Marquette & Joliet 350th Anniversary “Turnaround Expedition”
historic re-enactment during historic low-water river
Mon - Wed Oct 29 – Nov 1, 2023 Marquette & Joliet 350th Anniversary “Turnaround Expedition” Helena, AR, to Arkansas River Confluence, turn around and paddle back upstream for take out in Rosedale, MS
Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 921
"Voice of the Lower Mississippi River"
Clarksdale, MS ~ Memphis, TN ~ Wilson, AR ~ Vicksburg, MS
paintings & photos (c) 2023 John Ruskey except where otherwise noted
All Aboard -- A few seats still open!
***Marquette & Joliet 350th Anniversary***
Double History in the making: historic re-enactment during historic low-water river
This is our small our part in the 350th anniversary of the Marquette & Joliet Expedition -- with a 3-day voyageur canoe expedition -- following the Marquette & Joliet route from the base of Crowley's Ridge (Helena, AR) to the mouth of the Arkansas River.
Commemoration of the 350th and its furthest point south in the original expedition. In July 1673 the Jesuit priest Father Jacques, Marquette S.J., and French explorer Louis Joliete turned their voyageur canoes around at the Arkansas River Confluence, and started paddling back upstream to return to their mission headquarters (present-day Green Bay, WS).
Why the Arkansas Confluence? In 1673 the Jesuit Fathers decided had gone far enough to determine that the Mississippi drained into the Gulf of Mexico. They were also fearful of continuing further south beyond the Arkansas River into what was then Spanish territories.
Compared to the violent Hernando Desoto Expedition, the Marquette & Joliet approach was more peaceful in its respect of the Native peoples they encountered. Still the expedition undoubtedly accelerated the long slow colonization of the middle of America, helping spread European diseases previously unknown, and leading to other white people following in their path with disastrous consequences for the rich and densely populated societies throughout the Mississippi Valley (which numbered in the millions of native inhabitants). Marquette and Jolliet’s (also spelled Joliet) voyage, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society, “helped to initiate the first non Native-American settlement in the North American interior that introduced Christianity into 600,000 square miles of wilderness” and “transformed traditional Indian cultures.” (Wisconsin State Journal) “For Indigenous people, Marquette and Jolliet are like Columbus Day. It represents conquest. It’s represents the beginning of what would ultimately be the unraveling of their culture with its connection to the land,” said Michael Douglas, a historian and former longtime site director at the Villa Louis, the former estate of the H. Louis Dousman family on St. Feriole Island. “We’ve been hung up on the word ‘celebration.’ We are celebrating our heritage but we’re not celebrating conquest.” (Wisconsin State Journal)
The 1973 tricentennial re-enactment paddled canoes the Ralph Frese painstakingly researched and built. 
We will paddle our own voyageur canoes, crafted in the same tradition, which I learned from North America's canoe expert and master canoe builder, Ralph Frese (1934-2015).
Spiritual leader Fr. James F. Heyd, Archdiocese of Chicago, contacted me years ago and got me excited about expedition. In 2023 Fr. James is hosting events along the historic route, and also studies the life and work of Fr. Pere Marquette in the re-enactment. During 350th Marquette & Joliet “Turnaround Expedition" Oct 29 – Nov 1, 2023 we will try to camp in locations where they camped.
Trip details: 3-day adventure. Must be in good shape, and be able to function in all weather conditions. Long days of paddling, no services of any sort along the way. We will carry everything we need, food, water and shelter. Wilderness camping along the way, final camp near the turnaround point at the Arkansas River. Extreme low water conditions. Lowest water in modern recorded history. Final challenge: a one day paddle upstream for takeout in the Rosedale Harbor. Outfitted and guided by the Quapaw Canoe Company of Clarksdale, MS.
Fee is $600 each guiding & outfitting + meals + shuttle. Tents & sleeping bags + pads are available as rentals, or bring your own. Guiding & Outfitting: includes canoes, paddles, lifejackets and all necessary river gear, first aid kits & emergency gear. We also supply waterproof dry bags to pack all your personal gear into. Meals: include food prep, campfire cooking, provide cookware & eatware & cleanup, using our time-honed recipes and well supplied outdoor kitchens including tables, chairs, and portable pantry.
Shuttle: Meet in Clarksdale, MS, on Day 1, Oct 29th, park your vehicle, and pack bags and canoes. The shuttle fee covers transportation from Clarksdale, MS to put in Helena, AR. Pickup is at Rosedale, MS. Rentals: Tents & sleeping bags + pads are available as rentals at $35 + $5/day each. Wetsuits and neoprene boots might be necessary in cold water months (generally November through April). Bring your own, or rent from us $35 + $5/day.
Payment:
Confirm your seating with $300 deposit.
Deposit by credit card or check required to hold seat. You can send full payment $600 now, or half down $300 with $300 remainder due at trip date.
Payment Options:
You can make payment by one of 3 methods:
1) Check:
Send check to Quapaw Canoe Company, 291 Sunflower Avenue, Clarksdale, MS 38614
2) Credit Card:
Paypal Billing (add 3% PP fee)
paypal.me/quapawcanoecompany
3) Venmo (add 3% Venmo fee)
John-Ruskey-1
QCC Deposit Policy:
Deposit is refundable if weather gets bad, or other unforeseeable act of god. Or you can postpone to future date. Deposit may or may not be refundable should you decide to change your mind for some other personal reason.
Meet: 9am, Mon Oct 29th
Quapaw Canoe Company
291 Sunflower Avenue
Clarksdale, MS 38614
Call me 662-902-7841, or Mark River 662-902-6479, if you’d prefer to talk!
Sincerely yours in service of the big river,
-Johnnie Driftwood
I assure you that this is a trip of a lifetime. I live in IDAHO and it is not an option to travel to QUAWPAW land. If you are within 300 miles sign up and bring the history alive...TEE IN IDAHO