Sacagawea: Lewis and Clark's Pathfinder

Sacagawea, the woman who helped guide and interpret for the Lewis and Clark Expedition is remembered today as a symbol of strength and character. She was just 17, and the mother of an infant boy, when she joined her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, on the long journey of exploration undertaken by Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their Corps of Discovery. During that journey, she assumed many roles. She was a translator, helping Lewis and Clark communicate with various Native American tribes. She was a guide, showing the way as the Corps traveled through her homeland. And she was a teacher, explaining the culture of her land and its people. For her part in the Lewis and Clark Expedition s success, she has been honored in many ways. Numerous statues of Sacagawea can be found across the United States, and mountains, rivers, and lakes have been named for her. In 1999, the U.S. Mint released a gold-colored dollar coin bearing an image meant to represent her. Despite Sacagawea s importance to American history, there is remarkably little reliable information available about her. No portraits were ever painted of her, so her actual appearance remains unknown. No written records exist to verify her date of birth or death. People cannot even agree about the proper spelling of her name. This new biography draws on journals written by members of the Corps of Discovery and others who knew Sacagawea, to paint a human picture of this legendary woman.