Sacagawea

Born the daughter of a Lemhi Shoshone chief she was captured by the Hidatsa in her teens. And sold to the Mandan Missouri River tribe where she met and married Toussaint Charbonneau. A French Canadian trapper and a trail guide Charbonneau was familiar with the region. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark spent a winter with the Mandan waiting for the spring thaw. Toussaint and Sacagawea were hired as their guides and in 1805 they set out to explore the wilderness. While on the trail she gave birth to her son Pompey and strapping him to a cradle-board they trudged on. A strong woman and a gifted interpreter known for her perseverance and resourcefulness. Bird Woman helped to persuade many native tribes of the peaceful intent of the expedition. Once a canoe capsized jeopardizing all of their valuable possessions and journal entries. Yet she saved the logbooks of this epic journey including the navigational charts and maps. A legendary figure in history she was indispensable to Lewis and Clark’s trek. And today She’s honored on a golden dollar a rare coin issued by the United States Mint.