The Incredible Journey of Moncacht Apé Across North America

[@maiqtheliar789]

As others have pointed out the bearded men might have been early Russian explorers. The Russian exploration of the Western part of the Americas is often overlooked but no less impressive than the exploration of the other European powers. Especially impressive when you factor in the rapid Russian exploration and colonization of Siberia that preceded it and was still ongoing when it was happening. Took Russia around a century to reach the Pacific and they kept going. For a long time they were convinced that the Americas were connected to Asia through Siberia and sent out expeditions to find out if it was true or not. Wouldn't be surprised if lesser known expeditions were sent out in the name of trading or slave raids. Russian settlements eventually dotted much of the west coast from Alaska to Ft Ross California which was the southern most settlement. The western US and Canada had quite a few overlapping claims including Russian ones.

[@McLovinTRoyce]

M'aiq knows many things, no?

[@josh0g]

Russian explorers seems the most likely, but the lack of dates and vague account leave the question mark surrounding it I guess.

[@maiqtheliar789]

Now that I thought about it. It is kind of poetic that the Russian explorers started exploring and expanding in the New world along the same or very similar routes that Native Americans are thought to have entered the New world. Though not going to lie I favor the idea of a couple of different waves for the theory of how the New world was peopled. Though with how fast Russian explorers set up settlements does lend some credence to prehistoric native Americans expanding faster than some people give them credit for. Pre-agricultural people tended to move around a whole lot more than people nowadays do. Would populate an area and if it couldn't support that level of population anymore a portion of the tribe could break off and move to another area, and form a new but closely related tribe. That just repeats across the generations. We have evidence of this happening many times in the old world both in Siberia, on the Eurasian steppes, and Northern Europe so wouldn't surprise me something similar happened in the new world. Hell is pretty similar to how many of the Greek settlements outside of Greece were founded. City-state gets overpopulated for the land they control so they send excess population to settle in a new land away from the old one and they found a new city, but the new and old city maintain ties and possibly even alliances even though both now are considered different city-states.

[@conlethberry1236]

100% agree. Russian fishermen were fishing the northwest pacific in the early to mid 1600s (and possibly earlier), just like the Basques and Portugese were fishing the northeast atlantic in the late 1500s / early 1600s. So it actually makes perfect sense that they could have seen bearded men--whose arrival in the coastal areas would have been predictable because it would hve coincided wiith migrating fish species which would have been an annual occurence.

[@jillatherton4660]

My first thought.

[@shenshenani5913]

What I find especially incredible is that this is simply the remnants of some of the last of these great travelers. I find it incredibly hard to believe that of the thousands of years on the Americas, there haven’t been several well-travelled people, they just haven’t been recorded in the annals of history.

[@AncientAmericas]

Agreed!

[@EresirThe1st]

As every history fan will tell you, there’s never enough sources

[@nataliajimenez1870]

They had to be people with great skill to learn many different languages and great diplomatic skill to charm the leaders of different tribes so that they would not be kept as slaves. Gaining enough trust with the leadership of each tribe so they would be willing to introduce them to the leaders of the neighboring tribes

[@ianbruce6515]

Very long trips by Native Americans were common and documented--so even longer trips must have happened occasionally.

[@stagalgiz1097]

If you listen to the oral traditions of the Native People's, in my case, Lakota (my father in law is Lakota, Arapahoe and the Navajo people's you can find a great many stories of even pre-Columbus travels. For instance the Navajo traditions on the Anasazi and on either Aztec incursions into the Southwest brought about by Anasazi trade routes to Aztec, Toltec, Olmec and Mayan lands. These oral traditions tell plenty of stories of things like that.

[@parkerhenderson2799]

Moncacht Apé's language skills are inspiring. Interesting that the goal of his journey was to find the origin of his culture and language only to not learn that but learn the languages of so many others... Shoot for the moon and land among the stars Some quick searching on the Yazoo's language, it is part of the Tunica language group, and the Tunica language is itself an isolate - no known related language groups exist. The last native Tunica speaker died in 1948, though language revival is currently underway.

[@grovermartin6874]

Parker Henderson, your observation about the extraordinary language skills make me think of the young woman who traveled with her infant to guide Lewis' and Clark's expedition. Sacagawea's multilingual gifts, plus being related [as in, "who do you know?"] sounds like she saved all their hides. The mere fact of their traveling with a young mother disarmed the tribes who otherwise have taken the group for a war party. It would be a gift for you to do a similar workup on her.

[@bruanlokisson8615]

@@grovermartin6874 There is a feature length movie in production about Sacagawea.

[@grovermartin6874]

@@bruanlokisson8615 That is exciting to hear!

[@k8eekatt]

Absolutely fascinating; thanks for sharing!

[@suetsuda9923]

Was this a route followed by Lewis and Clark?

[@earthknight60]

The tree may be Western Alder (Alnus rubra). This is a common tree that was used to make dyes ranging from brown and red to orange and yellow. The flowers can have a pungent alcohol smell, which may be what the comment about the odor refers to. They're abundant in the Pacific Northwest, especially near freshwater sources, so that would also fit with the river bank description, as well as that cutting down a patch didn't have any effect on the harvesting of them. Western White Fir (Abies concolor) has a strong smell (hence the name 'piss fir') and the park was sometimes used to tan deer hides a tan color... easy to see how tan and yellow would be swapped in translations and retellings. This also a common tree in the area.

[@jimmythe-gent]

The hair in the middle of the head, and the large heads and shorter stature, with beards.. Does kind of sound like Japanese samurai’s. That would be fascinating to find out

[@spocksdaughter9641]

😮😮😮😮😮

[@spocksdaughter9641]

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[@arcadiaberger9204]

@@jimmythe-gent They sound even more like the Ainu, but I'm not going to mess with that idea. My money is on them being the last remnants of the people who lived in the Americas before the new people immigrated across Beringia and became the people we think of as Native Americans. These ancient people are represented by, for instance, the Kennewick Man. I've heard it speculated (for whatever reason, IDK the details) that those people were fair-skinned and bearded. Vancouver Island is just the sort of place where you'd expect to find the last of those people.

[@bc4198]

Good ideas. I wondered about yellow cedar. The weird part is why to travel to some particular place, as if there weren't plenty of alder and cedar along the way from wherever (including . It could be a forgotten use of some other tree, or potentially even a now-extinct and unknown tree - especially if it was rare enough to travel to, before commercial logging began.

[@erikajune7494]

This is incredible. I can't believe that I haven't heard about this until now. Especially with the bit about how Jefferson gave Moncacht Ape's account to Lewis and Clark, that's such an interesting detail that ties their expedition to the history of both indigenous travel around the continent and previous European efforts to gather information about it. I wish we would get this added context in school when we learn about the colonization, it gives a lot of flavor to the history and shows why they were confident enough to send expeditions out in the first place, they weren't "discovering" the "virgin land," they were following in the footsteps of millennia of people before them. Thank you so much for making this video, I love it.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@phaedrussmith1949]

Lewis and Clark's exploration story is a sham. They were told at the meeting at the Council Bluffs where the Missouri River began by people who had been living in this continent for at least 40 thousand years and knew the river's course intimately. Lewis and Clark were not explorers, they were a reconnaissance team gathering intelligence for the ongoing genocidal war and invasion of the continent.

[@erikajune7494]

@@phaedrussmith1949 I think you're right about the overall aims of their expedition but I do think it's a little unfair to call it a sham. After all, they did travel all that way, and it was a big deal, and you can't discount people like Sacagewea and other indigenous guides who were instrumental in the success of their mission. Like everything it's a bit of a mixed bag, definitely not as glorious as the American mytho-historical interpretation that gets taught in schools would make it out to be, but still, it was a significant undertaking

[@phaedrussmith1949]

@@erikajune7494 Yes, Sacajawea, the teenager being sex-trafficked by people propagating the largest, most brutal holocaust in known history and used as a human shield as they further invaded the continent under the guise of exploration. She was indeed an amazing young woman, but not for the contrived, quaint, white-washed story contained in high school textbooks and thus perpetuated into the American superior-race mythology.

