Nebraska Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission
Meeting Minutes
May 18, 2006
Mahoney State Park: Peter Kiewit Lodge, Cedar Room
Commissioners in attendance: Johnson, Hornbaker, gaiashkibos, Ruth, Slader, M. Smith, and Wehrbein.
Staff in attendance: Emanuel, Swenson and Bastemeyer.
Special Guests/Advisors in attendance: Bat Shunantona, Randy Yates, and Bob Pawloski.
Commissioners not in attendance: Hull, Mitchell, Moulton, R. Smith, Stokes, and Williams.
A quorum was satisfied.
Vice Chairwoman Jeanene Wehrbein called the meeting to order at 9:14 a.m.
Wehrbein asked a motion to approve the minutes from the April 2006 meeting. Johnson moved to approve the minutes and M. Smith seconded. Unanimous voice approval.
Wehrbein welcomed everyone and asked Swenson to start the discussion with his Executive Director report.
Executive Director:
Swenson handed the commissioners and guests a draft summary on the August/September 2006 Ponca activities. The event will start on Aug. 30 – Sept. 1 with the Missouri River History Conference hosted by the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission and Nebraska State Historical Society, and sponsored by several partners. There will be a small registration fee for the conference. On Sept. 1 up to 200 4th grade students will be invited to attend a series of 5 to 7 educational “Field Stations”. The event on Sept. 2-4 (Labor Day Weekend) will put visitors to the park in a 1806 mindset. Activities include: river kayaking, interpretive horse rides, Dutch oven cookouts, stargazing, muzzle loader rifle shooting, archery games, etc. In addition to these activities, Corps II is also scheduled to attend on Sept. 2-4.
Swenson also reported that he and Bastemeyer met with Vic Gutman on May 1 to discuss the school field trip day. Public and reservation schools from Eastern Nebraska will enjoy one of two Lewis & Clark themed experiences. School will attend either a morning or afternoon session at either Joslyn Art Museum’s Witherspoon Hall or the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo IMAX Theater. At Witherspoon Hall, students will enjoy Arvel Bird, an award winning Native American violinist. At the IMAX, students will be greeted by Pierre Cruzatte (Daniel Slosburg) and his fiddling violin and a short presentation on the journey north. Students will then view the IMAX movie, Lewis & Clark: The Journey West. For logistic purposes, we bought out the 11 a.m. IMAX show in addition to the 10 a.m. and the Noon show times.
Also, at the meeting with Vic Gutman, the budget was discussed. The commission is challenged to raise $30-35,000. Gutman met with Roy Smith. R. Smith gave Gutman some suggested funding sources.
On May 17, Swenson and Bastemeyer met with Jennifer Barliment of the Omaha Symphony and Gutman. Barliment stated that the symphony would perform for a total of 90 minutes. The first 20 – 25 minutes of their performance would be the Lewis & Clark concerto and perhaps mix into the concerto some music from the Lewis & Clark IMAX movie and Creighton Theatrical production. We also told Barliment that Hull would like to have Chief Standing Bear’s speech read at some point in the opening performance. Then a 15 minute intermission, and the last 60 – 70 minutes the symphony will perform musical selections that reflect Omaha’s rich ethnic diversity. The final 3 – 5 minutes of the symphony, performance could be choreographed to fireworks.
Swenson reported that he had an updated schedule of Corps II time in Nebraska.
Sept 2 – 4 Ponca
Sept 7 – 8 Omaha (Omaha dates may change)
Group discussion about the Rediscovery Corps schedule occurred and the following dates were suggested.
