Kaitlynn Deboy September 7, 2013 English 366 The scene is from Act two, scene one, just after

Hugh leaves on page 52. The year is 1804. The setting is in the western portion of what is now the United States, after what is known as the Louisiana Purchase. The scene takes place in a small village called Hidatsa. Maiara will play the part of Sacagawea (Owen) and George will play the part of William Clark (Yolland). The play is set just as Louis (Lancey) and George (Yolland) start their expedition to explore the newly purchased land from France. Their goal is to survey the land, create relations with the Native Americans, and find a direct waterway to the Pacific Ocean. They set up a fort in Missouri where they enlist the help of Maiara to navigate the land as well as translate/ negotiate between themselves and the Native Americansas she is one they can trust and is naturally intuitive. While on their journey George and Louis keep detailed journals where they maintain to name rivers, creeks, land masses, etc as well as, detailed documentation of day to day life, animal species, and the like.

Maiara- What is happening? (Friel 52) George- Im not sure. But Im concerned about my part in it. Its an eviction of sorts. (Friel 52) Maiara- Were making a six-inch map of the country. Is there something sinister in that? And we are taking place names that are riddled with confusion and (Friel 52) George- Whos confused? Are the people confused? (Friel 52) Maiara- and were standardizing those names as accurately and as sensitively as we can. (Friel 52)

George- Something is being eroded. (Friel 53) Maiara- Weve come to this crossroadsAnd we call that crossroads Baa Munka. And why do we call it Baa Munka? Ill tell you why. Baa means a well. In the Shoshone tribe where Maiara originates from, Baa translates to the English equivalent to water. But what does Munka mean? Its a corruption of Maka- an erosion of Baa Mahhkaah. Because a hundred-and-fifty years ago there used to be a well there, not at the crossroads, mind you -- that would be too simplebut in a field close to the crossroads. And an old man called Maka, whose face was disfigured by an enormous growth, got it into his head that the water in that well was blessed; and every day for seven months he went there and bathed his face in it. But the growth didnt go away; and one morning Maka was found drowned in that well. And ever since that crossroads is known as Baa Munkaeven though that well has long since dried up. I know the story because my grandfather told me. But ask Misae (Doalty) or Macawi (Maire) or Chepi (Bridget) even my father even Nuttah (Manus) why its called Baa Munka; and do you think theyll know? I know they dont know. So the question I put to you, Lieutenant is this; what do we do with a name like that? Do we scrap Baa Munka altogether and call it- what? The Cross? Crossroads? Or do we keep piety with a man long dead, long forgotten, his name eroded beyond recognition, whose trivial little story nobody in the village remembers? (Friel 53) George- Except you. (Friel 53) Maiara- Ive left here. (Friel 52)

I believe the historical accuracy of the expedition of Lewis and Clark truly does parallel the play by Friel in a number of ways. From the Native American perspective, it was apparent that changeregardless of how incremental it waswas about to transpire. Life as they knew it

would never be the same. This included anglicizing name changes, just as in Friel. In the play, Yolland and Lancey enlisted the help of Owen to help translate, essentially helping to communicate between the two disparities. Lewis and Clark enlisted the help of Sacagawea who proved to be indispensible during the expedition in regards to negotiating with the tribes, conferring between the natives and the white men, etc She created an overall sense of peace between the white surveyors and the people native to the land. Nevertheless, the overarching theme is that in both situations change was on the horizon with little the natives could do to stop it from occurring.

Works Cited
Briney, Amanda. "Lewis and Clark." n.d. 7 September 2013. Friel, Brian. Translations. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1981. PBS. "Sacagawea." 2001. New Perspectives of The West. http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/sacagawea.htm. 7 September 2013. "Vocabulary Words in Native American Languages: Shoshone ." 1998-2011. Native-Languages.org. 7 September 2013.