Sacajawea

Sacajawea was a member of the Corps of Discovery and was invaluable as an interpreter in obtaining horses from her Shoshone people, necessary for crossing the western mountains. Her knowledge of food sources and recognition of landmarks near her homeland were also important contributions, and she and her infant exemplified the peaceful mission of the expedition. Her story began here when a band of Agaidika (Shoshone) Indians traveled from the west to the Three Forks area to hunt buffalo in the fall of 1800, were attacked by Hidatsa warriors, and Sacajawea, then about 10-12 years old, was kidnapped and taken to the Knife River earth lodge villages in what is now North Dakota. Toussaint Charboneau, a French-Canadian fur trapper, took her as a wife, and on February 11, 1805, she gave birth to Jean Baptiste, called “Pomp” by William Clark. She joined the expedition with Charboneau and arrived at the Missouri headwaters on July 27, 1805; the Corps camped for several days on the Jefferson River at the place of her people's encampment where she had been captured, about three miles from this site. Clark, with his party, and with Sacajawea and Pomp, passed through the headwaters on the return trip on 13 July, 1806. Fact and fiction contribute to her rich legacy, and she is one of America's most admired women.

Three Forks, Montana · United States