Montana Medicine Show: Father Desmet

Welcome to the Montana Medicine Show. I'm Derrick strong. Father Piers Shonda Smet was known as the apostle of the Rocky Mountains but to native peoples he was simply black robe De Smet was born an 18 0 1 and Belgian in 1840 he began what the Oxford History of the American West deemed the grandest missionary work of the 19th century. Dismount followed Lewis and Clark's route up the Missouri River in the Bitterroot Valley near present day Stevensville. He established St. Mary's mission Montana's first permanent non native settlement dismount recalled the Indians came from all parts and from great distances to meet me and present all their young children and dying relatives for baptism. Historian Dave Walter dubbed a Smet a stocky robust bundle of energy to author Al bare on tree he possessed a cultured broad mind at perfect peace with itself and in love with its whole world inspired converts among most tribes of the trans Mississippi West. He negotiated several treaties most notably with Sitting

Bull in 1868 General David Stanley declared Father De Smet alone of the entire white race could penetrate to the hostile Sioux and return safe and sound before his death in 1873. Dismayed had crossed the Atlantic 19 times visiting pope's kings and presidents on behalf of American Indians. Historian Louis foller called him the noble a single character in the long history of Indian and white confrontation in the American West. From K.J. L.T. studios I'm Derek strong. Montana medicine show is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. A private corporation funded by the American people.