His name is scattered across the American and Canadian west, from Missouri to Idaho to a mountain range northwest of Jasper, Alberta.

He was one of the first Europeans to set foot in the East Kootenay and one of the most tireless explorers in North American history.

Pierre-Jean De Smet arrived in the Kootenay and Columbia valleys 33 years after David Thompson had ‘put the place on the map.’

It was August 1845 and the well-travelled 44-year-old Jesuit missionary was in search of First Nations people to reach out to – and to convert to Catholicism.

Prior to leaving Lake Pend Oreille (near Hope, Idaho), De Smet spent time at the mission at present-day Cataldo, Idaho, resting, praying and visiting with fellow missionaries and members of the Coeur d’Alene tribe camping nearby.

Standing on a knoll overlooking the Coeur d’Alene River Valley, in Mission of the Sacred Heart Old Mission State Park, is the Mission of the Sacred Heart, or Cataldo Mission – the oldest building in Idaho.

The mission/church, a parish house and several graveyards, along with mission accoutrements and a visitor centre are available to wander through today and they provide a distinct glimpse into the not-so-distant past of Northern Idaho, as well as a similar look to how life was in the nearby Kootenays.

Life in the region in the mid 19^thCentury, for the few Europeans who were here, meant endless back-breaking labour as they were either mining, looking for ore, exploring for other treasures or trying to beat back the wilderness in attempts to farm. For De Smet, he was in search of lost and needy souls.

In August 1845 De Smet followed the Kootenay River to Canal Flat and into the Columbia Valley. Since Thompson’s departure, European/eastern visitation had subsided, save for the odd straggling gold-fever suffering wretch or those in search of a life far away from the madding crowd, or fame as expedition leaders.

After spending some time in the Columbia Valley, De Smet followed the ancient First Nation trail up into present day Kootenay National Park, likely stopping for a charging dip in Radium Hot Springs, and then crossed Sinclair Pass, moved down back into the Kootenay Valley, traversed the river and then marched east over the Rockies via White Man’s Pass, emerging into the Bow Valley near Canmore.

Along with contact made with the Ktunaxa people in the Columbia Valley, De Smet impressed upon the Blackfeet, Chippewa and Cree people the importance of his God. He moved north to Rocky Mountain House, toured around the Jasper area, and then later headed to Fort Edmonton where he over-wintered.

The arduous trek had taken its toll on De Smet, who suffered through the winter. In the spring, he made his way back to Jasper House and then down to the Columbia River, which he followed to Fort Vancouver (near Portland, Ore.), ending his journey.

De Smet stopped again at Cataldo on his way back east, recuperating fully at St. Mary’s (Sainte-Marie) mission, which he established in 1841, at Stevensville, Montana. His converting days were over by that point.

The Jesuit Missionary, who it was said baptized skeptical First Nations’ peoples’ babies in the middle of the night when no one was paying attention, made his way back to St. Louis, Miss. by 1850, where his western travails were launched more than a decade earlier.

Because of his extensive experience with First Nations people, the Belgium-born De Smet was prompted by the US Government in 1868 to convince Sioux Chief Sitting Bull to negotiate with them, leading to the Treaty of Fort Laramie. Nicknamed ‘Friend of Sitting Bull,’ De Smet’s influence had waned by 1875 as Sitting Bull led the charge against the reckless and foolhardy Gen. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn – a defining moment in US history. De Smet would not live to learn of this as he died in 1873.

In total, it is believed De Smet tramped, paddled and rode 180,000 miles, pushing the mission of the Black Robed (cassock) Jesuits. Say what you will about attempts to force a religion on another people, but try and comprehend what it would be like to walk and ride 180,000 miles (288,000 km).

A drive through the US Midwest and northwest, from the Mississippi River west, will inevitably take you past an historical marker heralding De Smet’s presence, or past an actual location bearing his name, such as: De Smet, Idaho (south of Coeur d’Alene); De Smet, Montana (near Missoula); Lake De Smet near Sheridan, Wyo.; De Smet, South Dakota (childhood home of Laura Ingalls Wilder); and in Canada, there is the De Smet Range near Jasper, with 8,333 foot Roche de Smet included in it.

The famed St. Joseph’s Mission in Council Bluffs, Iowa was also founded by De Smet in 1838, during his initial foray west of the Mississippi.

A glimpse back into the mid 19^thCentury is available at Cataldo, with its ‘Greek

Revival’ style church. Cataldo is 38 km (24 miles) east of Coeur d’Alene off Interstate 90. The National Historic Landmark, so designated in 1961, sits in a lovely 23-acre park.

To access this site from the East Kootenay, enter the US at Kingsgate Border Crossing and head south on Highway 95 to Coeur d’Alene and then head east on Interstate 90. It is about a 3.5 hour drive from Cranbrook.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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