Sacajawea

The Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific Coast in 1804-06, which every literate American citizen knows of (uh huh), may not have been a round trip had not the "Bird Woman" been on board. A sixteen year old Northern Shoshoni, Sacajawea was "married" to French-Canadian Toussaint Charbonneau, who was hired as an interpreter by Lewis and Clark, was described by one observer as a "poor specimen, consisting chiefly as a tongue to wag in a mouth to fill." She gave birth to "Pomp" in 1805 just before the expedition left their winter camp and headed west. The baby became a favorite and important distraction to the rigors and hardships encountered on the trip and in his adult life traveled to Europe, became educated and spoke four languages. Sacajawea became an indispensable member of the party providing food, navigation and more importantly a connection with possible hostile Indian tribes they encountered. Her own people provided many horses for the tough journey over the mountains. Clark wrote: "The Indian woman . . . has been of great service to me as a pilot through this country." Henry Brackenridge, leader of a party going up the Missouri in 1811 met her and reflected, "...the woman, a good creature, of mild and gentle disposition, was greatly attached to the whites whose manners and airs she tries to imitate..." She probably died at Fort Manuel December 20, 1812 . An entry in the log books stated, ". . . died of a putrid fever. She was a good and the best woman in the fort, aged about 25 years." Numerous memorials, statues (including this one), mountains, paintings, markers, lakes and music are named in her honor. The United States Treasury Department announced in September of 1998 that the face on the new dollar coin will be that of Liberty with features like Sacajawea might have had. In the nineteenth century the United States minted "Indian Head Pennies" which represented Lady Liberty with an Indian headdress and the word "Liberty" on the band of the headdress.