The Journey of Sacagawea

She's one of the best-loved women in American history, but we don't know what she looked like. Mountains and lakes have been named after her, but we don't know when, where, or how she died. Even the pronunciation of her name (you say “Sak-a-jah-WEE-ah,” I say “Sah-KAHG-a-wah”) and its meaning (either “Bird Woman” or “Boat launcher”) are debated. Filmmaker Alan Austin's PBS-aired documentary The Journey of Sacagawea, narrated by Rita Coolidge, combines interviews, re-enactments, and readings from Lewis and Clark's diaries as their Corps of Discovery explored the new Louisiana Purchase. With her husband Toussaint Charbonneau and newborn son, Sacagawea accompanied the Corps in the capacity of translator, but soon filled a variety of roles, including nutritionist, nurse, diplomat, and most importantly, guide (she even saved the logbooks at one point when her husband accidentally swamped the canoe, assuring that her place in history will forever be remembered). Abducted by the Hidatsa tribe from her Shoshone family at the age of 12, the remarkable 17-year-old Sacagawea--who displayed incredible endurance and fortitude--would later encounter the Shoshone on the expedition and learn that her brother had become chief (there's some disagreement amongst the interviewees as to her role among the Hidatsa after her capture: one emphatically states she was not a slave, but another refers to her French-Canadian husband as her “owner”). Aside from the romantic and completely impractical re-enactment scenes of Sacagawea with her hair unbound, blowing in the breeze like a shampoo commercial (despite her grueling 4,300-mile trek), this informative and entertaining biographical profile is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)