A North Dakota book. A North Dakota story. A North Dakota time.

That's how Lewis and Clark scholar Clay Jenkinson described the release of "A Vast and Open Plain," his book detailing the explorers' time in the state 200 years ago.

The author's remarks were made at a press conference Monday at the North Dakota Heritage Center in which the book was introduced by Gov. John Hoeven, state Indian Affairs Commissioner Cheryl Kulas and Everett Albers, executive director of the North Dakota Humanities Council.

A North Dakota native, Jenkinson portrays Thomas Jefferson on the nationally syndicated radio program "The Thomas Jefferson Hour" and is currently a scholar in residence at Lewis and Clark College in Porland, Ore.

"North Dakota is the only state to have an edition of Lewis and Clark," said Jenkinson, referring to the compilation of all things relative to the expedition that occurred in the state. He also lauded the cooperation with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and Three Affiliated Tribes.

As to a North Dakota story, Jenkinson said he believes the state has not received the attention it deserves, and he hopes the book will help change that. He recited a long list of North Dakota-related Lewis and Clark high points, not the least of which was the explorers meeting Sakakawea.

And people from the state are much involved in the bicentennial at the national level, in part because of North Dakota's opportunity to benefit from Lewis and Clark.

"North Dakota needs this bicentennial bump," he said.

Hoeven described the book as a "great resource" and Albers said it was a "magnificent achievement."

Jenkinson based the book on the Gary Moulton edition of the Lewis and Clark Journals published by the University of Nebraska, but was not satisfied with that, Albers said. "He (Jenkinson) went back to the original long-hand journals," he said.

The book also respects the oral traditions of native people, Albers said.

Commissioner Kulas spoke for the native people of North Dakota: "Louise Erdrich, another North Dakota Native American writer, once wrote that we are shaped by those we meet, and we are forever changed. So it was with Lewis and Clark, and so it was for the native peoples, the Otoes, the Pawnees, the Lakota, the Mandan and Hidatsa, and for all those native people that they encountered after the Missouri River, and all of America was forever changed."

"A Vast and Open Plain" isn't just a re-issue of "Lewis and Clark in North Dakota," edited by Russell Reid, first published in 1948. Instead of being based on older editions of the journals, Nicholas Biddle and Rueben Thwaites, it relies on Gary E. Moulten's recent edition. And it goes beyond that resource to other historians and writings from Canadian visitors to the Knife River Villages. It puts everything that happened on a single day - from all the journals and letters available - together.

Jenkinson now starts a book tour of North Dakota cities. His itinerary:

Books on Broadway, Williston, 4-7 p.m. today.

B. Dalton Bookseller, Minot, 5-8 p.m. Wednesday.

Barnes and Noble University Bookstore, Grand Forks, 5-7 p.m. Thursday.

Barnes and Noble Bookstore, Fargo, 7:30-9 p.m. Friday.

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Washburn, 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday.

* North Dakota Heritage Center, Bismarck, 2-4 p.m. Saturday.

"A Vast and Open Plain" was financed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota and the North Dakota Humanities Council. Janet Daley of Bismarck was the managing editor for the historical society. The book received funding from the SHSND and the Humanities Council.

"A Vast and Open Plain: The Writings of the Lewis and Clark Expedition" can be found in local book stores and sells for $34.95 for softcover and $49.95 for hardcover.