Office of Public Relations — Newsroom
News Release
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Caitlin Jenney, 303.315.6376, pager 303.266.0680, Caitlin.Jenney@ucdenver.edu
Auraria Library to Host “Lewis and Clark” Traveling Exhibition
DENVER (August 4, 2008) – “Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country,” a traveling exhibition opening August 31 at the Auraria Library, which serves the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver and the Community College of Denver, tells the story of the explorers’ historic 1804-1806 expedition from a different point of view—that of the Indians who lived along their route. During this journey to the Pacific coast and back, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their small group of voyagers crossed the traditional homelands of more than fifty Native American tribes. The exhibit examines this monumental encounter of cultures by exploring the past and present effects of that encounter on the lives of the tribes which still live in the region.
“Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country” draws upon original documents in the rich Native American collections of the Newberry Library, and in the collections of the Washington State Historical Society, the Minnesota Historical Society and other institutions. Photographs of handwritten documents, maps, paintings and drawings provide a colorful background for the story of the encounter.
Organized by the Newberry Library, Chicago, in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, “Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country” was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): great ideas brought to life. Additional support came from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Sara Lee Foundation is the lead corporate sponsor; Ruth C. Ruggles and the National Parks Service also supported the exhibit.
The Auraria Library is sponsoring free programs and multicultural events for the public in connection with the exhibition. The following events will be held in the library’s Jackson Enhanced Learning Center:
A slide show on Sakakawea by Dr. Laura McCall of Metropolitan State College of Denver on Tuesday, September 2, 2008, from 1-3 p.m.
A photo opportunity program presented by Sue Raney of the High Country Newfoundland Club featuring Quinn, a Newfoundland dog in the role of Seaman, Lewis and Clark’s dog, on Tuesday, September 9, 2008, from 3-5 p.m.
“Lewis and Clark, Doctors in the Wilderness,” presented by Bruce Paton, MD, professor emeritus University of Colorado Denver, on Wednesday, September 17, 2008, from 3-5 p.m.
A program on York, William Clark’s slave who accompanied the expedition, on September 24, 2008, from 3-5 p.m.
The closing reception on October 1 will feature a presentation by the Seven Falls Indian Dancers from 3-5 p.m.
For more information, please contact Rosemary Evetts at 303.556.3530 or the Auraria Library Archives at 303.556.8373.
The University of Colorado Denver is one of three universities in the University of Colorado system. Located in Denver on the Downtown Campus and at Ninth & Colorado Blvd., and on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colo., University of Colorado Denver offers more than 100 degrees and programs in 13 schools and colleges and serving more than 28,000 students in Metro Denver and online. For more information, visit the UC Denver Newsroom.
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