[@atlasaltera]

Great reflection. Exploration expeditions are often built from Indigenous knowledges and previous travellers' accounts. It makes sense when you think about it, but this detail is often omitted, giving more to the "discovery" narrative.

[@Natalin0]

The trees that the mysterious whites were seeking could be a species of fir tree. In the PNW, white fir trees are referred to as “piss firs” from their stinky odor. And yes the wood has a yellow tinge to it.

[@AncientAmericas]

Very interesting!

[@martinmiller1087]

@Natalino ... While working for Alaska State Forestry, I was dispatched through the Boise Interagency Fire Center (BIFC, now NIFC) to manage rotor wing ops in Northern California, Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming. ... I've heard USFS personnel referred to as "piss firs."

[@ISawABear]

As a fun side note, in my Ecological studies we had to do a tree core on a white fir. Our buddy eric made the core in, and when he removed the rod from the tree and bunch of sap splashed onto him. Obvious jokes were made.

[@Kelnx]

So, I did a little looking around the internet on this subject, and this might actually be "wetwood", and not necessarily any specific species of tree (although white firs are common in the Pacific NW and also commonly develop wetwood). Wetwood is apparently when part of a tree dies internally and decays, building up fluid that ferments. It can also host bacteria as well (there's a debate about which comes first...bacteria or dead tree cells). All of this can contribute to a pressurized liquid that smells bad and can stain things yellow when cut into and released. Not every white fir will have this condition (probably just older trees) and not every tree that develops this is a white fir. I'm no expert on any of this, it's just information I got from some logging boards and a couple pdfs I found from some universities. So it sounds like these "bearded men" were looking for specific trees that had developed wetwood (external damage, dead grass around the tree, and "bleaching" on the bark are signs of it) to use the "sap" for dyeing. And I'm guessing these natives knew about which trees to cut down by looking for signs of wetwood.

[@Aquarius77777]

Gold

[@ahumpierrogue137]

This journey is incredible. I will also second that I immediately thought of the Russians when the Bearded Men were mentioned. The Russian Far East would have been settled half a century before this time period, so I could definitely see the bearded men as early russian explorers or some such.

[@micahbonewell5994]

I second that, when I first heard the descriptions of the bearded men, my initial thought was Russians.

[@robertfaucher3750]

I wonder if they were Russians, could the tree they were harvesting be Sandalwood?

[@bijtmntongaf]

@@robertfaucher3750 is there sandalwood in the west coast? always thought of it as a moluccan/papuan thing

[@robertfaucher3750]

@@bijtmntongaf Sandalwood grows as far east as Hawaii. Russians actually built a fort in Hawaii to try to get access to it. I was implying that the wood was planted there unnaturally as a resource, like how Europeans would just introduce pigs to an island as a food source for sailors

[@kamm6001]

same

[@273-e1k]

The Bearded men are in all likelihood Russian sailors from the far east. Very likely Kamchadals who, while speaking russian and using firearms, were heavily mixed with the native Itelmen and Koryak. Their clothing style is perfectly in with this as even the average western russians of the time had very different clothing styles from western europeans, much less the mixed-race inhabitants of Kamchatkha.

[@273-e1k]

upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%87%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BB.jpg I will also point out that this is an image of an Itelmen from 1862 in a 1-piece outfit. So suits of the kind described are entirely plausible for Kamchadal sailors to wear.

[@animesucks9863]

They could also be mixed people of Alaska, since those were more common back then

[@johnyarbrough502]

I was thinking along similar but less detailed lines that the "Russians" might have been from eastern Siberia peoples and employed by trading companies. Somewhat roughly analogous to metis in French Canadian fur trade.

[@273-e1k]

@@animesucks9863 Less likely if the account is dated to ~1700 or earlier, as largescale colonization of Alaska didn't begin in earnest until 1734. The fact that they had firearms, most likely matchlocks by the description, also points away from this.

[@273-e1k]

@@johnyarbrough502 Very possible, the locals probably had more geographic knowledge than the europeans gave them credit for, even if they never had a concept of "continents" and probably did not realize or care whether the land east of the aleuts constituted a "new world".

[@youngking2503]

The Choctaw and French tried at least 3 separate times to invade and defeat the Chickasaw (who had taken in Natchez and Yazoo refugees) and failed each time even with superior numbers (the Choctaw had at least 2x the Chickasaw population) they lost not only because of the military prowess of the Chickasaw but also because of their firepower. They were possibly the most well armed Native nation in North America with a British trader saying that each warrior has 3-4 muskets each

[@billwilson3609]

The Chickasaw probably acquired the muskets from the tribes that were ran out from their territories by the Iroquois during the Beaver Wars. They were provided with muskets by the French and English to kill large game for their hides and furs along with any Iroquois that tried to stop them. Then the Dutch armed the Iroquois who then proceeded to depopulate a massive area so the wild game populations could recover. Those tribal survivors were now cut off from their supply of bullets and powder so probably swapped those with the Chickasaw for some corn and meat.

[@ecta9604]

In terms of bearded folks…I believe that George Vancouver wrote about a tribe with beards and unusually pale skin living in the interior of Vancouver Island. I believe that his reasoning was that it was the result of some sort of admixture between Russian explorers and indigenous peoples. It was mentioned in a book called The Curve of Time, I’ll see if I can find the quote and add it to this comment if I can

[@AncientAmericas]

Interesting! Let me know if you find it.

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

@@AncientAmericas in John Smith's diary (captured by coastal natives in 1802) the groups on Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula in Wa. State were NOT related nor did they have a connection to the interior Vancouver Island tribe. In fact, Smith noted the taking of slaves, murder, and attacks against those tribes which were probably killed off in the 1800's by those same "seven nations".

[@TheSalMaris]

Pure conjecture. Russians weren't in country until after Moncacht Apé's journey.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

@@AncientAmericas Those fair-skinned and bearded people in the interior of Haida Gwaii (Vancouver Island) might also have been among the last remnants of the humans who lived in the Americas before the immigration across Beringia and became the people we think of as Native Americans. The people of, for instance, the Kennewick Man. I've heard it speculated (for whatever reason, IDK the details) that those people were fair-skinned and bearded. Vancouver Island is just the sort of place where you'd expect to find the last of those people.

[@Rum-Runner]

By chance were you ever able to find that quote?

[@pipe2devnull]

I saw an old film about a indigenous man building a canoe near Ottawa Canada in the 1960s. The documentary was mainly about the canoe but at the end the man and his family used it to paddle down to Mexico to meet with indigenous people there. No big deal (!)

[@pozzowon]

"...a canoe taking a peace pipe to the Illinois tribe..." This speaks volumes of the development of native american tribes!! You don't get to make diplomatic relations with peoples hundreds of kilometres far from your nation without reaching some very very complex society and economic development

[@pozzowon]

It's also extraordinary to look at this single story, in the context of all the meetings with long distance traders, and think of all that we could know if only writing had been discovered in this land before Columbus

[@gnostic268]

They regularly traveled up and down the Mississippi River. That's why the Mississippian culture established so many towns along the River from modern day Louisiana to Wisconsin.

[@SamuelHallEngland]

Complex societal gift exchanges yes, perhaps some useful trade, but I'm not sure about the economic development part

[@grovermartin6874]

@@pozzowon Yes, writing suits our monkey minds. Interesting how doubtful we are of oral history until the proof is a kind that fits into our little mental boxes.

[@ericr.palmer8200]

The peace pipe (or Calumet) was such a universally powerful symbol that LaSalle noted how one could be pulled out in the middle of a battle and all participants would immediately stop fighting.

