Author to discuss book about Lewis and Clark translator at Red House

When the Lewis and Clark expedition set out to explore the American west over 200 years ago, the land, though net yet seen by whites, already had a native population that had called the territory home for years.

And to complete their mission, the now-famous explorers needed to work closely with those native people. Without the presence of George Drouillard on that long excursion, history could have easily turned out differently.

But most people haven't even heard of Drouillard, much less understand his significant contribution to the expedition, says Indiana-based author James Alexander Thom.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday Thom will visit the Red House Interpretive Center as part of the city's Bicentennial Book discussion to talk about "Sign-Talker," his historical-fiction novel about Drouillard's time with the expedition.

Drouillard, a half-Shawnee Indian, half-Frenchman well-trained in hunting and other crucial skills needed to live off the land, was the crucial link between the white-led expedition and the land's native inhabitants.

"In the history of novels, we really only hear about the military leaders and the politicians," said Thom. "A lot of what happened was a result of the skills of the go-betweens. They were a very much neglected but important part of what we would call the porous border between the two races."

While the novel is historical fiction, much of it is based in fact. It was published in 2003 by Random House.

"The reason I wanted to do a book about him is because after all this time, it was time to tell the story from the Indians' point of view as well as the white man, and he lived in both worlds," said Thom. "He was accustomed to being among white people but was also an Indian."

Drouillard was the nephew of Cape Girardeau founder Louis Lorimier. He formed a critical role on the expedition as chief hunter and as a diplomat in dealing with the native tribes. William Clark and Merriwether Lewis trusted Drouillard and depended heavily on his skills and knowledge to complete their journey.

But Thom said his discussion probably won't be all about Drouillard. He also hopes to talk about what happened when Lorimier met Lewis, an event that would lead Lorimier into cooperation with the Americans he had been suspicious of in the past, said Thom.

Thom originally developed his interest in American Indian tribes and figures while researching a book on Tecumseh. He later married an American Indian woman, Dark Rain.

msanders@semissourian.com

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