
"JOHN JACOB ASTOR IS
LIKE DONALD TRUMP.
HE'S GOT BUSINESS DEALS
ALL OVER WITH EVERYBODY.
INCLUDING THE
NORTH WEST CO."
A YEAR EARLIER, ASTOR HAD
OFFERED THE NORTH WEST
COMPANY, ONE THIRD INTEREST
IN HIS PACIFIC VENTURE.
" AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A
PARTNERSHIP BUT IT'S SO,
CONVOLUTED THAT YOU CAN
TELL IT MIGHT NOT WORK"
WITH THE AMERICANS
INVOLVED, THOMPSON COULD
WAIT NO LONGER TO COMPLETE
HIS EXPLORATIONS DOWN THE
COLUMBIA RIVER AND
DETERMINE WHETHER IT WAS
NAVIGABLE TO THE SEA.
HE NEEDED TO GET BACK WEST.
BUT THE PIEGAN
HAD OTHER IDEAS.
THEY HAD SET UP A
BLOCKADE AT HOWES PASS.
"THE PEIGAN THREATENED
DURING THE BLOCKADE, THAT
THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ANY
WHITE MAN THEY FIND WEST OF
THE MOUNTAIN, AND THEY'RE
GOING TO MAKE DRIED MEAT
OUT OF THEM.
BELIEVE ME, THE HUDSON'S
BAY CO, THE NW CO.
TOOK THAT THREAT SERIOUSLY"
ALEXANDER HENRY - ROCKY
MOUNTAIN HOUSE:
" THIS AFFAIR OF HIS CANOES
BEING STOPPED BY THE
PIEGANS HAS INDUCED HIM
TO ALTER HIS ROUTE AND
ENDEAVOR TO
OPEN A NEW ROAD.
AND IN SUCH RUGGED COUNTRY
THE BLACKFEET INDIANS WOULD
NEVER DARE TO ENTER.
ALEXANDER HENRY-ROCKY
MOUNTAIN HOUSE-1811"
THOMPSON HAD BEEN SEEKING
AN ALTERNATE ROUTE ACROSS
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
FOR SOME TIME.
HE'D HEARD PROMISING
REPORTS OF A CROSSING AT
THE HEADWATERS OF
THE ATHABASCA RIVER.
BUT A WINTER CROSSING OVER
ATHABASCA PASS, WOULD BE
DIFFICULT,.
REQUIRING DOG
SLEDS AND SNOWSHOES.
"THE PROBLEM FOR HIM REALLY
IS THAT BY GOING FROM THE
SASKATCHEWAN TO THE
ATHABASCA HE'S IN A NEW FUR
TRADE DISTRICT AND THE
VOYAGERS WHO HE TAKES WITH
HIM AREN'T USED TO
WORKING FOR HIM.
SO ALL THE OLD FAMILIAR
NAMES AND THE GUIDES HE'S
GONE BACK AND FORTH WITH
ALL THESE YEARS ARE NO
LONGER WITH HIM.
AND THESE NEW GUYS THINK
THAT HE'S CRAZY, AND NONE
OF THEM HAVE BEEN ACROSS
THE PASS BEFORE, AND
HE WORKS THEM TOO HARD, AND
HE'S MAKING
A WINTER CROSSING.
SO THERE ARE ALL THESE
REASONS FOR THINGS TO
GO WRONG"
THOMPSON JOURNALS:
"DU NORD THREW HIS LOAD
ASIDE , SAYING HE WOULD NOT
HAUL IT ANY MORE ALTHOUGH
HE HAS ONLY 80 POUNDS
AND TWO GOOD DOGS, IN MY
OPINION HE IS A POOR
SPIRITLESS WRETCH. "
"THESE GUYS ARE SCARED AND
THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
OF SNOW, AND THE
TEMPERATURE WARMS UP FROM
30 BELOW TO 30 ABOVE
IN ABOUT 36 HOURS.
THE SLEDS START TO SINK,
THEY CAN'T FIND ANY FOOD,
THE VOYAGERS ARE BEATING
THE DOGS TO DEATH."
THOMPSON JOURNALS
JANUARY 14, 1811 -: "THE
COURAGE OF PART OF MY
MEN IS SINKING FAST.
THEY SEE NOTHING IN ITS
PROPER COLOR, FEAR GATHERS
ON THEM FROM EVERY OBJECT."
CANADIAN OUTFITTER WENDY
BUSH HAS BEEN DRIVING DOG
TEAMS IN THE BACK COUNTRY
MOST OF HER LIFE.