[@WanderingCoyoteXVII]

"What do you mean it's cold, it's not even freezing yet!" Being originally from Texas and having moved to Vermont at 15, I've now been on both sides of that exchange. Some things never change.

[@AncientAmericas]

It always amuses me. I lived in Texas for a year and a half and I have fond memories of watching my Texas friends bundle up in 50 degree weather while I'd be wearing a hoodie.

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

@@AncientAmericas Or my grandfathers memoirs (written in French). What do you mean it's cold? It's not FORTY BELOW YET.

[@elfarlaur]

The Anishinabeg used to refer to Michilimackinac at the intersection of lakes Michigan, Superior, and Huron as the center of the world because from there you could travel by canoe north to the Hudson bay, East to the Atlantic, South to the Gulf of Mexico, and West to the Rockies and ultimately to the Pacific. The rivers of North America were so very important to indigenous cultures.

[@brianmccarthy5557]

They're important in the settlement of America, its commericial expansion and they're important now. Nothing has changed.

[@tomsitzman3952]

The directions of the North American rivers allowing travel in all directions which made possible two centuries later a steam powered paddle boat could travel from Pittsburg to Great Falls on the upper Missouri or to Nue Orleans, Unlike Russia with no east west rivers. Where the rivers run to the Artic with the only major river, the Volga running south allowing the Vikings a way to trade in the Mediterranean. This river system also allowed cultural exchange from coast to coast in North America to share ideas, and trade.

[@mpetersen6]

As Dennis Stanford once said. I paraphrase. Rivers and bodies of water are not barriers. They are highways and means of communications (1). And it is my personal opinion that by the time an Ice Free Corridor could have opened up between the Cordillian and Laurentide Ice Sheets capable of supporting prey animals into the more southerly regions of North America. Anyone who traveled down that corridor would eventually wind up meeting distant relatives whose ancestors had travelled down the coast and up rivers by boat. 1) I heard the statement regarding him giving a talk on the Solutrean Hypothesis. Whether that whole idea holds water or not is a whole different matter.

[@AncientPottery]

Great story. I am reminded of Stephen Lekson’s rules for interpreting ancient North America which include “everyone knew everything”, people knew more about the wider world than they are given credit for, and “distances can be dealt with”, people were able and willing to travel farther than we assume. Check out his book “A History of the Ancient Southwest”

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks! I'll give it a look!

[@mitchyoung93]

Everyone had a vague inkling of something is more like it. And note this account is of a traveler 200 years after 'contact' and being interpreted by Frenchmen.

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

The mystery of the bearded men reminds me of an issue I never see historians recognize. There were a lot of men in ships running up and down both coasts of the Americas looking for trade opportunity. I suspect the pirates and unrecorded commercial ventures outnumber the recorded expeditions.

[@mtn1793]

I think some of the coastal tribes had beards but that doesn’t explain white skin.

[@bruanlokisson8615]

@@mtn1793 Beards, pale skin, head wraps.along with the Firearms, of which Monchat had a poor opinion of, I may hazard a guess, Ainu' from the northern islands of Japan.

[@mtn1793]

@@bruanlokisson8615 Ancestor plying the seas as they’d always done. Didn’t need some fabled pass between the glaciers. Sea otter pelts were a valuable commodity from way back.

[@jimmythe-gent]

@@bruanlokisson8615Yes! That’s what I thought- and in samurai fashion, the one strip of hair in the center of the head

[@LucasHartley1]

Awesome video! I had never heard of this man. It's really cool to think about Native explorers. It's hard to find quality like this on KZbin. Your coverage of the historiography is what's missing from most sensationalized history videos and documentaries. Great job!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@JonEliasV]

Regarding the identity of the bearded white men, isn't it very likley that these were Russians from either Colonial Alaska or the progenitors who's explorations would warrant the colonial Charter a few years later, likley sailing from Yakutia or Transamur? The description of taking of children also sounds like a practicice used by Orthodox settlers and monks when meeting with Siberian populations, to save their souls by raising them christian. Even the colourful fabric sounds to me like the cheap, robust clothes of a siberian settler.

[@SemiLobster]

I agree, the description of hair also sounds similar to a Slavic Oseledets/Khokhol style haircut.

[@JonEliasV]

@@SemiLobster I hadn't thought of that, that's very true. With the large number of Cossacks and other Ukrainian people who headed east, this makes a lot of sense.

[@AncientAmericas]

Hmmm. That's a really interesting idea. I didn't think of Russian explorers but I can see why it's an appealing notion.

[@bondapovon]

This is what I thought too. Though its also possible as another commentator said thats its a creole population. In this case possibly Russian and Aleutian.

[@kenyonmoon3272]

Russia was quite active in the region, though I don't know when they would have first arrived. They were routinely visiting Monterrey Bay, and the US didn't buy Alaska from Russia because of a random accident. Would have to look up when they started, though, and even if there is overlap that in itself is not proof.

[@wombatreccy]

I remember my uncle telling me this story 25 years ago when I was a kid. Great Job and love the work. People are more resilient than we give them credit.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@ronmaximilian6953]

If I had to guess, the animal with a head like cattle, which fed on vegetation near the shore was a Stellar's Sea Cow. Sadly, the species went extinct in the 19th century

[@AncientAmericas]

I never even thought of that.

[@GringoLoco]

@@AncientAmericas reminds me of the legend associated with Inca ruler Tupac Yupanqui, that he supposedly voyaged to Asia from ancient Peru at the head of a flotilla of small rafts and returned with trophies such as a "throne of gold" , and hides and jawbones of horses. Horses were unknown in Peru at the time, as it was around 60 years before the Spanish Conquest. One chronicle says these trophies were put on display at the fortress of Sacsayhuaman in Cusco, later destroyed by the Spanish. Some scholars theorize Yupanqui only voyaged as far as Polynesia (still an epic voyage!) and the jawbones and hides were from a freshwater manatee or maybe even a sirenian sea cow, as both a grazing animals and their lower jawbones do look very similar to that of a horse. If it was a sea cow or dugong, it means the Inca navigators sailed as far west as New Caledonia or even Japan. There are many other clues that such a voyage did take place around the year 1465, the late Peruvian historian Antonio del Busto published an extensive study on this topic, and although many historians discount the legend as apocryphal, recent DNA studies have added a small amount of evidence that there was indeed some contact between the Incas and the Polynesians prior to European contact.

[@amazinggrace5692]

Would that be a manatee?

[@ronmaximilian6953]

@@amazinggrace5692 not exactly. All members of the order Sirenia are colloquially called sea cows. However, the Stellars Sea cow and Manitee belong to different families or sirenians. I don't know about genetically, but taxonomically, they are as far away from each other as humans and lemurs are.

[@amazinggrace5692]

@@ronmaximilian6953 Thank you so much for this information! It was nice of you to take time to answer me. Be well. 💕🐝💕

[@billwilson3609]

We discussed this guy in my HS US History class in 1972. Our teacher felt it was highly likely that there were more like him that were simply curious to see the far flung regions after hearing stories told by the traders that traveled on the rivers.

[@AncientAmericas]

That's really cool! I wish I had learned about this in history class growing up.

[@Nowhere-from]

About time! After half a millenia someone finally talks about the travels and exploration of a native American! He also discovered new lands!

[@shiverarts8284]

He barley scratched the surface. He still doesn't know much about even this travel. Trust me I can see it

[@KAZVorpal]

One thing that's important to understand is that there have probably been thousands of widely-traveled explorers throughout history, but 99.9% of them did not have stories that were written down in a form that survived to the present. Ancient Romans visited the Chinese emperor, but we don't know who they were or their story, because we don't have any writing about it, other than a note in the Chinese court minutes. The Chinese (area) and Africans traded off and on for thousands of years. But we have no stories. Same for the Polynesians, who probably reached South America with such regularity that they spread the Sweet Potato and bottle gourd to (or from) Polynesia. But not one jot or tiddle of story survives about it. Probably, plenty of people from the tribal Americas explored widely, but they didn't have any written language to document it for us. Even literate mesoamerica lost of most of their books when the Spanish showed up and assumed they should be burned as Satanic. All over the world, people have explored widely perhaps for hundreds of thousands of years, and most of it was lost.

