Elakha Board Member, Cameron La Follete, and Dr. Doug Deur, a cultural historian who is on our Advisory Committee, co-authored an article for We Proceeded On (WPO), the journal of the Lewis and Clark Heritage Trail Foundation, about Oregon sea otters and the Lewis and Clark expedition.
The intent in doing this article was to capture the interest of an important regional historical group for sea otter restoration in Oregon, and focus WPO’s readership on our region rather than (as is frequently the case) the Great Plains and the Midwest generally. Interestingly, the L&C Journals have more than thirty references to Expedition members trading with Clatsop and Chinook peoples for sea otter pelts, so the sea otter saga is hardly a minor part of the 1805-6 winter they spent at Fort Clatsop.
To read & download a pdf scan of this fascinating historic article, click here.
