Program

Great American Rail-Trail

Subject

People, Site

Location

144 Talc Rd, Three Forks, MT 59752, USA

Lat/Long

45.898444, -111.534528

Grant Recipient

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Sacajawea, a member of the Shoshone Nation, was born around 1788 in territory that is now part of Idaho. At about 12 years old, she was kidnapped near the Three Forks area in present‑day Montana by the Hidatsa tribe and taken to what is now North Dakota, where she later became the wife of French‑Canadian trader Toussaint Charbonneau.

In 1804, Charbonneau was hired as an interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, and Sacajawea accompanied the group to assist with communication among Native nations. After giving birth to Jean‑Baptiste Charbonneau in February 1805, she set out on the journey with her infant. At about 17 years old at the time, Sacajawea played a critical role in navigating the expedition through Idaho and Montana, identifying edible plants, and guiding the party along the Missouri River.

During the summer of 1805, Sacajawea led the expedition to the Three Forks, where the Missouri River divides into the Jefferson, Gallatin, and Madison Rivers. Recognizing the land of her people, she reassured the expedition of the river’s course and lack of obstructions, drawing on memories from her childhood. Her contributions were recorded by Meriwether Lewis in his journal, and she continued to assist the expedition until its conclusion in August 1806.