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Major Grant
Awarded to Lewis & Clark Center
A $249,930 Challenge Cost Share Grant for 2005 was
awarded to the Missouri
River Basin Lewis & Clark Trail & Visitor Center by
National Park Service
officials.
 "We are thrilled and grateful to receive
approval of our application for these
highly competitive and much needed funds," said Nancy
Hoch, interim director
of the center. "These matching funds
will be used to construct two related projects which
include an authentic 48 feet in diameter Plains Indian
Earthlodge replica that
will provide memorable space for programs, meetings,
even sleepovers, and
other educational hands-on activities greatly
expanding our interactive,
education, interpretive opportunities," Hoch said.
The second part of the project will be the Missouri
River Boardwalk, a
handicapped accessible raised trail with interpretive
signage and rest areas
designed by Marty Shukert and RDG Design Associates.
It will cover the 250
yard long trail from the Center through the woods to
the awesome vantage
point 189 feet above the mighty Missouri River, the
Lewis & Clark Trail in
Nebraska. The Boardwalk will connect with the
Interpreted Handicapped
Accessible Trail to the Earthlodge and an Indian
Garden to be located near
the Earthlodge. "This is a very complex project, but
one which will not only provide two
important missing educational components for the
Center, but will also be a
major draw for visitors in Nebraska off Interstate 29,
north and south and
Nebraska Highway 2 Expressway cutoff to Interstate 80,
east and west and we
are very pleased," said Doug Friedli, secretary of the
Missouri River Basin
Lewis & Clark Center Foundation. "The Center will
have been open one year on July 30, but it has been
our
longtime vision and goal to build an authentic Plains
Indian Earthlodge
replica and a Handicapped Accessible River Walk
(boardwalk) from the Center
through the woods to the Missouri River. These
important additions would
allow all visitors to experience firsthand these two
educational dynamics of
their history. We are committed to fully and
accurately portraying the
critical role of Native Americans to the success of
the Lewis & Clark Voyage
of Discovery," Hoch said. The Missouri River Basin
Lewis & Clark Center is unique in the country with
its focus in the flora, fauna and scientific
discoveries recorded by
Captains Lewis & Clark at the direction of President
Jefferson. Jefferson
also instructed them to learn all they could and make
a peaceful connection
with the Native Americans already living in these
areas.
Officials said that it is impossible to tell the story
of Lewis & Clark
without recording the tremendous impact of the Native
Americans on the
success of the Voyage of Discovery. Located in Otoe
County, which was named
after the Oto Indians, these Native American
experiences will greatly expand
the Center¹s ability to effectively present this
critical part of the story
to this and future generations. Initial planning for
the Earthlodge collided with the double departure of
Gerard Baker, the head of Lewis & Clark National Trail
and the frenetic
schedule of opening the Center in July 2004. The
Center also had the early help of a Leadership Omaha
group of seven
young business people who were excited and adopted
this project. They did a
great deal of planning, research, prepared a work
schedule for volunteers
and created the standing model, as shown in the photo,
to help attract
funding. Unfortunately their organization timeline
prevented them from
staying with the project after June. It is hoped that
they will be a part of
the project in the future. Leo A. Daly Engineering
contributed the
experience of a structural engineer to assess the site
as well as the plans
secured from the American Museum of the Natural
History for the ³Hidasta
Earthlodge² and plans secured from Gerard Baker for a
Mandan Earthlodge. He
had personally constructed two Earthlodges. The
original plans called for construction by volunteers
but it became
apparent that a successful project required
experience, oversight and
professional construction practices. The group is
working with experienced
and dedicated professionals in the project. Brian
Bitner of Bitco
Constructions from North Dakota was recommended to the
group as having
successfully constructed 12 authentic Native American
Earthlodges. The site for the Earthlodge was
approved by Bat Shunatona and Mat Sitting
Bear Jones, both Otoe Missourians. The Otoe Missouria
Tribe of Oklahoma was
invited by letter to play any role they might choose
in the development and
construction of the site and Earthlodge. The tribe
suggested that Bat
Shunatona who worked with the Nebraska Lewis & Clark
Commission could
represent them in planning and he agreed to act as a
consultant to the group
on the project. "We will again invite the tribe to
participate in anyway that they choose.
They were well represented in the blessing and
activities of our grand
opening and we appreciate their involvement," hoch
said.
"Mr. Bitner has inspected our site and believes
construction may begin in
late May with a hoped for completion in late July. We
are seeking private
matching funds and want to invite volunteers to
participate in at least some
part of this exciting project," she said. Please ask
at the Center if you are interested.
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