Sacagawea: The Journey Begins in North Dakota

Long before North Dakota became a state, the vibrant earth lodge villages along the Knife River were bustling centers of trade and culture. It was in this busy region that a young Native American girl named Sacagawea spent pivotal years of her life. Born around 1788 into the Lemhi Shoshone tribe in the mountainous region of present-day Idaho, Sacagawea's life changed dramatically when she was captured by a Hidatsa raiding party around the year 1800. Taken hundreds of miles east, she was brought to live in a community along the Missouri River in what is now central North Dakota.

Living in the Hidatsa villages, Sacagawea adapted to a new way of life. Unlike the nomadic Shoshone who moved with the seasons to hunt, the Hidatsa built large, sturdy earth lodges and cultivated bountiful gardens of corn, beans, and squash. Sacagawea learned the language and customs of her new home. As a young woman, she married Toussaint Charbonneau, a French-Canadian fur trader who lived among the local tribes. Though far from her original homeland, Sacagawea developed a deep understanding of the surrounding geography and the diverse cultures that traded along the river.