Sept 2 – 4 Ponca
Sept 7 – 8 Omaha
Sept 9 Plattsmouth
Sept 10 Nebraska City
A fax was sent to Hull on May 3, 2006 from Congressman Jeff Fortenberry’s office. Senator Fortenberry wanted to get Hull’s and the Commission’s thoughts on the technical change to the Lewis & Clark Commemorative Coin Act of 1999. Swenson contacted Fortenberry’s aide prior to this meeting and shared the following information. The 1999 Act directed one-third of coin surcharge funds to the National Park Service, if NPS raised qualifying private sector funds. NPS does not have the capacity to fulfill this requirement and therefore has not raised any private matching funds for this purpose. The technical change to the legislation will permit two non-profit history organizations, the Lewis and Clark bicentennial and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. These organization have raised nearly $5 million in private funding to present their privately raised matching funds to the U.S. Mint and receive the federal coin surcharge funds now held in escrow by the U.S. Mint. Swenson said that there could be grant opportunities for Lewis & Clark organizations like our commission by the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail if this legislative change passes. Slader made a motion for the commission to support the amendment to the Commemorative Coin Act. Johnson 2nd the motion. The motion passed by unanimous voice approval. Swenson asked Bastemeyer to draft and send letters to all of Nebraska’s U.S. Congressional representatives supporting this change.
Slader briefed the commission on the Lewis and Clark Legacy Workshop he attended in Missouri. Slader provided a handout, which showed Missouri’s Lewis & Clark asset inventory and report. Missouri Lewis & Clark has a form (“nomination form”) online where people can list Lewis & Clark assets. The question for the Nebraska is what entity or organization will monitor the legacy once the commission sunsets in December 2007? Swenson stated that Nebraska Game and Parks has already started an inventory process.
Mary Ethel Emanuel and Ernie Ricehill updated the commission on the Native American Art Show. Emanuel stated that artist applications have been printed, 250 have already been mailed and 300 more have been reprinted. Ricehill stated that several people that wish to participate, but are not a member of one of the five tribes that we have limited the competition to have approached him. The commission decided to table whether to extend the art show to other Native Americans that are not members of the Santee, Omaha, Winnebago, Ponca, or Otoe-Missouria until the June meeting.
Ricehill also stated that he has visited all of the four Nebraska tribes and plans to go to Oklahoma next week to meet the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. Ricehill cautioned that a conflict has developed. The Winnebago Tribe is building a new retail building solely for Native American Woodland Art. The Winnebago plan to have their first show on September 1, 2006. Ricehill was told to ask if the Winnebago can have the art from our show to hang in their new facility. The commission response was that it would be the Winnebago’s responsibility to transport and insure the art from our show to their show room.
Roundtable Discussion:
Judi gaiashkibos thanked the commission for their support of the Chief Standing Bear breakfast on May 12, 2006. She had received questions from people asking where they could purchase a bust of Chief Standing Bear. The maquette of Chief Standing Bear was a gift from the Otoe-Missouria Tribe last July 2005; nevertheless, John Slader suggested she check www.bronzeart.com.
Bat Shunatona stated that he will pass the information about the art show on to the chairman and he will try to be more active in recruiting artists. Shunatona also stated that he would like to give a presentation on the historical documents at the June meeting. Slader also stated that he has a copy of the Oklahoma Historical Society’s DVD on the Jefferson documents. The DVD will be shown at the next commission meeting in June. Shunatona also stated that he will find out the dates of the Otoe-Missouria encampment.
Bob Pawloski told the commission that the Mouth of the Platte (MOP) is moving away from monthly meetings. June 10 they are going to Onawa, IA, July 22-23 they are having a picnic at the Western Historic Trail, and August 15 they will meet in Council Bluffs and Kira Gale will be the presenter. Three MOP Chapters (Sioux City, Omaha, and Nebraska City) and the Shannon Trail will cooperate with whatever entity becomes in charge of the Lewis & Clark legacy program. MOP is working on taking care of their stretch of the Lewis & Clark Trail for a legacy program. Pawloski stated that he has put information and the application for the Native American Art show on the commission’s website.
Wehrbein mentioned that the next executive committee meeting is Monday, June 5 and the next commission meeting is Thursday, June 15.
Meeting adjourned at 11:16 a.m.