"SLED DOGS," BUSH SAYS,
"ARE A STRONG PART OF HER
CANADIAN HERITAGE. "
" EVERY FAMILY HAD A DOG AND
THEY HOOKED THAT DOG UP AND
PULLED THEIR TOBOGGANS WITH
FIREWOOD OR WHATEVER CHORES
THEY HAD TO DO SO IT WAS A
VERY CANADIAN THING TO DO
FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS,
TO USE YOUR SLED DOG"
IN THOMPSON'S TIME, DOG
DRIVERS DIDN'T RIDE, BUT
RAN BESIDE THE DOGS,
HELPING TO DIRECT THE
TOBOGGAN OVER SNOW AND ICE.
" SO HE MADE HIS OWN SNOW
SHOES AND HIS TOBOGGAN.
THAT'S PRETTY TOUGH GOING
TO BUILD YOUR OWN GEAR"
TO CELEBRATE THE CENTENNIAL
OF CANADIAN
NATIONAL PARKS,
BUSH, USING HER OWN SLED
DOGS, RETRACED THOMPSON'S
HISTORIC 1811 CROSSING
OF ATHABASCA PASS.
"WE HAD BEEN TRAVELING IN
THE BACK COUNTRY OF JASPER
NATIONAL PARKS FOR A NUMBER
OF YEARS SO WE WERE IN GOOD
SHAPE AND OUR DOGS WERE
WELL TRAINED AND WE HAD
LOTS OF MODERN EQUIPMENT.
THOUGH REGARDLESS OF MODERN
EQUIPMENT, THERE ARE
HAZARDS OUT THERE AND YOU
CAN STILL FALL IN THE WATER
IF YOU MAKE A MISSTEP AND
DRAG YOUR DOG TEAM WITH YOU"
THOMPSON JOURNAL:
"THE DESCENT WAS SO STEEP
THAT THE DOGS COULD NOT
GUIDE THE SLEDS, AND OFTEN
CAME ACROSS THE TREES WITH
SOME FORCE, THE DOGS ON ONE
SIDE AND THE SLED
ON THE OTHER"
BY THIS TIME, FOUR OF HIS
MEN HAD PLAINLY HAD ENOUGH
OF THOMPSON,
AND THE FEELING
WAS MUTUAL.
THOMPSON JOURNAL:
"DU NORD WITH THE
FORT DE PRAIRIE MEN, HAVING
LONG
BEEN DISPIRITED AND USELESS
AS OLD WOMEN, TOLD ME HE
WOULD RETURN, AND I WAS
HEARTILY TIRED OF SUCH
WORTHLESS FELLOWS"
" EARLY HISTORIANS
REPRESENTED THAT AS A
MUTINY AND
EVERYBODY LEAVING.
BUT IN HIS JOURNAL, WHICH
HE'S KEEPING AT THE TIME,
HE SAYS, I'M GLAD TO BE RID
OF THESE GUYS, I DON'T LIKE
THE WAY THEY TREAT THE
DOGS, THEY'RE EATING TOO
MUCH, THEY'RE JUST A PAIN.
GIVE ME THESE GUYS
THAT ARE DEPENDABLE"
THOMPSON JOURNAL:
"ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE
MOUNTAINS THE
TREES WERE SMALL,
THERE WE WERE MEN,
BUT ON THE WEST SIDE
WE WERE PIGMIES, IN SUCH
FORESTS WHAT COULD WE DO
WITH AXES OF TWO
POUND WEIGHT?
THOMPSON, AND HIS REMAINING
THREE MEN, DUG IN FOR
WINTER AT THE TOP BEND OF
THE COLUMBIA RIVER; AT A
PLACE THOMPSON NAMED
BOAT ENCAMPMENT.
FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT,
THOMPSON COULD HAVE
TRAVELED DOWNSTREAM
TO THE PACIFIC.
BUT, HE HAD A LARGE LOAD OF
TRADE GOODS TO DISTRIBUTE
TO HIS POSTS ON THE
COLUMBIA PLATEAU.
"SO HE SPENDS SIX WEEKS
BUILDING A NEW KIND OF
CANOE THAT IS SPLIT CEDAR
PLANKS SEWN TO A REGULAR
FRAME WITH SPRUCE ROOT
WATAP, AND HE JUST DOES A
BEAUTIFUL JOB OF IT. "
AT HIS HOME OVERLOOKING
LAKE PEND OREILLE, BOAT
BUILDER BILL BRUSSTAR IS
BUILDING A REPLICA OF DAVID
THOMPSON'S CEDAR
PLANK CANOE.
ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE
MOUNTAINS, THE NOR'WESTERS
HAD STRUGGLED TO BUILD
CANOES, BECAUSE THE BIRCH
BARK WAS SO THIN.
BUT THOMPSON DESIGNED
SOMETHING NEW.
" BUT HE STARTED OUT WITH
A BOTTOM BOARD, THE KEEL
BOARD, THAT WAS
17 INCHES WIDE.
HE WANTED TO BUILD THE
WHOLE BOAT IN ONE BOARD
ALMOST, 17 INCHES WIDE IS
REALLY WIDE AND HE BROKE IT
IN HALF.
FOR TWO DAYS AFTER THAT
THERE IS NOTHING BUT
NUMBERS, THAT'S ALL HE DID
WAS TOOK NUMBERS AND HELD
IT INSIDE.
DAVID THOMPSON: " WE WORKED
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CANOE,
BUT SPIT IN TWO LIFTING
IT UP BEING TOO THIN TO
SUPPORT IT'S OWN WEIGHT
AND WAS THUS SPOILT. "
"HE ENDED UP WITH A BOARD
SIX INCHES IN THE MIDDLE
AND HE NARROWED IT DOWN TO
THE BOW AND STERN TO TWO
INCHES AND HE CURVED THAT
BOW ALL THE WAY UP TO A
TWO FOOT ARC.
A TWO FOOT ARC FOR THE BOW
AND A TWO FOOT ARC FOR
THE STERN.
SO, HE USED ONE
SINGLE BOARD.
HE HAD TO SPLIT THE ENDS OF
THEM IN HALF, SO HE HAD A
TWO INCH BOARD LIKE THAT
AND HE CUT IT IN HALF, SO
IT WOULD TAKE THAT BEND. "
BRUSSTAR SEEMS TO BE
LEARNING AS MUCH ABOUT THE
MAN AS THE CANOE.
"YOU GET A MUCH CLOSER
IDEA OF WHAT ACTUALLY WAS
GOING ON IN THOSE DAYS,
'CAUSE THE PROBLEMS I HAD,
HE HAD THE SAME. "
OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS,
THOMPSON WOULD BUILD AT
LEAST NINE CEDAR PLANK
CANOES, CONTINUALLY
IMPROVING ON HIS DESIGN.
MEANWHILE, A THOUSAND MILES
DOWNSTREAM, THE SAILING
SHIP THE TONQUIN WAS
ANCHORED AT THE MOUTH OF
THE COLUMBIA.
ASTOR'S MEN HAD ALREADY
STARTED BUILDING FORT
ASTORIA.
MARK WEADICK, AND HIS GROUP
OF FUR TRADE RE-ENACTORS,
PADDLE AROUND THE
CONFLUENCE OF THE LITTLE
SPOKANE AND SPOKANE RIVERS.
BETWEEN THE TWO RIVERS, ON
THIS FLAT, TRIANGLE SHAPED
PENINSULA, SPOKANE HOUSE
WAS BUILT BY JACO FINLEY
IN 1810.
BY THE TIME THOMPSON
ARRIVED, THE POST HAD BEEN
UP AND RUNNING FOR A YEAR.
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THE
SPOKANE HAD GATHERED HERE
TO CATCH AND DRY FISH.
"SPOKANE HOUSE WAS ON THE
MIDDLE SPOKANE PEOPLES
CAMPGROUND, IT WAS IN THERE
AREA, AND IT WAS WITH THEIR
PERMISSION THAT JACKO
FINLAY AND HIS CREW IN 1810
WERE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT
THE FIRST SPOKANE HOUSE.
THERE WAS IN THOSE DAYS A
TREMENDOUS CHINOOK SALMON
FISHERY THAT CAME
UP THE FALLS"
THOMPSON CALCULATED THE
LONGITUDE OF SPOKANE HOUSE
AND RECORDED IT
IN HIS JOURNAL.
IT WOULD BE THE FIRST
EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT IN THE
STATE OF WASHINGTON.
AFTER A TWO MONTH DETOUR,
THOMPSON WAS FINALLY FREE
TO EXPLORE THE MIDDLE
AND LOWER COLUMBIA.
HIS PARTY TRAVELED NORTH
ON THE ILTHKOYAPE ROAD, TO
KETTLE FALLS ON THE
COLUMBIA RIVER, WHERE A
LARGE NUMBER OF THE
ILTHKOYAPE OR COLVILLE WERE
FISHING.
