Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-10-14

tober. Their decision to make their
winter camp at this point was deter
mined by the presence of game and the
frleldliness of the tribe known as the
Mandans. 1t was SOME time after this
! date. according to the journal OF Lewis
and Clark, that the captains came to
know Charbonucau. 4 French Canadian
Nnya2cur, and on November ii that
they me, for the first time the woman
~ whom this statue is dedicated.
The story of the life of Sakakawea
j. probably familiar to You all. How
she had been seized by band OF eros
/ \rntrc> and carried INTO the Dacotahs
As slave. Her husband had bought
her and had taken her as his wife.
Her knowledge Of the country where
she had lived As a girl stood her III
good stead when as a member of the
expedition she was able to interpret and
guide and direct the men i'll their jour
nry through the mountains. With pa
trncc she worked a, the tasks that
came to her hand; she cooked, and
mcndrd. and rowcd. and pl"wcd. wher-
ever >h: could lend 4 helping hand. In
an unusual incident. she came in con-
tact with her brother and with the peo-
nlc OF her own tribe. making it possible
ior the expedition. which was almost
ready to give up. t" 60 on to ITS dcSt'n.
alton At a critical period she saved
the life of Captain Clark. and through
her cheerfulncsS. her intelligence. her
observation. and her re>ourcciu|ncSS.
she inspired the members Of the eNpc-
'li,inn to the completion OF their task.
Compared with this recital of druid
gerry. and hardship. and struggle with
The elements. the story of Joan Arc
5 brilliant and wonderful She. thru
her heavenly visions. was called to the
leadership Of a desperate people. who
drove foreign foe from the shores of
France Hut it was only commentary
struggle. She died i'll the hands OF her
foes. and through her death there came
4 revival of enthusiasm and power that
renewed the energies Of the nation for
which Sic had made her sacrifice. No
such glory surrounds the name of Sa-
kakawca. although without her. it is
not too much to say that the binding
of Oregon to orr national territory
would IL, YER have taken place. The peo-
pie vi that thriving district. the hum
If wheels. the varied noise OF the cities,
would not have been under the flag of
the American union. hu, under that of
another nation. The erection of a
statue to her. therefore. commentaries
an act we'll done, a service. well per
formed. which received no reward at
the time Of its performance, but which
2 century after a grateful people III this
western commonwealth are willing to
accord her.
But it is no, to her as Indian that
this memorial has been erected. 1t is
rather to her as a type of woman uni
vcr>al. who. regardless OF race. of con-
dition, or of lettering circumstances,
rose to her opportunity and accomplish
ed noble service Stirred bv her de-
sire to see again her kinSmen and the
land of her birth. she struggled against
great odds to reach her goal. Through
her endeavor. intelligent and constant,
patriotic and determined men gained for
the flag of their nation great terri
tory, noble in its forests, rivers and re-
sources. In the everyday routine life
of the camp this Indian woman be-
came all important economic factor;
she prepared the meals, mendcd moe
casins, looked after the sick, in fact did
the numberless things that only a wo-
mans hand can do. As diplomatist,
through her Interpretation of the OBJ
ject Of the expedition, she won victories
of peace. AS all example of fortitude
and bravery. of sacrifice of personal re-
lation, both of herself and of her peo-
pie, she typi6es what might be termed
the universal woman. Few, if any,
monuments stand to the valor of wo-
man. to her greatness, or her personal
service in the history of man. This
statue which we unveil today is one of
perhaps four that have been erected to
the memory OF women in land where
woman stands higher in the affections
and opinions of men thany anywhere
else in the world But, as the pages of
history are turned, and the writing up
on them becomes more extended, the
work of woman in the development of |
America will stand out more and more
clearly as the years pass. | think
can say with but little possibility of
that without her coloniz-
alton would have been impossible; the
pioneer would have again been driven
Jack to the Atlantic seaboard; for she
vas the creator and manufacturer of the
necessities Of life, weaver and dyer
If cloth, maker of candles, and the
producer of food products; she was the
,tay of the family at all times through
he weary years She taught the
;oung, she helped to maintain disci-
'lnc, to keep moral standards high;
,he insisted upon the purity of the
,ome These were her contributions,
which are far in excess, viewed from
he standpoint OF their basic import
nee. Of those of the leader Of battles
or the legislator in assembly halls.
Nor would it be out of order if we
hould stop at this point in the pro-
'ccdings Of the day to protest against
VIA, George William Curtis has called
he li1liputian theory of woman. For
CENTURIES men have regarded her as
hing to be possessed. and, as con-
cqucnce. in more than one quarter the
bought regarding woman and her place
n the world smacked of the harem
This idea, however, with the incom-
ng Of the education of women, the
problem of self-support, and the recog-
1ition of part to play, is gradually
'elng relocated to the garnet OF ancient
lotions. Listen to these words: I'm a