Includes bibliographical references (pages 179-183) and index.

Introduction: Tribal voices and tribal history -- pt. 1. The Salish world in 1805. -- Coyote and the Ice Age: tribal creation stories and tribal origins -- The big picture: tribal elders on the sweep of history from Columbus to Lewis and Clark to the Allotment Act -- "This land was good": the traditional cycle of life -- A Salish journey through the Bitterroot Valley: Introduction ; Salish-Pend d'Oreille placenames -- pt. 2. The Salish encounter with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. -- The beginning of the great changes: horses, epidemics, and guns -- The question of intent: Salish perspectives on the purpose of the Lewis and Clark Expedition -- To help them or to wipe them out: stories of misunderstanding and miscommunication -- Gift-giving and confusion -- Lewis and Clark in the fold of tribal history -- The survival and renewal of Salish and Pend d'Oreille culture -- Elders and contributors: biographical notes and perspectives -- A brief guide to written Salish and the international phonetic alphabet / Shirley Trahan. "What makes The Salish People and the Lewis and Clark Expedition a departure from previous accounts of the Lewis and Clark expedition is how it depicts the arrival of non-Indians - not as the beginning of history, but as another chapter in a long tribal history. Much of this book focuses on the ancient cultural landscape and history that had already shaped the region for millennia before the arrival of Lewis and Clark. The elders begin their vivid portrait of the Salish world by sharing creation stories and their traditional cycle of life. The book then takes readers on a cultural tour of the Native trails that the expedition followed. With tribal elders as our guides, we now learn of the Salish cultural landscape that was invisible to Lewis and Clark."--Jacket.