THOMPSON JOURNALS:
"THE SALMON ARE FROM 15 TO
30 POUNDS WEIGHT HERE,
THEIR FLESH IS RED AND THEY
ARE EXTREMELY WELL MADE. "
AFTER YEARS OF EFFORT,
ON JULY 3RD, 1811
THOMPSON WITH HIS CREW
AND TWO SANPOIL SET OFF
FROM KETTLE FALLS ON THEIR
VOYAGE DOWN THE COLUMBIA
TO THE SEA.
DAVID THOMPSON TRAVELS:
"IMAGINATION CAN HARDLY
FORM AN IDEA OF THE WORKING
OF THIS IMMENSE BODY OF
WATER UNDER SUCH
COMPRESSION, RAGING AND
HISSING, AS IF ALIVE. "
"IGNUS, THE IROQUOIS,
WHO HE HIRED TO BE THE
STEERSMAN GOT BOUNCED
RIGHT OUT OF THE CANOE.
IT WAS THAT POWERFUL, AND
NONE OF THESE GUYS
CAN SWIM.
SO THEY DO THIS CRAZY
FRENETIC RESCUE AND GET
IGNUS ON SHORE AND SQUEEZE
ALL THE WATER OUT OF HIM"
AT THE TIME, ABOUT THREE
HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILES OF
THE COLUMBIA HAD
BEEN CHARTED.
BY THE END OF THE SUMMER,
THOMPSON WILL HAVE SURVEYED
THE REMAINING NINE
HUNDRED MILES.
DAVID THOMPSON:
"THE COLUMBIA PRESENTED
MUCH STEEP ROCK, OFTEN IN
STEP LIKE STAIRS OF 20 TO
30 FEET PERPENDICULAR. "
TRAVELING WITH THE CURRENT,
IT TOOK THOMPSON JUST TEN
DAYS TO GET TO THE PACIFIC.
"IT'S ABOUT 700
RIVER MILES.
HE STOPS AT EVERY VILLAGE
ALONG THE WAY AND DOES HIS
LITTLE RAP, I'M COMING
TO TRADE YOU KNOW.
YOU SHOULD TRAP BEAVER,
I'LL BUILD A TRADE
HOUSE HERE.
HE SAYS THAT AT EVERY
VILLAGE THAT HE COMES TO
AND HE STILL MAKES
IT IN 10 DAYS. "
THOMPSON MET 150
FAMILIES OF SANPOIL,.
NEAR THE SANPOIL RIVER.
"THEY ALL,
FORMED A LINE IN AN
ELLIPSIS; THEY DANCED WITH
THE SUN IN A
MINGLED MANNER,
ALL THEIR DANCES ARE A
KIND OF RELIGIOUS PRAYER"
HE MET METHOW,
JUST BEYOND THE
OKANAGAN RIVER,
AND, 120 FAMILIES OF
SINKAUSE, AT ROCK ISLAND
NEAR WENATCHEE.
"THE WOMEN ADVANCED ALL
ORNAMENTED WITH FLLETS AND
SMALL FEATHERS,
THEY SMOKED
WITH THE MEN"
THOMPSON SMOKED WITH 62
SAHAPTIN SPEAKING MEN,
THE WANAPUM, NEAR
PRIEST RAPIDS.
AND THERE WERE THE YAKIMA.
THOMPSON JOURNAL:
"THESE PEOPLE, ARE MAKING USE
OF THE SEINE NET, WHICH
IS WELL MADE FROM WILD HEMP,
WHICH GROWS ON THE RICH LOW
GROUNDS. "
AT THE DALLES CULTURE
PATTERNS CHANGED FROM
PLATEAU TO COASTAL.
THE THREE HUNDRED FAMILIES
CAMPED THERE WERE SPEAKING
BOTH SAHAPTIAN AND
CHINOOKAN LANGUAGES.
DAVID THOMPSON JOURNAL:
"THE CHIEF CAME AND INVITED
ME TO HIS HOUSE,.
THE INSIDE CLEAN AND WELL
ARRANGED HAD SEPARATE BED
PLACES FASTENED TO THE
WALLS THAT RAISED ABOUT 3
FEET ABOVE THE FLOOR"
THOMPSON FELT STRONGLY THAT
THE LANDS OF THE COLUMBIA
THAT HE HAD SURVEYED
BELONGED TO GREAT BRITAIN.