[@shiverarts8284]

@@KAZVorpal according to the Spanish I'm satanic

[@KAZVorpal]

@@shiverarts8284 Yes, the Spanish explorers of that time were mostly superstitious nitwits.

[@conwaytwittyer2667]

​@@KAZVorpal hey ya never know what was lost during the burning of The Library of Alexandria, and the sacking of Timbuktu, could've been some amazing accounts of exploration that were just written off for being too fantastical, the world will never know.

[@ericcloud1023]

Your content has absolutely opened my eyes to the interesting and amazing stories and history of the North American continent, as a Californian I always lamented not being able to study ancient ruins and such, but this man was an absolute legend and definitely in the running for greatest adventurers of all time

[@erinmac4750]

California may not have ancient ruins per se, but I found out that there is an ancient cooking in a park near Mt Diablo (East Bay/Delta area). Also, near Montgomery, in the coast, layers containing shell mounds have been dated to around 9000 bc. There's much more, but these are two lesser known sites.

[@juanmaravilla8133]

The bearded men could have been Spanish sailors from the Manila Galeon. There was a wreck off the Oregon coast in 1693 and an account of a clash with the natives also on the Oregon coast in 1708 - 09. Later voyages rarely went that far north unless thrown off course by storms. The Manila Galeons continued until 1812. This account of travel is incredible and a heck of a story.

[@riverAmazonNZ]

What a wonderful story. I liked how the different peoples were ok with random strangers turning up who couldn’t speak their language. They clearly were accepting of the idea of travelling long distances, by walking, and by river. I liked Apé’s opinions of the people too: ‘these people were so nice; these people were rude.’ I wonder if the bearded men were russians? There’d probably be no records of anyone’s activities at the time, it was a bit of a free-for-all I guess.

[@MrChristianDT]

Generally, that's how it was supposed to be, so long as they didn't come from a people you considered yourselves to be at war with. Often, you get the idea that, if they liked a traveller, they would constantly try to talk them out of wandering any farther by any means they could think of that wasn't malicious.

[@tomsitzman3952]

I remember reading of young worriers going on their walk about traveling great distances carrying a piece pipe to visit other Nations.

[@Voron_Aggrav]

I also wondered if the Bearded Men would've been Russians as they did have colonial efforts on pretty much the entire North American Pacific coast although only Alaska stuck around until the sale

[@JackHaveman52]

I would think that this would be normal with people all around the world. As long as it was only a couple of strangers and not a lot of them. A lot of them would make them suspicious of migrants, looking for new land, plunder or slaves for workers or women, as crude as that sounds. A small group wouldn't be a threat. Different peoples would have different beliefs and that would impact on how they perceived others. Their history with outsiders might cause suspicions or an automatic dislike of strangers. I think, of course with no real evidence, that being friendly would be the default and suspicion or a rude disposition could be the result of bad experiences. People will be people.

[@DJPeachCobbler]

Incredible video! I appreciated the mention of Cabeza de Vaca, as I'm currently making a video on his account. I'm glad to see we've got a perspective on exploration from a native, flawed it may be.

[@AncientAmericas]

Well, I just subscribed to you because I really want to see this video! I've always wanted to cover Cabeza de Vaca's journey because it's such an incredible story. Thanks and good luck!

[@chriswest4875]

I am truly thankful for your dedication to the History/cultures of our Native Peoples. It is a subject severely overlooked and you present it in such an approachable and enticing way that makes me excited to learn more. Keep up the great work!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@josephphoenix1376]

Excellent Episode...2 pts...The route struck me as LEWIS& CLARK.S route before it was mentioned!🤔 Also the White Bearded Men? RUSSIANS?? That is who I immediately thought on....The Russian Empire was active on the West Coast at that time. They had a fort in what was later the Bay Area( Oakland/ San Francisco) Altogether an excellent native/1st nation narrative.

[@AncientAmericas]

Good observation! And also a very good suggestion on the Russians!

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

And the Spanish mined silver up into Harrison Lake in British Columbia. You could sail through the "Pitt Poulder" now Pitt Meadows right into the lake. Dutch and early drainage now prevents that, as well as flood control in BC, but back then galleons showed the way!

[@utej.k.bemsel4777]

I've read in several books, that some indigenous persons journeyed coast to coast as well as up into the arctic and as far down to Mexico city! What a awesome story they could tell to their people!

[@grovermartin6874]

I just listened to/watched your extraordinary video again. Delicious! I want to remember every bit of this meaty and satisfying work. Absorbing, enlightening, and thought provoking. Thank you!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@nataliecandela6912]

Listened to this one twice (glancing at the screen as I went about my day). It feels good to learn about native ways. Love all your videos!

[@chris999999999999]

To jump in on the hypothesizing, the bearded men may not have been there for the dye. If it was an evergreen tree, they could have been after it for the straight wood and the resin in the heartwood. The wood would be useful for ship parts and the resin would be turned into turpentine or tar which also have nautical uses.

[@AncientAmericas]

A very fair point.

[@nataliajimenez1870]

Or it was a rare and expensive wood. My family is from Chiapas, MX, and the Spanish particularly targeted the harvest of rare wood in the 1500-1700s in that area. The Russians could have done the same in the Pacific Northwest. They didn't have to travel far to get regular wood (Siberia and Alaska had a lot), but the trips may have been worth it for very expensive and rare ones

[@chris999999999999]

@@nataliajimenez1870 But there's no evidence that I know of of Russians selling rare and expensive wood from North America to anyone in Asia or Europe. My thinking it was for nautical purposes is that the Colombia River and Puget Sound are right where the North Pacific current hits North America. That makes it a natural stopping point to get spare parts and such. It's also a seasonal trip to avoid bad weather which would explain how their arrival could be estimated. Like I said at the beginning though, it's purely a hypothesis given the lack of hard evidence.

[@cryptozoologist]

yes, from the account in the video it seems to me the bearded men were making turpentine. yellow, smelly, made from trees in the pacific northwest.

[@danielt.3152]

That sounds likely as turpentine was in demand, even the British depended on the American east coast for it.

[@SouthPoleAntarctica]

the part of the story where Moncacht Apé is dissuaded from traveling into the uninhabited and barren land reminds me of the exhibition reimagining the ice age tundra of central Europe and the men from the local mamooth hunters searching for the flint stone there.. mindblowing

[@chrissonnenschein6634]

At least for several coastal tribes they had made a type of semi-bulletproof mail by using the chinese trade coins sewn on to a backing. Also, the natives of Japan (Ainu) and far eastern Russia (Nivkh or golgoi) fit a loose description of the bearded men. And they had boats and had traded with Chinese as middle men for other ethnic groups closed to China. These groups also made clothes from “fish skin”.

[@tomsitzman3952]

The Pacific clockwise ocean current will take a drifting ship two or three years to complete the Journey to the Washington State and back to Japan'. Japan is very much a possibility wearing a fabric that our traveler had never encountered.

[@FlaviusTheGrumpyCat]

I love all the elderly men who mentored Moncacht Ape and the friendships he forged. He must have been a wonderful student to teach, even beyond his linguistic skills. 😊

[@Dogman1993]

Kudos for using period accurate French. People in Quebec are the only people who sound like the original French explorers but even then it diverged a bit.

[@AncientAmericas]

It's more a happy accident than anything else. The French voice actor I employ is from Quebec. I didn't know that the accent is closer to colonial French but that's really cool to know.

