Presentation uncovers unusual aspects of historic tales

Sally Thompson will look at a different side of well-known stories, such as the “moccasin telegraph” that tracked Lewis and Clark's journey on Sept. 16.  

She also explores forgotten tales. Her presentation is at the monthly meeting of the Westerners of Northwest Montana in Kalispell.

The tales are from her new book, “Disturbing the Sleeping Buffalo,” which is subtitled “23 Unexpected Stories that Awaken Montana's Past.” 

One story follows the journey of famed Jesuit missionary De Smet up the Kootenai River to the adjoining headwaters of the Columbia River. There she discovers the remains of a cross dating from his 1845 trip. And she recounts the adventures of the 57-year-old De Smet traveling up the Clark Fork River to escort Salish chiefs to a peace conference in western Washington. 

Thompson has also unearthed stories of early explorers that may or may not be fables. 

Her personal quests include the search for a hill in Lewis and Clark Pass with a mysterious name, and an archaeological dig of a 5,000-year-old site on the outskirts of Great Falls. 

The Sleeping Buffalo is a rock near Malta that opens a discussion of other medicine rocks and Ice Age geology. She also wonders if Kootenai mythology reaches back more than 12,000 years to Glacial Lake Missoula. 

She includes more modern stories, such as a 1,200-pound hybrid buffalo named Jumbo. Thompson's career has spanned more than four decades and includes documenting the tribal significance of the Badger-Two Medicine area, with its controversial oil leases. 

As a University of Montana anthropologist, she has worked with local tribes on historical projects. Her previous book, “People Before the Park,” looks at the Kootenai and Blackfeet heritage of Glacier National Park 

The presentation starts at 7 p.m. on the second floor of the museum, at 124 2nd Ave. East in Kalispell. Cost is $5 for the general public, with members and youths under 16 admitted free.