The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-07-09
Copyright 1910 by Mary w. and
Harry c, Green,) s.a.tE

Harry &. Green.) -
Sakakawea, the Indian girl who
something more than century ago
guided the Lewis and Clark expedition
across the great northwest, is receiv-
ing generous though belated recogni-
ton for her services. Three OF the
states, the wilds of which were trav-
ersed by her mocassined feet, are per-
petuating in stone or bronze the MEM
ory of the part she took in the epoch
making journey that pushed the boun-
daries of the United States from the
Mississippi to the Pacific. =.
Sakekawea (The Bird Woman) was
born of the Shoshone tribe, which at
the beginning of the last century lived
in the Rocky mountains, along the
Snake river, in what is now the state
Of Idaho In a war with the Blackfeet
scene of a bloody battle, and she and
another little girl were among the cap
tives carried away. over the mountains
to the east. The other girl made her
escape, but little Sakakawea was TAX
en- to the village of the Mandan tribe,
near where Bismarck, n. D. now stands
and sold as a slave to a French Cana
dian trapper, Toissant Charboneau.
When she was about IA years old the
trapper made her his wife, and in the
following year, February, 1905, she bore
him a little son. When the child was
two months old Charboneau was en-
gagged by Lewis and Clark to accom-
pany their expedition as interpreter
and guide. with the condition that his
young Indian wife might go with him.
A few days later this 16-year old
mother with her papoose strapped TO
her back, started for the Pacific coast
AMI practically carried him thara and
back, more than 5000 miles. The en-
tire PARTY seems to have become grP5+-
ly attached to this dark skinned little
Baptiste Touissant Charboneau, and
in later years Captain Clark at his own
expense had him educated in st. Louis.
For a time CharbOneau acted as guide
as we'll as interpreter, but after a few
weeks he began to find that he was at
the end of his resources. He was fur
ther west than he had ever been before
and it began to look as If the explorers
must be hopelessly lost in the maze of
mountain ranges which gridiron this
vast expanse. Then 1t was that thu
homing instinct of the Indian girl, like
a wild bird or beast Of her own forest,
came to their aid. 1t was the road to
her old home. For days the men fol-
lowed her blindly, though at times she
could give no reason for the shaping
of her course other than the world old
reason of all women, white or red, "be-
cause I know it is right"
Early in the summer the party en-
camped at the confluence Of the Madi-
son, Jefferson, and Gallatin rivers, the
site of the ShOshone village from which
the little Indian maid had been stolen
years before. Sakakawea recognized
her surroundings and thereafter guild
ed the expedition from actual knowI-
edge and not alone by intuition. 1t
was soon after this that she led them
to a pass in the mountains, narrow
and half hidden, that saved many hard
ships and miles of travel. If not their
lives. Through this pass Captain Lew
Is led the main body of the expedition,
while Captain Clarke, accompanied by
Charboneau and his wife, made a de-
tour to study the surrounding country
AS the Lewis party emerged they came
upon an Indian camp.
The Indians were evidently alarmed
and watched warily every movement Of
the strangers. Out from their camp
rode a warrior, armed with a bow and
arrows and mounted on a fine horse.
barebacked and bridleless. This might
mean either peace or war and CAPTAIN
Lewis, acting as previously instructed
by Sakakawea, though not without ap-
prehension, rode out to meet him and
made signs of greeting that disarmed
the suspicious of the red warrior. and
soon the exploring party went into
camp to await the coming of Captain
Clark and the interpreters.
Not long afterward Captain Clark
appeared. AS he and his companions
dismounted, Sakakawea uttered an ex-
clamation of Joy and began dancing up
and down and putting her fingers to
her lips, indicating that the Indians
were of her own tribe. Members of the
expedition were as much surprised as
the Indians, as the girl was US
ually as self contained and stoical as
| is the wont of her people. In the chief
of the tribe Sakakawea had recognized
| her brother. Camawhait, from whom
she had been separated since the time
she had been carried away by the