native americans and discussed the intriguing theory that the indians were descendants from jews because they had the same laws, the same ceremonies and sacrifice. the same priests, prophets and fast. even the indian dialect seem derived from a common prototype of the hebrew bible. they didn't brush off the native american as wild animals. they were intrigued. intrigued. thomas jefferson sent lewis and clark out. part of it is he wanted to see burial mounds, find out what those are. in the beginning, jefferson was outspoken advocate for sovereignty. he wrote indians had undivided independent sovereignty as long as they chose to keep it, and that might be forever. two years later he added it may be taken for a certainty not a foot of land will be taken from the ind yaps without their -- indians without their concept.