[@MARGATEorcMAULER]

Add another to the "Russian list".Great insight into the indigenous way of life at the time. Always enjoy your presentation 😊. Especially loved the twist of Jefferson's gift! "OK men,I want you to go and explore the uncharted wilderness. Oh here, you better take this chart"

[@Dragons_Armory]

Holy crap, thank you for covering this! If its not for you I'd probably never stumble upon Moncacht Apé's explots. Thank you so much and this is now definitely one of my favorite YT channels!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@346UNCLEBOB]

This is the most interesting video I've seen on You Tube in a long time. VERY well done!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@dylangtech]

Exploring like this had to have been fascinating. While in our time, there are no mysterious empires or geographical wonders to discover through travel, it's amazing to see journies not unlike Lewis and Clark's expeditions be done so much earlier with only one man with local support. I should read more accounts like this

[@AncientAmericas]

If you haven't already, check out the account of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. He traveled through the American interior with native guides and his account is really amazing. His book has been translated into English.

[@GringoLoco]

@@AncientAmericas or Aleixo Garcia, a Portuguese shipwrecked sailor who led an army of 20,000 Guarani warriors against the Incas from the east, some 8 years before Pizarro attacked from the north.

[@AncientAmericas]

@@GringoLoco Excellent suggestion!

[@HamCubes]

I have been to Niagara Falls and it does make a huge impression. But one sight that has unexpectedly remained with me is coming down off the high plains on I-90 in eastern South Dakota into the Missouri River valley. It looked like a patchwork of different shades of lush green velvets, especially after hundreds of miles of parched, sun-bleached grass. It still takes my breath away remembering that vista.

[@EGgaming9608]

This is one of the most interesting topics yet! Again I love your videos! This time of history is so interesting to me! If you ever come across a story like this one, please make a video on it! It was great!

[@AncientAmericas]

I've really wanted do an episode on Pakal the Great. That's another great story but I haven't the foggiest when I'll get to it.

[@EGgaming9608]

@@AncientAmericas hey all your vids are awesome so no rush! I just enjoy the hard work you put into them 🤘

[@grovermartin6874]

Wow! This is so easy to listen to, easy to grasp, exciting to comprehend! You really did your research. Your diction is clear, the illustrations are appropriate and helpful. Excellent presentation, thank you!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@llanitedave]

What a wonderful episode! A tale of high adventure and discovery worthy of a great novel... An epic journey that predates and even surpasses Lewis and Clark, a testament to good will and brotherhood between disparate peoples, and one that until now I had no idea existed. You have outdone yourself this time, good sir!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@mortejchjo5527]

In 12:37 about the sign language, the language is called "Plains Indian Sign Language", or "Plains Sign Language," though I prefer to call it Hand Talk. It was a sign language used widely by many Native peoples of North America. Because there where so many different languages spoken in North America, Hand Talk became a lingua franca, and was not only used to effectively facilitate trade, but was used heavily during story telling as well. My assumption is that using Hand Talk during story telling was a way to practice Hand Talk, in case anyone from another land came into the village wanting to trade. So from the things you've said up until that point in the video, I personally believe it to be Hand Talk. It's a very beautiful language that does has some variation among the tribes who used to use it, but was rather universal and effective in communicating the same information as a spoken language did. Vox has a great introduction to Hand Speak history and the modern state of the language, and there are quite a few videos showing people using this language on youtube as well

[@al3xa723]

This is my favorite video of yours, and given the fact I've liked all the videos you've made that's saying something.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! This was one of my favorites to make too.

[@zenolachance1181]

You do incredible work, these Journeys of individuals are absolutely fascinating to me, and I'm sure to others as well. I want to thank you for this well produced video, not to mention your narration is superb. Thanks again and I look forward to your next video

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@Kuwaitisnot_adeployment]

There's a Commanche named Wanderer you might enjoy looking into. I'm not 100% sure all the stories are non fiction but they're cool anyway. I think he was Quanah Parkers father

[@ericr.palmer8200]

The trees they were cutting were the "Oregon Grape" which comes in a couple of varieties. (Berberis aquifolium, mahonia aquifolium) In an unmolested natural environment they get quite large. The one's in front of the Governor's mansion in Salem, Oregon ("Mahonia Hall") are well over two stories tall. The Oregon Grape is the Oregon State Flower and the berries are edible but pretty darn sour. (you can make booze from them too!) The native tribes boiled the roots and inner yellow bark to dye wool a yellow color. As the range of the plant manifested itself from Western Oregon to BC, so of course it was used by all the tribes in that range.

[@johnyarbrough502]

Like most commenters, I was unaware of this traveler. We know that indigenous people weren't isolated from one another and shared geographical knowledge, but such journeys by a single individual, on any continent, are really remarkable. I'd suggest that Dumont may be closer to the original narrative. LePage had returned to France a number of years before he published (thanks, Wikipedia), As you suggest, he might have been updating the geography. I wonder if French and Metis traders might have had contact with people, or people who knew people, between Three Forks and tributaries of the Columbia and if their knowledge appeared in print in France.

[@AncientAmericas]

I've had similar suspicions. To me, it's suspicious that the only tribes that are named are tribes that the French had knowledge of which makes me suspect that le page editorialized or filled in blanks as he saw fit.

[@Partypoopersgroup]

This is such an amazing story. It feels like a book, really. A story of a man, after suffering tragedy looked to roam. Meeting his new best friend along the way, meeting people, seeing awe inspiring sights, seeing the wonders of the world. Writers spend their lives making these stories and this one man lived it and we're lucky enough to have it written down. Regardless of how much was true, how much was exsagurated and how much was true but inaccurately remembered. This is someone who lived an amazing life.

[@MrChristianDT]

If the Shawnee were already widespread in the Ohio River Valley immediately east of the Chickasaw, then the window would likely be pretty narrow- probably, at least after 1680. And, if you can guess, I am not one who believes that the Shawnee are literally he exact same culture as the Fort Ancients, but could have likely absorbed some of them, as their culture is probably one of the most cosmopolitan Native cultures I've ever seen. They took cues of art, language & religion from virtually everyone in the east & reworked it all into something entirely unique to themselves.

[@MrChristianDT]

EDIT: The Missouria name, Ñiutaci, is pronounced ngyoo-tah-chee.

[@AncientAmericas]

That makes sense. Thanks for the pronunciation tip!

[@ralphdavis6052]

If you consider linguistics, the Shawnee most likely are not Ft Ancient. The Shawnee were Aglonquin speaking. All Aglonquin nations refer to the Lenapi, Delaware, as their grandfather tribe. Groups spread outward from the original group. Given the Lenapi occupied an area that borders the coast the other Aglonquin tribes spread westward.

