The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-02-14


since then, 50 they wrote it wrong.
It is hard to interpret right. When
the interpreter gets tired or is not
very good in both languages, he
sometimes talks the easiest way.
These white men we're told that my
grandmother knew that country we'll.
She had been there and had travelled
across the mountains. The inter-
prefer told them that she had
brother there. That is Indian rela-
tionship. 1t did not mean that the
, eros Ventres had taken her captive
from the 'Shoshoni. Perhaps he1
father, Smoked Lodge, had taken her
up there on that trip too. So the
interpreter and the white man
thought they had captured her and
brought her back to live with the
Hidatsa. We are sorry that they,
got it wrong. It has been. wrong
ever since.
They Lewis & Clark expeditionl
started in boats and pulled the boats
in some places. Where the banks
were good they used small mule
which the whites had on the boat to
pull them along the shore. Then
they would put the mule back on the
boat. They went to those three riv-
ers and there over the, mountains to
the ocean. While there my grand
mother got many good shall orna-
ments from that place.
"'When they came back ls86)
they were on a large raft in the
Yellowstone river. They passed
through the country. of our rela-
tives, the Crows. They passed a
large camp of those jealous people
(the Crow Indians) at Sitting Bear
Bill's place. Sakakawea called out
to the people and asked if her broth
er was in the camp. She said for
him to 60 on down the river beyond
the next bend and she would have
the white boat land there. They
landed just like she said and her
brother was there. His name was
Cherry Necklace, and he wanted to
make her good present there. He
had very fine white horse, trained
buffalo horse. This is very good
present and he gave this white horse
to Sharbonish. They loaded it on
the boat and brought it to our vii,
lage. Sakakawea gave him some fire
shell ornaments to wear. The Crows
had good horses.
How She Died
"I will tell you how my grand
mother Sakakawea died. My mother
Otter Woman died at the same time
nearly. This place was in Montana.
It was near where Glasgow is now.
1t was on a creek, think they call
ed it Sank Creek. When my grand
mother, Sakakawea was married to
this man Sharbonish, she had learn
ed to like coffee terribly we'll. She
could not get along without coffee.
When she got out of coffee she, would
travel long distance to get some
more. She saved the coffee from
the pots and would put it on her
head so it would smell like coffee.
"'During one of these trips to a
traders place to get coffee she was
with two wagons with oxen hitched
to them. My grandmother and my
own mother, Otter Woman, and my
self were in the party. lswas only
| four years old so do not remember
who the rest were. We were on this
creek near Glasgow one time and
camped there. There was traders
place not many miles away and we
were going there to trade.
81 was asleep on the ground be-
tween the hind wheels of the wagon
by the side of my grandmother; my
!: mother was under the front wheel,
during the night time was waken-
ed by shooting; the camp was at
tackled by some enemy; the men were
firing through the wheels. -,
"'My mother said to grandmother
take the child to the willow gulch",
so Sakakawea took me by the arm
and we ran into the brush of the
gully there. The firing of guns kept
on for awhile and then quit. All the
yelling had ceased. My grandmother
took me out then and we went back
to the wagon. It was early in the
morning when We left that coulee
(their shelter). l can remember it
we'll, have never forgotten it.
Several people lay there dead
around and under the wagons. My
mother was sitting up against a
wheel of one of the wagons. She
had been struck and was badly
wounded there.
"'My grandmother was also hit in
the side with bullet, but had not
said anything about that. My grand
mother did not cry any. My mother
said "Take the boy to the traders
place. I am dying now. The boy is
yours to- look after now"
".She died there against the wheel
then. That was the last I heard her
say. But she pointed to her moth
;er's (Sakakawea's) side and signed
for her TO go away. So we walked
over IL hills and 4prairies to the
traders store. Sakakawea, my grand
mother, died at the traders place
from her wound z days after that
time."
This, Major Welch believes is the
Etrue story Of the death Of Sakakawea,
the bird woman" of the Mandan
and Gros 4Ventres villages of 1904
sc, and the woman who guided
Lewis 4 Clark. 1t is but one of the
tragic stories known to. all the In
dams of those tribes.
"The .old woman of Stouer; the
wife of Charbonneau's' of Luttig;
the Sacajawe Of DR.. Hebardy-these
stories may NOT be substantiated,
L,,k Deli r.. .:-a.,