The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 17, April 24, 2005, Article 21

THE PALUS JEFFERSON INDIAN PEACE MEDAL

While looking up other things I came across an interesting
article from the Journal of Northwest Anthropology about
an Indian Peace Medal discovered in 1964. Found at the
Palus Burial site in eastern Washington State, the medal is
known as the Palus medal.

"There is written evidence of a medal being observed in this
location in 1854. Approximately 50 years after it was given
out by Lewis and Clark, a Jefferson Peace Medal was
described by George Gibbs while he was visiting Palus Village.
Stevens (1855:432) quoted Gibbs thus:

At the crossing of the Snake river, at the mouth of the Peluse,
the several parties of exploration met with an interesting relic.
The chief of that band, Wattai-wattai-how-lis, [in coming to
visit Captain McClellan,] exhibited, with great pride, the medal
presented to his father, Ke-powh-kan, by Captains Lewis and
Clark. It is of silver, double, and hollow, having on the obverse
a medallion bust, with the legend, “Thomas Jefferson, President
U. S. A., 1801;” and on the reverse the clasped hands, pipe,
and battle-axe, crossed, with the legend, “Peace and Friendship.”

There can be little doubt that this is the same medal found in
Burial 21 and was one of those carried by Lewis and Clark."

The page links to several tables and figures, including a sketch
showing the medal's unusual method of construction (see
LewisAndClark/Fig6.jpg

"It is obvious that the Jefferson Peace medals, including those
carried by Lewis and Clark, were unique among peace medals
in their construction. The tradition is that the United States
Mint at the time they were manufactured did not have presses
large enough to stamp such large medals (Prucha 1962:281),
or alternatively it would have taken too much time to run them
repeatedly, so rather they stamped two thin shells in silver.
These were placed back to back with a German silver band
or collar around the circumference thus holding together both
halves (Fig. 6). This is the first publication of this figure and
the information it provides of the method of construction and
attachment of the pillar and ring. All medals since then have
been made of solid metal. "

The Palus medal was transferred to the Nez Perce Tribe in
1971 and is housed at the Nez Perce National Historical Park
Research Center.

To read the full article, see: Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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