Synopsis

Historically, the Native American voice has been ignored with regard to the Lewis & Clark expedition. The West has been depicted as wild and uninhabited when, in fact, the opposite is true. There were established communities and complex trade systems. It is unlikely the expedition would have succeeded without the help of the native people they encountered, including Sacajawea, the only woman and the only Indian to accompany the Corps of Discovery to the Pacific Coast and back. While Sacajawea's image adorns more monuments than any woman in US history, including the US Mint's golden one-dollar coin, what has history really taught us about her? Was she the heroine she has been made out to be? Did she truly guide the expedition? Was she the first woman to "vote" in America? Was she Hidatsa or Shoshone? Did she spell her name with a "J" or a "G" or a "K?" How long did she live? Where is she buried? South Dakota or Wyoming? The Spirit of Sacajawea: Native Stories examines all of these questions through the eyes of her ancestors. The majority of the interviews are with Native American people from across the United States. We learn about what she meant to their culture, how her tribes lived 200 years ago and how they've survived one challenge after another, from smallpox to relocation to the destruction of native lands and sacred sites. Featuring original music by Mary Youngblood. These themes are all explored in 'THe Spirit of Sacajawea.'