KIDS' QUEST: The Lewis and Clark Adventures

Programs abound on the Corps of Discovery, with the focus on Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, leaders of the epic 1804 expedition. But two members of the corps did not enjoy the full rights and protections of U.S. citizenship, even though they were key to the expedition's success.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting Television took a different tack by presenting  Kids' Quest: The Lewis and Clark Adventures. The one-hour program, presented during the school day to encourage student participation, will be hosted by Sacagawea (Selene Phillips), a Shoshone Indian woman, and York (Charles Everett Pace), a slave. Both Phillips and Pace are Humanities scholars who have been participating in the Great Plains Chautauqua.

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Selene Phillips ø Sacagawea. Phillips, Ph.D candidate in American studies at Purdue University, portrays Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian. Phillips, an Ojibwe and a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, recently completed her dissertation on Sacagawea and the expedition.

Charles Everett Pace-York. A visiting instructor of anthropology and American studies at Centre College in Danville, Ky., Pace received his BA from the University of Texas at Austin and his MA from Purdue University, where he is a PhD candidate. He is a 10-year veteran of the Great Plains Chautauqua Society circuit

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, SDPB Television brought the adventures Lewis and Clark to life through the eyes of Sacagawea and York. Kids' Quest: The Lewis and Clark Adventures aired live from the W.H. Over Museum in Vermillion.

Watch the archive of the live event

see a video greeting from lewis and clark
see a video of kids asking questions

The goal of the program is to examine an awesome adventure and the elements of diversity as interest peaks for the Corps of Discovery bicentennial years.

It is not often that a nationwide event has such a close connection to South Dakota. The bicentennial is drawing intense interest from all ages and the program will help combine this interest with a history lesson from two unique perspectives. The expedition, as well as the treatment of black people and of Native Americans throughout U.S. history, still have repercussions today, especially in South Dakota with its large Native American minority.

Some possible discussion points:
Â¥ What rights did Native Americans, women and slaves have in 1804?
Â¥ How did Sacagawea help the expedition?
Â¥ How did York help the expedition?

Hosted by actors representing two key members of the Corps of Discovery who also were minorities: Sacagawea, a Shoshone who also was the only woman with the group; and York, the slave and servant of Corps leader William Clark, Kids' Quest puts a human face on history, further enhancing the program by taking the minority points of view.

The Lewis and Clark saga often concentrates on the accomplishments of the intrepid Corps of Discovery, rather than the human interaction that shaped those accomplishments. Sacagawea and York and their roles are especially interesting due to their unique status.

Selene Phillips Sacagawea. Phillips, Ph.D candidate in American studies at Purdue University, portrays Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian. Phillips, an Ojibwe and a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, recently completed her dissertation on Sacagawea and the expedition.

She has plenty of experience in the role, as Sacagawea for the Great Plains Chautauqua last summer (and will be again in 2003). In addition, she has extensive on-camera experience as a television anchor and producer.

She has a double major in science and sports movement and radio and television from Purdue and a Master's Degree in Journalism from Indiana University's School of Journalism.

Charles Everett Pace ø York. A visiting instructor of anthropology and American studies at Centre College in Danville, Ky., Pace received his BA from the University of Texas at Austin and his MA from Purdue University, where he is a PhD candidate. He is a 10-year veteran of the Great Plains Chautauqua Society circuit.

Pace has presented Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois on the Plains and done Chautauqua interpretations of Langston Hughes and Malcolm X as well in other settings.

He has extensive performing and media credits. He was creator and program director for a public radio program at Purdue for three years.

The Great Plains Chautauqua, is a traveling history show that features presentations by historians, philosophers and other scholars of the humanities. Assuming the identities of famous historical figures, these scholars offer new perspectives while discussing a wide range of timely topics with local citizens.

The scholars on Kids' Quest will present historical points of view touching on history, sociology and social development in the United States.

Phillips will look at the group dynamics from the point of view of an Indian woman in the early 19th century. York will personify the effects of slavery and the degree of freedom he enjoyed within the Corps.

The one-hour program will included:
Â¥ Presentations by the hosts, Phillips and Pace.
Â¥ Background on the expedition and South Dakota's role.
Â¥ Interactive element allowing fourth- and fifth-grade students across the state to e-mail questions for Sacagawea and York.
Â¥ Questions from the live studio audience of children from the Vermillion area.

This special will give adults and students the chance to learn more about the Lewis and Clark Expedition as it traveled through South Dakota.

Kids' Quest is part of a series of interactive adventures on SDPB Television (previously called Electronic Adventure). The last event, in April 2000, attracted the participation of dozens of schools and thousands of students.

Questions, comments or ideas may be sent to KidsQuest@sdpb.org or call 1-800-456-0766.