Sacagawea
Born 1786 (Present-day Idaho)
Died December 20, 1812 (Present-day South Dakota)
Shoshone interpreter
Sacagawea is an extraordinary figure in the history of the American West. She was the only woman to participate in the Lewis and Clark expedition (1804–6), an exploration of the West arranged by President Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826; served 1801–9; see entry in volume 1). Sacagawea's indispensable role in the expedition made her a legendary figure in her own right. Over time, Sacagawea's documented history became mixed with frontier myth (a traditional story) to create a woman shrouded in mystery. Sacagawea became a popular subject of books, movies, and tribal lore during the twentieth century. More monuments, memorials, rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges have been named for Sacagawea than for any other American woman. In the twenty-first century, Sacagawea remains one of the most familiar figures of the Lewis and Clark party.
Child of the Snake People
Sacagawea was born around 1786 as a member of the Shoshone nation. Her parents lived in the western Rocky Mountains of the United States. Her birthplace was most likelysoutheast of the town of Salmon, in the central Salmon River country of present-day Idaho. Sacagawea belonged to the Agaiduka, or Salmon Eater, band of the Shoshone nation.
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