Jim Merritt (editor, We Proceeded On-the official magazine of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation)

'Your video is one of the two or three best produced during the bicentennial.'

  Ken Burns, (Florentine Films, director: Civil War, The West, Thomas and Jefferson, Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery):

 A wonderfully thoughtful look at a most important and beautiful plant. This film would be an asset to any school or library collection.”

 'The bitterroot is a lovely plant whose roots run deep in our nations history, intertwining with the stories of Native Americans, the epic journey of Lewis and Clark, the state of Montana, and modern-day people of the West.  This film captures all those stories and more in ways that inform, entertain, and most importantly touch the heartstrings of any viewer.  Like the plant itself, The Story of the Bitterroot is a real treasure.'

Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs (author of The Lewis and Clark Companion: An Encyclopedic  Guide

      to the Voyage of Discovery):

'Steve Slocomb calls his film The Story of the Bitterroot a labor of love.
It succeeds in every sense of the word. As an audience we learn to appreciate the unique qualities of this rare plant and the connections it represents to the Salish people. Slocomb shows us the magical properties of this beautiful flower and helps us to understand its rich history and continued importance to native people. This is just the sort of documentary we need more of during the commemoration of Lewis and Clark’s Voyage of Discovery. It reminds us that the Native American Indians used and revered this plant long before it was discovered and named in Lewis’s honor.  As one of Slocomb’s interviewees tells us, we treated the plant as if it was a human being and later another states, there has to be a Thank You to the Creator this is the message the Salish want to pass on to their children through the Bitterroot flower. It is an important message for all of us; the strength and tenacity of this little plant and the people who honor and collect it,
make The Story of the Bitterroot a powerful and moving tribute, and one which should not be missed.'

Also:

Let me know, and congratulations on a very well done project. I learned things I did not know. I think this is just the sort of production we need more of during the commemoration.

I think it is marvelous and that it deserves a very wide audience.

     'The video is a combination of science and poetry as it traces the history,
botany, and folklore of the bitterroot from the past and into the
future.  It is beautifully shot and it helps to fill in one of the
vacant spots in our understanding of native people and their
relationship to this one unique plant.  A film that is important for
students of botany, anthropology, Indian studies, and American history.'

     'The Story of the Bitterroot' is a  brilliant study in ethnology, natural history, and documentary art. On one level, it is the affecting and informative history of the place of Montana's state flower in the land and its relationship to the people who treasure it.
     On another level, however, the flower is a metaphor for native cultures
that husband their resources in order to replenish themselves in an unforgiving environment. Combining the stories of tribal elders with arresting visual images, Steve Slocomb's film sensitively traces the botanical connection between the world of Lewis and Clark and the Native American cultures of today. Once you have seen this film, you will not look at a bitterroot -- or the people who venerate it -- the same way again.'

'Steve Slocomb has put together a tour de force on the Bitterroot plant...and its associations with Lewis and Clark, native Americans and everyday Americans who have found a special place in their hearts for one of God's great creations.  A 'must see' for every lover of the great

Northwest !'

'While there are books available on the bitterroot, this is the only film that captures the botany, ethnology, history, mythology and even cookery of the Montana state flower. Each of the eight parts concentrates on a different aspect of the plant, which allows for relevant viewing by different audiences. The movie intertwines beautiful shots of the flowers in their native habitat, Montana landscapes, and fascinating interviews with Salish elders and educators. The long history of the plant and its significance for the Native Americans are thoroughly examined. The viewer is even invited to participate vicariously in a modern bitterroot gathering and feast. No shrinking violet, the root has been known to germinate even after being boiled, displaying a toughness common to many Montanans. This film is truly a treasure for libraries in the Treasure State.'