Pierre Cruzatte: A Musical Journey on the Lewis & Clark
Trail
is a 45-minute program suitable for audiences of all ages.
Cruzatte dances onto the stage fiddling.
He is a one-eyed, half-French, half-Omaha Indian Missouri River
boatman--a Voyageur--who speaks with a French accent. After
a fiddle tune, he introduces himself to the audience and
starts to describe some of his adventures. This show is the
Lewis & Clark expedition through the eyes (or eye) of
Cruzatte. |
|
He talks about the bundles of Indian presents the expedition carried, which included Jew's harps, then plays the song "Soldier's Joy," inviting the audience to join him on the chorus. He then describes Christmas, 1804, during which members of the expedition celebrate with a dance at Fort Mandan. Cruzatte teaches everyone in the audience how to play the spoons (without using spoons). Cruzatte then gathers audience volunteers to play wooden spoons and tambourine, and everyone plays together. Cruzatte then tells about the terrifying day when Toussaint Charbonneau, Sacagawea's husband, panics and loses control of the expedition's most important boat. Cruzatte and Sacagawea rescue the boat and save its crew and contents. Cruzatte then invites the audience to join him in singing "J'entends le moulin," an old song of the Voyageurs, the French-Canadian boatmen. |
![]() Photo courtesy of Kate Russell |
Art courtesy of Anya at McKinley
Elementary School, |
After the hardships and near-starvation of crossing the Rocky mountains, the expedition proceeds down the Columbia and reaches the Pacific coast. To commemorate the miserable, flea-plagued winter that the Corps of Discovery spent at Fort Clatsop, Cruzatte sings a flea-scratching song, "Shake that Little Foot," accompanying himself on the bones. Cruzatte then details how the expedition could not have succeeded without help from many Indian nations, He also describes the important role that music played in diplomacy. On the way home the expedition encounters the Walla Walla Indians and Chief Yellepit. Their meeting leads to a memorable night of dance and music. Cruzatte invites the audience to join him on "Yankee Doodle," an important song in early American history. In the final adventure, Cruzatte describes the incident for which we remember him best: he accidentally shoots Captain Lewis (not critically, thank goodness). The program concludes with a fiddle tune. If time allows, Daniel Slosberg returns on stage to answer questions about Lewis, Clark, and Cruzatte.
|
Art courtesy of Michael at McKinley Elementary School, Santa Monica, CA |
![]()
![]()
©2005 Daniel Slosberg
info@cruzatte.com •
(310) 880-5828