[@MrChristianDT]

@@ralphdavis6052 There's more evidence than that. The first time I heard his theory, I had a whole conversation about this. The Fort Ancients buried their dead in burial mounds before switching to burying under their villages. Algonquians never did either of those things, but the Monongahela Culture, Saponi & the ancestors of the Ho-Chunk did one or both & began transitioning at around the same time. Fort Ancients lived in a completely different style of house & organized their villages in a ring, with the entrance facing east & the chief's house at the west end. Only Siouan people's did that, too. A French map by Jean Louise-Baptiste-Frankelin seems to have been attempting to show where tribes were before the Beaver Wars & puts a tribe called the Mosopelea in southeast Ohio & even uses the term Casa, just north of them, which may be a form of the Illinois Kansa, implying the next tribe north were Siouan & it's placed roughly where the Monongahela Culture should be. There is a flaw in placing Illinois in Michigan, but not when you research the time early French contact in Illinois & realize that that is also what they called all the Algonquian speaking people in that region collectively, not just the one tribe & there should have been an Algonquian speaking tribe in Michigan called the Mascouten back then. The Saponi in Virginia were once noted by a white settler leaving to cross the Appalachian Mountains every spring & coming back & asked them what they were doing. They said they had relatives who lived by a big river on the other side & they always made a pilgrimage there, each spring, to participate in sacred Buffalo hunts. We also have notes that the Saponi & neighboring Catawba to the south considered the Shawnee their enemies. Lastly, comparing all Siouan languages we have available on record, Saponi & Mosopelea are the only two we have which use the marker words those tribes used. Plus, it also appears that Saponi has a lot of borrow words from a language similar to Mosopelea that couldn't have come from anywhere else & Mosopelea also seems to have words they may have borrowed from the Saponi, as the only other languages I can find them in were Saponi or Ioway. Ioway is descended from Ho-Chunk & Saponi & Ho-Chunk seem to have evolved from a single, common language that is still Siouan, but is completely different from & not mutually intelligible to Mosopelea, Catawba, Biloxi, Lakota or Osage- all of those languages of which are incredibly similar. When the French traveled traveled Ohio River & saw the ruins of the Fort Ancient villages, their Ho-Chunk guide called them the Chonques, which means Dog People. We have evidence of other tribes calling the Mosopelea the Dog People, which appears to be some kind of insult. All the Shawnee connection has is this story (& it's in English. It's possible what he actually said was a word that could have meant both Shawnee & Fort Ancient or the writer was mistaken in assuming the translation.) & one DNA study, when the Shawnee could have some Fort Ancient blood, too.

[@chrisball3778]

Fascinating story. Whether or not Monacht Ape's story was embellished or exaggerated, it shows that the human drive for exploration and adventure has never been confined to any one culture. It left me wondering how many hundreds or thousands of people like him have set off into the unknown over the ages without their tales ever having been recorded... and what wonders they encountered.

[@fredmanicke5078]

The western route taken is almost spot on to the Lewis and Clark’s expedition. I find it funny that French maps of the era 1770-1790 kept moving features around the west with every new edition: Salt lake and Chief Mountain wandered all along the Eastern front of the Rockies. After the Lewis and Clark returned to the East, the newest edition of the French map of North America had names of every creek and river along their route.

[@yoursoulisforever]

In 2005-2005 I had the good fortune to travel the Lewis and Clark trail from the Pacific to St Louis. It took me two years, a wonderful experience. Thank you for the excellent video.

[@bizuko2307]

Ahhh, this is the sort of stuff that always tickles my brain. It always makes me wonder how aware the various indigenous peoples were of each other in the pre-columbian days. I don't know exactly what it is that gets me excited, but there's something so interesting to me about pre-columbian interactions between peoples separated by hundreds if not thousands of miles.

[@genejohnson2738]

Yes, what you said! I’m in the middle of exploring my Cherokee roots. Finding out about the mulungeons, a mixture of white, Spanish, Native American, and free black, starting with 200 Spanish men who went awol from a Spanish exploration in the mid 1500s has been a revelation and explains why some Cherokee could pass for white in a city.

[@gazeboist4535]

Well, there was clearly enough awareness that Moncacht Apé could follow at least some chain of information all the way from Louisiana to Washington and still have a sense that he was going in the right direction as he tried to chase down his ancestors. And given the existence of places like Cahokia, his people and their neighbors clearly had a pretty cosmopolitan history, even if they were more localized in his day. I'm reminded of the way various bits of history from before the bronze age collapse show up in the cultural memory of groups around the eastern Mediterranean, even though Egypt was the only group that managed to maintain continuity through the crisis.

[@tomsitzman3952]

The Navajo speak the same language as the major group in NW Canada, which name eludes me at this moment.

[@citrusblast4372]

@@tomsitzman3952 dene?

[@billwilson3609]

@@citrusblast4372 Yep. The Navajo and Apache spoke Dene which is the dominate language in Western Canada. They migrated south following herds during a drought.

[@ESS284]

Congrats on 100k! One of my favorites so far.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@vanaals]

I learned about Louis and Clark during time spent in Montana's Bitterroot Valley. Reading up on them, and Sacajawea, I knew that they had some information given to them, by Jefferson, to aid in their journey. What was never mentioned, in what I read, was the source of the information Jefferson shared. I'm happy to finally learn who that was. And I wonder that L&C's divide crossing was different than that of Moncacht Apè's. L&C crossed through the Lolo Pass, from the Bitterroot River then on to the Columbia. LIkely that L&C turned north somewhere along the Big Hole River, taking them into the Bitterroot Valley. Possibly on directions given by Sacajawea. But what of the Nez Perce, Shoshone, and Mandan tribes? Did Moncacht encounter these peoples and decide not include them in his story? Or perhaps knew them by different names.

[@AncientAmericas]

Perhaps. The otters could have been one of them or perhaps he met them but just didn't mention it. We just don't know.

[@Bitterrootbackroads]

L&C crossed the Continental Divide at Lemi Pass, further south than the Big Hole and expected to follow the Salmon river to it’s eventual outlet into the Snake then Columbia rivers. When they learned that the Salmon going westward into the mountains was considered the River of No Return they were guided up and over Lost Horse Pass and back down into the Bitterroot valley. They got very near to the Clark Fork River at Missoula before being guided across the Lolo pass to the Clearwater River. They were astounded on their way back to learn of the shortcut from Missoula to Great Falls MT and how it could save them hundreds of miles. Lemhi pass on the MT / ID border is where one ends up by tracing the source of the Missouri, but it’s just a lonely little back road now.

[@vanaals]

@@Bitterrootbackroads They didn't tell me about the Lemhi Pass or Lost Horse Pass. Just that they wandered around, between the Missouri headwaters and Lolo Pass, until they crossed through the pass. That's what they gave as the reason for calling the area we were staying, just south of Sula, the Lost Trail area.

[@ProfRalls]

This is a remarkable story. The connections with L&C expedition are incredible. If Ape did follow the furthest most Western tributary of the Missouri (“most distant spring” in L&C journals) below Lemhi Pass this would have put him in contact with the Agai’dika / Lemhi Shoshone (Sacajawea’s people). Agai’dika (Salmon eater) crossed the divide to hunt bison, but also fished Salmon in the now Salmon River, (the furthest eastern run of Salmon from Columbia river). Shoshone people wear braids of otter skin in their hair and in their regalia. I also have met a Shoshone relative of Ape, so there may be oral histories of this as well. Mississippian peoples would certainly have been familiar with Shoshoean peoples through direct contact, less so the former with NW coast and plateau tribes, though Shoshone peoples did have direct contact with coast as well (from southern CA to BC). Thank you for these informative and thorough videos

[@mattreynolds612]

Thank you very much 👍 These are the types of historical accounts I have been looking for. Thank you for posting this story! ✌️

[@AncientAmericas]

You're welcome!

[@decimusausoniusmagnus5719]

It seems much more logical to me that the "bearded men" were Spaniards, specially since they had big black beards. Spanish dominion even got to the island of Nutka. Although to my knowledge, Spaniards didn't have any practices of child kidnapping. However, these could've been rogue soldiers or something.

[@ravarga4631]

Resear h child kidnapping by spanish in flanders in 16 and 17 cnty. Spanish kidnapped children from pueblo people in 17 cnty.

[@sandraleiva1633]

Of course they didn't. They were Catholic. Also most Spanish where pale with red or blonde hair. You are associating what the US categorizes as Hispanic in the present day and Hollywood stereotypes. What the US calls Hispanic today are indigenous aboriginal native Americans who speak Spanish. People of exclusive European Spanish descent in all of America are as white as any Scandinavian.

[@coryfice1881]

@@sandraleiva1633 Spanish people didn't kidnap children because they were Catholic? Lol the netherlands would laugh at you.

[@sandraleiva1633]

@@coryfice1881 They didn't. The Dutch prospered and became successful because of Spanish rule and Spanish technology and trade with Spanish colonies.

