The 2004 Event Committee of the WY CO L&C Task Force met at the
Hilton Garden Inn/Reardon Center at
5:30 PM
in the McCarthy Gallery for the purpose of planning the
June 26-29,2004
event of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial commemoration.
Those in attendance included: Shari
Wilson (chair), Helen Marie Fotovich, Janet Vogel, Loren Taylor, Marlene
Stuart, and Pete Cuppage. Introductions
were made. Marlene attended as a
representative of Native American tribes, an important component of our
commemoration.
Shari opened the meeting at 5:30
PM and presented an update on the Corps of Discovery II.
The website is being updated to include a calendar of events and notes
of progress from committees. The
Wyandotte County Lewis and Clark Task Force will be hosting the Corps II
event. The event at Kaw Point will
be coordinated with the Signature Event planned for the Kansas City area at
that time. The event will include
the St. Charles Discovery Expedition and the Corps of Discovery II exhibits
and programs. The National Park
Service is acquiring funding for the Corps II.
As a part of this activity we will schedule activities for the Tents of
Many Voices. Counties from both
Kansas and Missouri will participate. The
St. Charles Discovery Expedition will bring a replica of the L&C keelboat
and about 40 people. We will need
volunteers to aid in these events.
Shari passed around the
Conceptual Design Booklet related to the traveling groups.
Event components. The
opening ceremony will include contributions by Native American groups with a Confluence
of Nations Plaza. Marlene will
help in the development of this portion. A
flag ceremony will be included. Loren
Taylor noted a list of tribes and Native American backgrounds of Corps
members. Tribes living in the
region at the time of the Expedition included the Kansa and Osage.
Shawnee, Omaha, and Missouria are represented within the expedition
members. Marlene will help locate
tribal participants for flag and drum participation.
Haskell Institute will be checked.
Marlene will chair the Native American Involvement group.
Committee members are attempting to arrange for the presence of a Newfoundland
(Seaman). Unified Government
owns and controls Kaw Point and will take a major role in site development.
Shari will contact Diane Lloyd concerning the Carolina parakeet.
Upon her suggestion the Grinter Quilters have made a Lewis and Clark
quilt, which will be on display, and, perhaps donated to the Kansas State
Historical Society following the Bicentennial.
A quilt made of sample blocks may be raffled at our June 2004 event.
The Accessible Arts group is designing the mural.
Contingent on funding, this professional design will be on display
along the floodwall and, perhaps, will include visitor contributions as a
hands-on component by the public. The
committee is still trying to find a group to bring in or cook period food
for the event. Shari and Loren are
contacting assorted re-enactors for the dates.
French, Spanish, and others would be involved.
Loren is also planning a court martial reenactment.
Kaw’s Point Play is being developed by Loren and others (the
court martial). Loren is also
planning a tour of Ordway’s spring site, site of first buffalo sighting,
the Wyandotte County Museum, and reconstructed Kaw Point.
The committee hopes to obtain designation of reconstructed Kaw Point as
a registered National Lewis and Clark Historic Site.
KDOT is providing signage for the site.
Shari suggested that the Task Force’s Community Education Committee
adopt the Ordway’s Spring tour as a project.
The next meeting is scheduled for
5:30 PM on Thursday, April 3rd in the McCarthy Gallery of the
Hilton Garden Inn/Reardon Center. There
being no further business, Shari closed the meeting at 7:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Pete Cuppage