Re-making the Teton identity by celebrating 'Lewis and Clark'

This article examines an attempt to re-make the Teton identity at the site of the bicentennial celebrations of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806. The pageant took place in Fort Pierre, South Dakota, in September 2004 at the initiative of the Lakota Heritage Society. The author observed and recorded the performance as a part of his ethnographic fieldwork. The performance was based on two competing narratives: an excerpt from the Lewis and Clark journals made in the aftermath of the actual encounter between the expeditors and the Lakota tribe, and the theatricalised response by the contemporary members of the Lakota. The analysis of the performance demonstrated that by seeking selfrestitution, the Lakota performers opted for the rhetorical strategy 'difference in sameness.' In the end, this strategy failed to create a new and desired identity.