This week’s incessant rain reminds me of the experience of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The small detachment of the U.S. Army spent its first winter with the Mandan Tribe in what is now North Dakota. It was there that Sacagawea, the Shoshone guide, had her baby, Pomp. The next spring, the Corps of Discovery continued its trek to the Pacific Northwest. The young mother carried and nursed the child the entire way. A second winter was spent at Fort Clatsop. They recorded that the rain was miserable. Incessant.
The return trip to St. Louis was successful for the Corps and for Sacagawea and her baby. An Indigenous woman demonstrated that she could serve with a forward Army unit. It took almost 200 years for women to be officially allowed to serve in forward units of the U.S. Army, literally to follow in Sacagawea’s footsteps. Her accomplishment is a tribute to the abilities of all women, but, particularly to the strength of Indigenous women.
