Sacagawea of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

The legend tells us of Sacagawea ("Bird Woman") as the guide showing Lewis and Clark the way over the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, and fictionalized accounts have embroidered on her life as it might have been. In fact, however, her life as it might have been. In fact, however, the young Indian woman who accompanied the expedition did not serve as a guide—though her presence with her child probably ensured the expedition's safety by signifying to the tribes whose territories were crossed that it was not a raiding or war party.

This carefully researched historical account separates the verifiable facts about Sacagawea from the extensive legend. It provides a readable, credible account of Sacagawea coping with the incredible hazards of the journey, caring fo her child, dealing with her half-breed husband, and aiding the expedition with her survival knowledge, pluck, and constancy.

The authors have unearthed new documentary evidence which enables them to trace Sacagawea's later life until her death, and to locate her burial spot. They also tell how the Sacagawea legend was deliberately created, and show how it became so widely accepted. Nontheless, this is not a "debunking" study. Sacagawea, seen in the light of accurate history rather than legend, remains an intriguing and inspiring figure in our past.

Ella E. Clark (1896-1984) was Professor Emeritus of English, Washington State University, and the author of Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest and Indian Legends from the Northern Rockies. Margot Edmonds is a writer and editor.

Acknowledgments
Prologue

Part I. The Expedition
1. Jefferson's Dream
2. Sacagawea Joins the Expedition
3. Sacagawea on the Jefferson River
4. Journey Over the Rockies
5. Down Three Rivers to the Pacific
6. Winter at Fort Clatsop
7. Eastward Bound
8. The Explorers Separate
9. The Explorers Reunite and Return

Part II. Sacagawea in Historical Perspective
10. Nearly a Century of Neglect
11. A Legend Begins: Sacagawea Becomes "the Guide"
12. Sacagawea, a Controversial Figure
13. Some of the Eastman's Discoveries
14. Sacagawea on the Wind River Reservation
15. Finn Burnett's Recollections of Sacagawea
16. The Aged Sacagawea

Appendices
Notes and Additional Information
Bibliography: Books and Manuscripts
Index