[@coryfice1881]

@@sandraleiva1633 History isn't your strongest suit ain't it kid. You're one of those white legend weirdos.

[@Deeplycloseted435]

Bro, this is an EXCELLENT video. I have never heard of Ape, despite being American. What a story!

[@AncientAmericas]

Neither had I until a few months ago.

[@calebwelch6393]

Fantastic Video! This video is a treat since I'm planning on studying the contact and colonial period of Mississippi/ southeast as a grad student in anthropology/ history. Likewise hope to become a historical archeologist. Regardless, I have another reason to look forward to reading my copy of History of Louisiana. Here's hoping for more great videos like this with the Desoto Expedition, the Chickasaw Wars, or other contact/ colonial period topics.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@anndriggers6660]

I just found your channel and I absolutely loved this! I'm enthralled! I wish my father could have seen this before he died. He would have really enjoyed this.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@pamelaanderson4685]

Both of these books and their authors related a wealth of information on the locales and the peoples they met, interacted and lived with. I would have never known so much information about Bras Pique (Tattooed Arm) my direct ancestor. She was the Female Sun of the Natchez people in the early 1700's. Antoine-Simon La Page du Pratz gives a detailed account of his Atlantic voyage to the Gulf Coast and his life with the Natchez. I first read his book in French, which was a struggle and was fortunate to find the English translation over ten years later. In the accounts of Jean-François-Benjamin Dumont de Montigny, there are two books by him. If one is interested in early history of colonial south, French expansion, historic events and battles, Indigenous Native tribes, then these volumes would shed immense understanding on the mindset of the French Europeans in their new land.

[@AncientAmericas]

Someday I'd love to read the rest of his account about the Natchez.

[@olybears57]

This will be my third listen through. What an incredible journey. Speaks to the power of human curiosity!

[@hallowacko]

There is also the Parting of the Waters in the Teton Wilderness of Wyoming - a place where one creek splits along the continental divide, and one creek heads to the mighty Mississippi, and the other heads to the Pacific.

[@AncientAmericas]

I've actually been there and that came to mind but getting there would be quite a hike in my opinion.

[@hallowacko]

@@AncientAmericas XD

[@spacebunny4335]

Wasn't expecting to get a new video so soon, not complaining though. Great work as always.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@KatheHanna]

The yellow dye wood might be a mahonia species. Oregon Grape is a shrub that has bright yellow roots due to berberine content that you see all over the forests of the Pacific Northwest. It it's a tree in the same way an oak tree is, but I've seen pretty large specimens in the wild

[@NathanaelFosaaen]

This is the first I'm hearing of this. Neat!

[@AncientAmericas]

Exactly what I said back in May.

[@annalisette5897]

I suspect the Rocky Mountain crossing could have been over the Lolo Trail, through Lolo Pass. This crosses the Bitterroot Mountains which are part of the Rocky Mountains. This is the way Lewis and Clark were guided to cross the mountains and the path will eventually get to the Columbia River. I tried to do some fact checking but the basic online sources are inadequate. I was born and raised here in Idaho. My family and I did an extended camping trip while the Lolo Trail highway was being made, or improved, or whatever they were doing in the early 60's. Local lore was, that was the main mountain crossing for Native Americans. Considering a Pacific Northwest "tree" that produced yellow dye, my first thought is Oregon grape, Mahonia aquifolia. This is not a tree but can be a very tall bush. The account mentions that the tree had a smell which makes me wonder about a cedar species. Oregon grape does not have a smell. The account does not exactly make sense if the species sought was an actual tree and it was taken away in boats. A green tree, cut down, will be heavy, so how was it processed to get to the boats? I don't really see the purpose of cutting a whole tree to get yellow dye. It seems that parts of such a tree would be used, such as bark or foliage. Alder species can make red and yellow dyes but the colors are not vibrant. I cannot think of a plant species which would be so limited that armed incursions would be necessary. In the lush forests of the area, all of these species should be widely available. The Oregon grape, Berberine species has relatives in Asia so I don't think it would be necessary to harvest in the New World. Traditional Asian medicine uses these species. The desirability of a plant dye would also have to do with the textile being dyed. If the textile was cotton, results would be different from wool or silk. The costumes of the invaders sound Turkish or Central Asian.

[@AncientAmericas]

Very interesting insight! Thank you!

[@mikestaihr5183]

Thanks for an obscure non-general public historical account. Even something that may not precise in detail still gives us a window into something not well known in big picture history as it is taught. I am one who is interested as much in the less famous people and events than those that garner the most attention.

[@AncientAmericas]

You're welcome!

[@atlasaltera]

What an incredible account! I wonder if the grains used in the porridge are a species of Chenopodium (relatives of quinoa). I knew a professor who was interested in the potential ethnobotany of Chenopodium species in the west coast...Then again, the Mississippi Basin cultures were familiar with goosefoot and little barley and other grains, so it is unlikely, unless their take up of maize really eroded their knowledges of their original crops. Other contenders that come to mind are species of Amaranthus, samphire, or saltbush grains... Anyway, what makes you think it's a legume, Ancient Americas? I know the peoples of central and northern Pacific Northwest actually seem to be some of the only settled peoples in the world to exhibit a legume-phobia. From what I read, despite two quite palatable and non-poisonous legume species available, peoples in the PNW viewed legumes as poisonous (I guess such was the abundance of clams, ooligan and herring, and salmon in this part of the world?). Then again, the Columbia River cultures are kind of a transition/their own thing... Oh and I also love to read travel writing (as it turns out, I'm currently reading Newby's The Last Grain Race).

[@AncientAmericas]

I wasn't sure what to make of the grain but a type of quinoa or amaranth does makes sense. And yes, I think that Moncacht Ape wouldn't have mentioned it if it was closely related to an EAC (Eastern Agricultural Complex) crop. The only reason I mentioned the wild pea is that that was what one commentary on the account suggested it and I had no clue what else it could be so I offered that up. Honestly, the description is pretty vague and it could be a number of things. I didn't realize that the people of the PNW had such a negative view on legumes. Are there actually poisonous legumes out there that they would draw that conclusion from?

[@atlasaltera]

@@AncientAmericas Actually, the two legumes of the PNW are treasures waiting to be unlocked through domestication. They grow at northern latitudes naturally, and are already as large or larger than the domesticated pea. One is the beach pea, the other is the giant black vetch (Vicia nigricans ssp. gigantea). Both are taste good, and I believe preliminary scientific studies show they should have no toxic effects. I have eaten beach peas both cooked and raw and felt no negative effects haha... Anyway, their edibility, on the other hand, is still up to debate, because traditional knowledges contends the fact: arcadianabe.blogspot.com/2014/09/beach-pea-elusive-edible.html

[@domarinolo6947]

Incredible story!!! How have I never heard of this? Thank you for sharing this.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! If it makes you feel any better, I didn't know anything about this until a few months ago.

[@Acbelable]

Just amazing. I love to know more about North American cultures.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@someotherdude]

Never seen this channel before, but if you're wondering, this is a great video on a fascinating story told in a great way. Thanks AA!!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@simonromijn3655]

Just a guess but another possibility for the origins of these mysterious bearded men could be Ainu who inhabited Hokkaido and the Kurile Islands as far north as Kamchatka. They were a seafaring people, short in height and bearded. Ainu would have had access to muskets through trade with Japanese who in turn would have had access to muskets through trade with Europeans.

[@AncientAmericas]

That's certainly possible!

[@evilsean]

That was an amazing watch! Thanks so much for all the information you spread to the world.

[@neiladlington950]

I'm not sure if this is the tree you're talking about but I used to be a logger on Vancouver Island and amongst the giant red cedars occasionally you will find yellow cedars (I believe they themselves are red cedars but perhaps a mutation?). Unlike red cedars, yellow cedars have some very desirable characteristics and I can see folks knowing that might take on lengthy voyages to find this precious wood.

