Sacajawea : mystery, myth, and legend
Mystery, myth, and legend surround Sacajawea, one of the few American Indian women whose name and singular significance have not been lost to history. Without Sacajawea's knowledge and assistance, the Corps of Discovery's venture to explore the furthest reaches of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase may well have failed. A raid on Sacajawea's Lemhi Shoshone tribe near Three Forks, Montana resulted in the capture of the twelve year-old girl and set her on the path that would eventually make her a household name. Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, leaders of the Corps of Discovery, met Sacajawea four years after her capture. Her position as the Shoshone wife of French Canadian trader Toussaint Charbonneau brought her to the captains' attention during the winter of 1804-1805, which the Charbonneau family and the Corps of Discovery spent at the Mandan village north of modern-day Bismarck, North Dakota. The Shoshones' reputation as excellent horse trainers had reached Lewis and Clark, who realized that their expedition would need Shoshone horses to cross the Rocky Mountains on their way to the Pacific Ocean. This transaction would require Sacajawea's linguistic skills; she could translate Shoshone to Mandan for Charbonneau, who in turn could translate Mandan to French. When the Corps departed the Mandan village in April 1805, Sacajawea, Charbonneau, and their newborn son Jean Baptiste accompanied them. Sacajawea's familiarity with the terrain and skills for living off the land became essential for the Corps' survival. Lewis and Clark revered her for her calm expertise and vast knowledge of flora and fauna and recorded their great concern for her wellbeing, particularly when a serious illness threatened her life. Not only did her Shoshone language skills prove indispensable for the Corps, but a chance reunion with her brother secured an alliance resulting in horses, supplies, and a guide. Significantly, having a woman with a baby as part of their entourage made the Corps appear as peaceful explorers rather than hostile invaders. Sacajawea's myriad contributions thereby ensured the Corps' success in reaching the Pacific Ocean. In this new biography of Sacajawea, Candy Moulton reads between the lines of Lewis and Clark's journals and letters written by members of the Corps of Discovery to provide a fascinating portrait of the Shoshone woman who made possible the success of the venture. The author takes Sacajawea's story beyond the triumphant return of the Corps of Discovery to St. Louis in 1806, following the lives of her son Jean Baptiste (b. 1805) and daughter Lizette (b. 1812). Moulton also examines the mystery of Sacajawea's death and the competing claims that surround it, which have added to the legendary status of this remarkable heroine. Sacajawea's singular place in American lore is evident in the numerous statues, monuments, books, and movies that invoke her image. Sacajawea: Mystery, Myth, and Legend is the eighth book in the South Dakota Biography Series, which highlights some of the most famous figures in the state's history.