FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Contact: Steve Siwinski, (573) 522-1009

Carnahan announces program on the Missouria Indians

Jefferson City, MO - Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan today announced a program on the lost history of the Missouria Indians. The program will be held at the Missouri State Archives, a division of her office, on Thursday, November 8 at 7 p.m. Author Michael Dickey will discuss his new book, The People of the River’s Mouth: In Search of the Missouria Indians.

The People of the River’s Mouth is the first book ever published about the culture and history of the Missouria. When first described by the Europeans in 1673, they numbered in the thousands; by 1804, when William Clark referred to them as “once the most numerous nation in this part of the continent,” fewer than 400 Missouria remained. Both the state of Missouri and the Missouri River are namesakes of this indigenous group, but little of their history is known today.

Michael Dickey, administrator of the Arrow Rock State Historic Site, examines the Missouria’s unique cultural traditions through archaeological remnants and archival resources, investigating the forces that diminished the Missouria and led to their eventual removal to Oklahoma. The People of the River’s Mouth uses contributions from members of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe to analyze the origin and evolution of the group, shedding light on an often overlooked aspect of Missouri’s past.

The Missouri State Archives is the official repository for state documents of permanent historic value and is located at 600 West Main Street in Jefferson City. All programs at the Archives are free of charge and open to the public, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information on this and other programming at the Archives, contact Emily Luker at 573-526-5296 or emily.luker@sos.mo.gov.

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Visit www.sos.mo.gov to learn more about the Office of the Missouri Secretary of State.

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