RARE LEWIS & CLARK COMMEMORATIVE POUCH SET - NEZ PERCE - GLORIA WILLIAMS

Description

VERY RARE 2004 LEWIS & CLARK COMMEMORATIVE COIN AND POUCH SET
When the US Mint originally issued the 2004 Lewis & Clark Commemorative Coin and Pouch Sets, the US Mint and the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial contracted with 10 Nations and/or Tribal Enterprises, but for whatever reason a contract was never issued to the Nez Perce Tribe, the Nimiipuu People, of North Central Idaho despite the Nez Perce playing a very significant and instrumental role in coming to the assistance of the Corps of Discovery after they nearly starved to death crossing Montana’s Bitterroot Mountain Range.
In my opinion, the US Mint and the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, made a huge mistake in not honoring the Nez Perce and offering the Nimiipuu People a contract. Fortunately, pouches made by Nez Perce artisans made their way to the US Mint by virtue of their work being submitted with pouches made by native artisans from the neighboring Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
If you are a collector or have an interest in the history of the Corps of Discovery, it is befitting that one's collection of commemorative pouch sets include work from the Nez Perce.  These pouches are few and very far between because there are only approximately 3,500 Nimiipuu people enrolled in the Nez Perce Tribe on the Nez Perce Reservation in Lawpai, Idaho.