The Corps of Discovery and the Teton Sioux

There are two sides to every story. That's especially true when Lewis and Clark met the Teton Sioux. Their 1804 journey through South Dakota wasn’t just about exploration — it was where two worlds met along the Missouri River. Long before the Corps of Discovery arrived, Boyd Gourneau, chairman of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, says his ancestors and other Indigenous tribes had already built full lives here, rooted in storytelling and protecting the land. When Lewis and Clark reached Fort Pierre, they encountered the Teton Sioux at Fischers Lilly Park — a meeting that began in ceremony and curiosity but soon turned uneasy as trust gave way to tension.