Lewis and Clark first passed this spot on October 16, 1805. Because of its significance as a well-established gathering place for Native people, the explorers knew where they were for the first time since entering uncharted territory. Maya Lin has designed seven-story circles that explore the Native cultures, language, flora and fauna, geology, and natural history of the site. As you pass from one story circle to the next, consider how the intersection of the Snake and Columbia rivers, cultures, communities and environmental forces have shaped and continue to affect the land around you. The information in the story circles comes from tribal stories, Lewis and Clark’s journals, Yakama elder and Sahaptin speaker Virginia Beavert, Ph.D., and the natural history of this site, which has been a gathering place for Native people for more than 10,000 years.