From Flatheads to Fleas

October 1805

There were many tribes along the Columbia that the Corps encountered. Having Sacagawea and Pomp was to our benefit. Having an Indian woman with a baby in the group was a sign of peace and that the Corps was not going to fight. Some tribes were nice, some were greedy and demanded more from the Corps when trading. It was probably because they were used to white men. Other tribes were just odd – like the Flatheads. When a baby was born into the Flathead tribe, the mother would tie a board to each side of the baby’s head and would tighten the two boards every few weeks until you had a baby Flathead. I saw it with my own eyes!...I think it was a sign of beauty. But they were nice and mostly vegetarian. Most of the tribes we meet eat mostly roots probably because there is never any game. Oh ya, and then there were the fleas – simply everywhere in every tribe…poor Seaman. We had to dry our bedding by a fire to get out all the insects. But, the oceans was near, we were sure. Tell-tale signs, such as Indians wearing sailors coats, or boats made to withstand the rigors of the ocean – or just experiencing the tides at the end of the Columbia….Pacific Ocean, here we come!