WHAT THOMPSON CALLED A
'SATISFACTORY BOUNDARY' FOR
CANADA, INCLUDED MUCH OF
TODAY'S AMERICAN NORTHWEST.
THOMPSON JOURNAL:
"HERE I ERECTED A SMALL
POLE WITH A HALF SHEET OF
PAPER WELL TIED AROUND IT,
...KNOW HEREBY THAT THIS
COUNTRY IS CLAIMED BY GREAT
BRITAIN AS PART OF
ITS TERRITORIES"
ON JULY 15, 1811,
THOMPSON'S PARTY ARRIVED AT
THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA
RIVER, AT FORT ASTORIA.
ALEXANDER ROSS, A SCOT
CLERK FOR THE PACIFIC
FUR COMPANY
"WE WERE RATHER SURPRISED
AT THE UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL
OF A NORTH WEST
PROPRIETOR AT ASTORIA.
MR. THOMPSON.
HE CAME DASHING DOWN THE
COLUMBIA IN A LIGHT CANOE
MANNED WITH EIGHT IROQUOIS
AND AN INTERPRETER. "
THE ASTORIANS FOUND
THEMSELVES IN AN ODD
SITUATION.
THOMPSON CLAIMED THEY WERE
PARTNERS, BUT TO THEIR
KNOWLEDGE, NO JOINT
AGREEMENT HAD TAKEN PLACE.
THEY DANCED AROUND EACH
OTHER NOT KNOWING WHETHER
THEY WERE FRIEND OR FOE.
LATER, THE PARTNERSHIP
DID INDEED FALL APART.
BY THE END OF THE SUMMER,
THOMPSON HAD SURVEYED THE
ENTIRE COLUMBIA RIVER FROM
ITS HEADWATERS TO
ITS MOUTH.
ONE OF HIS MOST
MEMORABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.
PADDLING HARD ON LAKE
SUPERIOR, THE 2008 DAVID
THOMPSON BRIGADE WILL SOON
COMPLETE THE FINAL LEG OF
THEIR JOURNEY
TO FORT WILLIAM.
THOMPSON TOO, RETURNED
EAST, CROSSING THE ROCKY
MOUNTAINS FOR HIS FINAL
TIME, AND RETIRING FROM THE
FUR TRADE IN 1812.
FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS,
THOMPSON WORKED ON HIS MAPS
OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA.
IT WAS AN ENORMOUS
UNDERTAKING, USING HIS
SURVEYS AND DISCOVERIES
FROM THE LAST 20 YEARS.
"HE STARTS WORKING
ON HIS GREAT MAPS.
SORT OF MAGNUM OPUS TO SHOW
IN ONE GRAND CANVAS WHAT
HE'S BEEN DOING WITH
ALL OF HIS LIFE. "
ONE OF THOMPSON'S WALL SIZE
MAPS WAS HUNG IN THE DINING
ROOM AT FORT WILLIAM TO BE
USED BY TRAVELERS HEADING
WEST FOR THE NEXT
FOUR DECADES.
"HE LIVED DURING A TIME
THAT REALLY SAW THE
TRANSFORMATION OF
WESTERN NORTH AMERICA.
SO WHEN HE WAS BORN IN
1770, EUROPEAN PEOPLE KNEW
VERY LITTLE ABOUT WHAT WAS
SOUTH AND WEST OF
HUDSON'S BAY.
BY THE TIME HE DIED IN
1857, THE WEST WAS BEING
PREPARED FOR
EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT.
SO, HE'S A FIGURE WHO
EXPERIENCED ALL THAT, AND
IN SOME SENSES WAS
THE AGENT OF THAT. "
HIS EXPLORATIONS OPENED
WHAT WOULD BECOME THE
PRIMARY TRADE ROUTE ACROSS
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS TO THE
PACIFIC.
THIS INLAND NORTHWEST
PASSAGE WAS THE LAST LINK
OF A FUR TRADE HIGHWAY
CONNECTING A CONTINENT FROM
SEA TO SEA.
HIS TIRELESS MAP WORK
REALIZED THE DREAM THAT HE
EXPRESSED IN A LETTER TO
A FRIEND AFTER HIS FIRST
WINTER AT THE SOURCE
LAKES OF THE COLUMBIA.
DAVID THOMPSON'S LETTER: I
WISH TO HEAVEN YOU COULD BE
TRANSPORTED BY SOME GENIIS
TO SEE HOW THIS COUNTRY IS
FORMED.
♪ ♪