Link to history
Two hundred years ago, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark blazed a new trail. This year, a Coeur d’Alene brother and sister, 14-year-old Joel and 12-year-old Jordan Schaefer, blazed a trail of their own. The Schaefers read more than 30 history books, and compiled an annotated research bibliography of 35 pages following the footsteps of the legendary Captains Lewis and Clark.
They embarked on this journey for National History Day, a yearlong education program that engages students in grades 6-12 in the process of discovery and interpretation of historical topics.
Home-schooled, Joel and Jordan spent more than 80 hours studying Lewis and Clark’s journals, journals from other members of the expedition, as well as letters written by Lewis, Clark and President Thomas Jefferson.
They interviewed members of the Lemhi-Shoshone and Nez Perce tribes, including Sacajawea’s great-great-great-grandniece, Rose Ann Abrahamson, an Idaho Lemhi-Shoshone.
They even followed the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as the Schaefer family traveled parts of the Lewis and Clark Trail.
“I learned a lot about studying history through the eyes of writers,” Jordan says. “It has been exciting to be able to portray amazing people at an amazing time.”
“It has been a wild ride,” Joel says. “It has been interesting learning how different life was 200 years ago.”
A trip to Washington, D.C., and the Jefferson Memorial actually sparked the Schaefers’ interest in Lewis and Clark.
“We had to travel to the east coast to get excited about Lewis and Clark and their travels in the west,” Joel says grinning. “Jefferson made several references to Lewis and Clark and their undaunted courage. This sparked our interest.”
Since this year marks the Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Schaefers thought this was the best time to commemorate the epic journey by exploring the historic trek of Lewis and Clark.
“There was no better topic to emulate this year’s (National History Day) theme, Exploration, Encounter and Exchange in History,” says mom Barbara Schaefer, who has had a busy year coordinating her son’s and daughter’s travel schedules.
Educational research indicates that more students are failing to reach basic levels of historical literacy. It seems that innovative educational programs, like National History Day, are helping to reform the way history is being taught and learned.
By making history come alive, students explore topics that interest them, while they produce dramatic performances, imaginative exhibits, multimedia documentaries and research papers to support their studies.
In March, the Schaefer’s dramatic performance, “Off the Map and into the Unknown — A Journey of Discovery Seen Through The Eyes and Hearts of Captain William Clark and Sacajawea,” won the regional Idaho History Day competition for their age group.
In April, they won first place in the junior group performance category at the state competition held in Boise.
In addition, they won a special award — the Governor’s Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Award, for their dramatic 10-minute portrayal of Captain William Clark and Sacajawea. Joel plays Clark and Jordan plays Sacajawea.
In June, they traveled to the University of Maryland for the national contest, where 98 teams, of up to five members each, represented almost every state in the United States. The Schaefers placed in the top 14.
Jordan and Joel wrote the script, taking quotes from Lewis and Clark’s actual journals. During the performance, Clark and Sacajawea both tell their story to Sacajawea’s son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau.
To be as accurate as possible, Jordan felt it necessary to learn Indian sign language.
“Sacajawea did not speak English, so I learned Indian sign language for the performance,” Jordan says.
They even researched their costumes, becoming sticklers for historical accuracy along the way.
Jordan made her leggings and beaded belt, researching Sacajawea’s dress down to the seams in her moccasins.
Greg and Ginger Follis, owners of Snake River Traders in Nampa, Idaho, donated the labor to sew Joel’s authentic, early 1800’s artillery captain’s uniform – a replica of Captain Clark’s Army uniform.
Jordan sewed Joel’s burgundy uniform sash, and both Jordan and Joel worked on the “Chapeau Bra,” which was the French name for a style of hat that was worn during that time period.
Jordan and Joel read, “Tailor Made, Trail Worn,” a book considered to be the authority on the uniforms and gear used by the Corps of Discovery, the name given to the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Joel and Jordan have given more than 40 community performances in the last several months including public and private schools, senior citizen groups, the American Legion Auxiliary, libraries and the Post Falls Historical Society.
“Sacajawea is a strong role model for young women,” Jordan says. “Sacajawea translates into ‘that is her burden.’ She faced incredible hardships. She was positive, industrious and carried her baby across the country.”
“It is an exciting story about the pioneers of the West,” Joel adds.