America 250: From Independence to Discovery
Follow the Story from 1776 to the Lewis and Clark Expedition

The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
National Statuary Hall Collection-North Dakota 
The Sakakawea Bronze Statue
 

📍 Location: Washington, DC
🟢 FREE | 📘 NPS Passport: (Visitor Center)
What to do & see:

• The bronze statue honors Sakakawea, a Shoshone woman whose role was vital to the success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Around 1800, at about age 12, she was captured by the Hidatsa in what is now North Dakota and given the name Sakakawea—often translated as “Bird Woman.” By 1804, she was married to Pierre Charbonneau, a French Canadian hired as an interpreter for the expedition. Sakakawea joined the Corps of Discovery on its westward journey, traveling with her infant son. Sakakawea and her 8-week old baby accompanied the Corps of Discovery as they moved west.

• The sculpture itself is a replica of the original dedicated in 1910 on the grounds of the North Dakota State Capitol in Bismarck, at the entrance to the North Dakota Heritage Center.
   

Why it matters to Lewis & Clark:

• Sakakawea assisted with translation, helped establish peaceful relations with the Shoshone and Hidatsa, gathered edible plants, and served as a guide. Her presence—especially as a woman traveling with a child—signaled peaceful intentions and was critical to the expedition’s survival and success.