[@AncientAmericas]

I've had a few people suggest yellow cedar. It sounds plausible to me.

[@otherperson]

Over the past few days, your channel has rapidly become one of my favorites. And for some reason, I keep finding myself returning to this video. I'm not sure what it is about Moncacht-Apé's travels that I find so interesting. Either way, thanks for the great content. Keep up the good work!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! That video was a real joy to make.

[@bryansoares8319]

great video! the account makes me want to go out and travel! on the topic of the mysterious bearded men they sound a lot like Russian Cossacks to me especially the description of clothes and the long hair in the middle.....but I guess the timeline may not line up as I believe Russians don't cross into Alaska until mid 1700s? so mysterious!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@SemiLobster]

Yes the, the head shaved with just hair in the middle is a traditional cossack haircut. If the description said instead that the hair was on the back of the head, that would be a Manchurian Queue style haircut as well.

[@alexandrejosedacostaneto381]

Maybe a few Cossack adventurers from Siberia crossed before the "official" timeline?

[@bryansoares8319]

@@alexandrejosedacostaneto381 possibly right? The nature of the Fur trade in siberia i wouldn't put it past them, but i guess we will never know for sure

[@nataliajimenez1870]

@@alexandrejosedacostaneto381 They didn't want government officials to mess with their profitable businesses. We know of Russians exploiting the seas in Kamchatka collecting walrus horns since 1648

[@cecileroy557]

I just found this channel and subscribed immediately. I'm very impressed with the depth of knowledge I see in the comments.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@dubuyajay9964]

If you can get a copy of "The Indians" from the 80s Time-Life "The Old West" Series, they talked about a Plains Nation member traveling so far south he encountered "tiny men." IE: Monkeys. Similar to the old stories of how the Aztecs migrated from the 4 Corner lands to Tropical Mexico.

[@AncientAmericas]

Ooo! I'll have to add that to the list!

[@dubuyajay9964]

@@AncientAmericas Hard to miss too. It's a short blurb in the first few pages of the book. If not page one. You have to remember, I am having to go by memory here on personal reading as a young child a good 30-40 years ago. Either 80s or very early 90s. Please let me know if you find it. I'd hope my mind is not tricking me in middle age and telling me fibs. X_x

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

I thought it was the other way around! The Anastase date back to the Aztec coming north.

[@igor-yp1xv]

I enjoyed this account immensely, great work!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@theeddorian]

The absence of records is not necessarily a record of absence. There is very slowly increasing evidence of visits from Asia to North American, particularly Alaska. The "Bearded Men" might also be Russians. It was a common practice to maintain secrecy regarding the source of valuable materials, so . . . Also worth a consideration is that the local people recognize the tree as a source of a dye, but that has no necessary implication for why the bearded guys wanted it.

[@JaysonCarmona]

One of your best videos. This was awesome. Keep it up

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@biblesayslifeotherplanetsguy]

I found this inspirational and helpful. For a few years now I have wanted to know just what advance knowledge Lewis and Clark had before departing St. Louis. Are you interested in giving me more information on that thought? What kind of map did Napoleon have to give Thomas Jefferson on the day of the land transaction? And how many French settlements were there to automatically become American?

[@biblesayslifeotherplanetsguy]

And are you interested in doing anything on Canadian explorers further north such as Anthony Henday, David Thompson or Alexander McKenzie?

[@AncientAmericas]

Those are excellent questions but unfortunately I don't have that information handy. I'm sure if you can find those answers by getting a good book on the Louisiana purchase or the lewis and Clark expedition.

[@kaarlimakela3413]

It was a privilege to hear of it. Thank you.

[@fmac6441]

Sorry, because I don't have much knowledge about the subject to be specific about places, peoples and dates, but as far as I know, several coastal tribes in southeastern and southern Brazil knew about the existence and knew how to indicate routes that led to the Andes and the Inca empire (or another Andean civilization that had similar habits). The explorers even carried out expeditions to reach the riches through these routes but, as far as I know, they were all decimated by tribes further into the continent.

[@Androbott]

si, el tawantisuyo pudo haber tenido algún tipo de relación con la cultura puebla en mesoamericana también

[@levitycreations]

You are doing great work! Thank you for putting these videos together! Wonderful to learn from and they are greatly appreciated! Mahalo!🌴

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@JonnoPlays]

Smelly trees with yellow wood could be pine trees.

[@meltingpopsicle5842]

I'm wondering if some of the weird details had to do with incomplete language learning on the part of Le Page and/or Moncacht Ape. At the beginning of the video, you say that Le Page learned the language of the Natchez, but a quick look on the internet reveals that the Yazoo spoke a different language. If Le Page and Moncacht Ape were communicating in Natchez, it would have been a second language for both of them, and there might have been some misunderstandings as a result. Odd details told by Moncacht Ape may have also been due to him misunderstanding things that were told to him by the nations he met along the way due to his incomplete learning of their languages too. These two layers of language learning could compound on each other: Moncacht Ape misunderstood what he heard on his travels, and then Le Page again misunderstood what Moncacht Ape was describing.

[@AncientAmericas]

The account doesn't say which specific languages Moncacht Apé knew. I would assume that he knew how to speak the Natchez language because he had Natchez acquaintances who introduced him to Le Page. However, that is a very good point and I would not be surprised if some of the finer details of the account were lost to the language differences.

[@scrocrates6380]

This story should be a movie.

[@johneyon5257]

i read a bio of Ibn Battuta not too long ago - so this story seemed like a natural extension - altho Ibn Battuta's travelled a far greater distance (117,000 km to 7,000 km) - the longest known distance of travel by a single man - way more than Marco Polo - tho most of it by boat i expect more elaborate adventures of Moncacht Apé's journey will appear from vivid imaginations - maybe to be made into a movie or tv series many commenters here have suggested that the bearded men were russians from russia or alaska - a reasonable possibility - but why those trees? - why would they travel so far for them? - determining that might help in narrowing down the people

[@grovermartin6874]

Some insightful commenter here observed that there is a disease called "wet wood" that makes for a vibrant yellow dye and an unpleasant odor.

[@johneyon5257]

@@grovermartin6874 - buddhist monks? 😀

[@grovermartin6874]

@@johneyon5257 Hahaha! Probably cheaper than saffron!

[@dontthinkitsseanitsnotsean8558]

Absolutely awesome video with so much hard work clearly put in! Thanks for making it!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@gnostic268]

FYI * the Haudenosaunee still prefer to be called Haudenosaunee. I have a friend on Twitter and she was just talking about that subject

[@k33k32]

New England winters too cold? Me too Moncacht Apé, me too. Thank you for this great piece. I'd never heard of this explorer. His journey is fascinating!

[@cullenchase9161]

"Osage orange" trees seem to fit the description of the yellow tree that the bearded men were after. It is native to the south, but was cultivated by lots of different groups (including the Osage tribe it was named after who likely traded it across the continent) because of it's strength and ability to make a yellow dye. It was also called bo d'arc by the French which translates to "bow wood" because it was often used for making bows, again due to its strength and rot resistance. It was also used by colonists during westward expansion as a form of barbed wire due to its rot resistance and natural thorns, and is still used as fence posts.

[@AncientAmericas]

I've had a few people mention that but I'm not aware of it being cultivated in the northwest.

[@dat2ra]

It's cultivation began mainly in the mid 1700s.

[@Max-nt5zs]

Really an incredible awe inspiring story. Much simpler times. I would love to have that same feeling of exploration he must have felt.

[@sitbone3]

The white men with beards who came from the west were probably Russian, who had settlements all along the north west coast.

[@JackPoynter]

Absolutely fascinating. First time I've heard of this part of history.