Honoring Native American History Month in the great Northwest begins with recognition for Sacagawea.[1]

A bronze statue of “Bird Woman” holding her baby and pointing the way was dedicated in Portland, OR at the 1905 centennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. [2]

While scholars debate the correct spelling and pronunciation of her name, let us study instead her grit and wits—her strength and her gusto.

In 1805, the Corps of Discovery acquired a young Shoshone mother to be their guide and interpreter. After leaving the Mandan country, the Corps covered hundreds of miles without encountering any humans. They were not lost, but they knew they would need fresh horses soon in order to cross the Great Divide.

Then Sacagawea recognized Beaver Rock. They were near her Shoshone homelands where the Hidatsa tribe had stolen her some ten-years earlier.

Miraculously, the Shoshone band they met was led by Cameahwait , Sacagawea’s brother! The Corps got their horses.

Besides this chance meeting and good fortune, the young mother proved to be invaluable to the explorers. Having a woman and her child with them gave the band an aura of respect to Natives along the way who would otherwise view a group of armed men with suspicion.

Sacagawea was skilled in woodcraft, too, and frequently located edible plants to help them survive. She had grit and a quick head under pressure, too—once saving the all-important journals during the turmoil when their boat capsized. Lewis and Clark named that river in her honor for that brave act!

Possibly her greatest attribute was her ability to translate along the way. She communicated so well and contributed so greatly that the men gave Sacagawea an equal vote in group decisions. Most Native American cultures included women when votes were cast, but Sacagawea may be our country’s first voting woman!

Though her life was not always pleasant, she withstood the challenges. Her small hands held a large stake in the making of our collective, multi-cultural world of today.

No matter how her name is spelled, Sacagawea lived and led with plenty of gusto!

Image: Statue of Sacagawea in Portland’s Washington Park[3]

[1] See: http://www.biography.com/people/sacagawea-9468731#synopsis and http://www.lewisandclarktrail.com/sacajawea.htm

[2] See: http://www.sacagawea-biography.org/historical-landmarks/ - Portland is proud of its public park system

[3] Sculptor Alice Cooper of Denver, CO