East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-03-11

July 6 has been selected as Sacaja-
wea and order of Red Men day at the
Lewis and Clark exposition. On this
date the bronze statue of Sacajawea
will be unveiled with formal cere-
monies. The Sacajawea Statue as
sociation will share the honors of the
day with the order Of Red Men in
giving due recognition to the neglect
ed heroine. The exercises will be at
tended by many noted women who
win come to attend the National Wo-
mans Suffrage convention and the
National Association of Charities and
Corrections, which will be held at
that time. In order to participate in
the ceremonies, the order of Red Men
changed their day at the fair from
July 26.
A feature of the exercises will be
the presence of several thousand
school children each wearing a but
ton upon which is the likeness of Sac
ajawea.
For the purpose of honoring a neg
association, composed of prominent
Oregon women, was formed some
time ago with Mrs. Eva Emery Dye
as president. The association has
raised the money for the erection of
the statue and chosen the design.
The statue was executed by Miss Alice
Cooper, of Denver, Col, and presents
a young Indian woman with a pa
poose strapped to her back. The girl
pointing toward a distant sea, her
face radiant and head thrown back
and eyes full of daring. short
hunting skirt, made of deer skins,
and leggings, show a figure full of
buoyancy and animation of youth.
The statue is composed of Oregon
copper and cost $1,000.
The entire sum necessary for the
installation of this memorial has not
been raised, but the contributions are
being solicited from women all over
the country, and 1t is expected that
the total amount will be subscribed
to pay off all Indebtedness by the time
the statue is unveiled. Western wo-
wen have been enthusiastic in lend
ing their support to this commendR-
bic movement,
The statue, which is the first ever
erected in honor of an Indian wo-
man, will occupy a conspicuous posi-
ton in the center of Columbia court,
the central plaza of the exposition,
facing Lakeview Terrace, where are
statues Of Lewis and Clark.
Sacajawea was an Indian girl,
member of the Shoshone tribe, who
Joined the Lewis and Clark expedi-
ton, which crossed the mountains to
the Pacific a century ago. while the
party was in midwinter quarters
among the Mandan Indians, in what
is now North Dakota. Sacajawea was
at that time the mother of a young
babe.
She was the only woman on the eX-
pedition, and shared with the men the
hardships of the toilsome journey
across the continent. She was the
friend of Captains Clark and Lewis
and generally rode with them in ad-
vance of the party, where her pres
ence served to allay the suspicious of
the tribes through whose country they
passed. On two occasions she saved
the lives of the party, pointing the
road when everyone else was lost and
starvation was staring the little band
in the face.
Sacajawea accompanied the party
through its entire journeyings. Her
husband, Charbonneau, was taken
along to act as guide and interpre-
ter When the expedition, on the re-
turn trip, reached the country of the
Mandans, Charbonneau decided to
stay there, and his ever faithful wife
remained with him. 1t is presumed
that she died shortly afterwards.
It may be safely said that If it had
not been for this Indian girl, Lewis
and Clark would probably never have
reached the Pacific. The women OF
the country deserve great credit for
making it possible for this heroine
to share the honors of the explorers
at the exposition commemoratlng the
expedition of a century ago.