An actor portraying an Otoe Indian of the early 1800s
Over their two-year journey west, the Lewis and Clark expedition often relied on local inhabitants for food, shelter, horses, and guidance.
In August 1804, for instance, near present-day Omaha, Nebraska, the expedition encountered a small party of Otoe and Missouri Indians. In exchange for tobacco, pork, and flour, the Native Americans brought them Water millions (watermelons).
Photograph by Mark Thiessen