Lewis & Clark Expedition (1805) was one of several overland expeditions (Mackenzie, 1793 the first) that proved one could travel by foot and paddle to the Pacific Ocean from eastern North America. They were the 1st Americans to do so, commissioned by President Jefferson, with many magnificent articles and books attesting. Our favorite is Steven Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage that ends with, “The Clatsop and Chinook’s resources they drew on were renewable, whereas the Americans had shot out all the elk in the vicinity in just three months … the natives stayed living prosperous lives on the riches …” and after one winter, Lewis & Clark retreated. Their steps somewhat retraced in 1812 by Astor’s Pacific Fur Company that established a fort and city named … surprise, Astoria! Three side-stories: 1) the Expedition might have all died of scurvy but were saved by Douglas Hawthorne berries given to them by the Nez Perce, 2) Black Cottonwood became their favorite tree, easily worked into chairs and canoes for those who desired temporary use items from this soft-wooded tree, and 3) they might have been followed by prairie coyotes,
perhaps unknown around the Salish Sea (but Indigenous legends exist along the Coast in northern California). Today, one finds coyotes in Vancouver Province of the Rocky Mountain Floristic Region Region’s largest cities, but not on the San Juan Islands – attested to by black-tailed deer and Russian geese’ devastations (the last wolves being killed in 1860s). This is also true for the other Gulf and Vancouver Island; no coyotes have ever been reported (nor do Indigenous stories exist).
https://www.plc215.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Lewis-Clark-Others.pdf
https://franceshunter.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/scurvy-and-the-lewis-clark-expedition/
https://montanakids.com/history_and_prehistory/lewis_and_clark/plants_animals.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote
https://lewis-clark.org/sciences/mammals/coyote/
http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/coyote_712.html
https://mltnews.com/learning-to-live-with-coyotes-tips-for-keeping-pet-and-people-safe/
https://www.agriculture.com/news/business/kansas-research-shows-reintroducing-bison-on-tallgrass-prairie-doubles-plant-diversity?fbclid=IwAR2upIzzAPusS0Ga8DwXVaX1iphfUeZBp8n4rfEN1Z6L3ZsCeitWmy4gPHU
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